Honors Program

How do I apply to be in the Honors Program?

The Honors Program seeks exceptionally well-qualified and motivated students of all religious, economic and cultural backgrounds. We delight in the diversity of talents and experiences that students have brought to our program through the years.

Those interested in joining the program are urged to complete their applications for undergraduate admission to St. Mary’s as early as possible. Top applicants will be invited to submit a separate application to the Honors Program online.

The Honors Program application deadline is March 1.

Career and Educational Opportunities

Careers

After graduation, our Honors students pursue careers as attorneys, doctors, educators and researchers and have held positions such as Lead Researcher at Southwest Research Institute, Data Scientist Director at USAA, Investment Banking Associate at Goldman Sachs, Field Engineer at Moss & Associates, Engineer at CNF Technologies, Underwriter at Hartford Commercial, Data Analyst at Transwestern, University Advancement Officer at the University of Notre Dame, and Computer Engineer at the Department of Defense.

Medical School

Many St. Mary’s Honors students receive early acceptance to medical schools, such as St. Louis Medical School and Baylor School of Medicine. Honors graduates have attended the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, UTHSC Dental School, and UTMD in Galveston. Some of our recent grads have residencies at Johns Hopkins and Carver College of Medicine.

Law School

Others have attended law schools at Syracuse University, University of San Diego, University of Michigan, Texas Tech University, University of Houston, The University of Texas at Austin, and St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Master’s and Doctoral Degrees

Students have pursued Ph.D. programs such as Education at University of Illinois Chicago; Physics at University of California, Davis; Mechanical Engineering and Toxicology and Texas A&M University; Bioinformatics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Medical Physics at UT Health; and Political Science at George Washington University. Others have pursued Master’s degrees at institutions such as Trinity University, the University of Arizona, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Cincinnati, University of San Diego, and Columbia University.

Mission Statement

The Honors Program serves a diverse community of students who have proven themselves especially talented, skilled and successful in their academic careers. Our mission is to attract such students to St. Mary’s University and to provide them with a challenging and rewarding program — a program which complements their professional development with courses in the Catholic intellectual and liberal arts traditions, encourages them to engage critically in the self-conscious formation of their worldview and prepares them to succeed after graduation to make a positive difference in the world. 

Inclusive Excellence Statement

The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) supports inclusive excellence, promoting educational equity and non-discriminatory practices. As an organization of institutions, honors educators, students and staff, we are responsible for fostering the inclusion and success of academically motivated learners from all communities. Recognizing diverse identities as strengths, we make inclusive excellence possible. In response to historical restrictions, the NCHC is committed to modeling best practices, using inclusive leadership strategies, research and partnerships to help honors programs serve and empower all communities.

Honors Council