FULL Fitchburg State University Honors PROGRAM

The Full Fitchburg State University Honors Program offers talented and highly qualified entering students a rewarding and innovative integrated program of study. The Honors Program is a complete honors curriculum, replacing the LA&S (Liberal Arts & Sciences) or general education requirements for Honors students. The Honors Program is available for all academic majors and coordinated with all programs.

The Full Fitchburg State University Honors Program is open to entering first-year and transfer students. A Minor in the Fitchburg State University Honors Program is also available for students currently attending Fitchburg State. Challenging interdisciplinary courses emphasize proficiency in writing and research, analytical skills, teamwork, and delivering presentations. Seminars provide students with direct experience in service learning and in the arts. Entering Honors students will take courses with other Honors students as part of an Honors freshman foundation year. The Honors freshmen foundation year includes courses that focus on developing leadership skills. As sophomores and juniors Honors students will take an average of one honors seminar per semester. Fitchburg State University Honors students complete their honors work with a two semester honors thesis in an area of their own choosing. Honors projects can take many forms, including films and art installations as well as research theses. Recent projects have focused on a wide range of topics including New England Architecture, Finnish culture in Fitchburg, Dance Therapy, Pre-diabetes, and Strategic Leveraging at Fidelity Investments.

Outside of class, students take part in campus and other extra-curricular activities to experience a rich cultural environment and develop community awareness.

To remain in the Honors Program, students must have a yearly GPA of at least 3.3.

Benefits of the Full Fitchburg State University Honors Program

• Unique, innovative curriculum and courses with other honors students
• Small class sizes and close interaction with professors
• A Fitchburg State University Honors scholarship ($2,000)
• Opportunities to attend cultural events and activities
• Early class registration privileges
• Recognition at graduation as a Massachusetts Commonwealth Scholar

Facilities

The university maintains the Fitchburg State University Honors Common, a meeting area which can be utilized by honors students for studying, socializing, or group-work. The campus includes a state-of-the-art fiber optic system that provides each classroom, lab, and residence hall with access to the Internet, advanced phone service, and cable television. Media classrooms located around the campus allow faculty to present materials using state-of-the-art technology. In addition to the computer labs available on campus, a bank of computers in the Commuter Café gives us our own campus cyber café. These facilities, coupled with the dynamic and energetic teaching available from the faculty, provide the necessary resources for an exceptional education.

Curriculum for Full Fitchburg State University Honors Program

The Full Fitchburg State University Honors curriculum creates a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in the first year and builds on the base in each of the succeeding years:

First Year Curriculum

• LEAD 1005 Foundations of Leadership
• LEAD 1020 Current Events/Service Learning
• LEAD 1050 Honors English I
• LEAD 1070 Mozart to Modernism
• LEAD 1151 Experiential Approaches to Wellness
• LEAD 1200 Honors English II
• LEAD 1600 Biological Issues and Inquiry

Sophomore and Junior Honors Seminars (may be taken in any order)

• LEAD 2100 Honors Seminar in Literature
• LEAD 2150 Honors Seminar in Humanities: Contemporary Issues
• LEAD 2225 Honors Seminar in History
• LEAD 2250 Honors Seminar in Geo/Physical Science

Honors Thesis

• LEAD 4990 Honors Thesis Research
• LEAD 4991 Honors Thesis Writing

Additional Requirements

All students in the Full Fitchburg State University Honors Program will also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language at the intermediate level. This requirement can be met through examination or coursework.

All students in the Full Fitchburg State University Honors Program will also complete a Math course at or above the level of Calculus for your major or Discrete Math (MATH 1900).