Honors Program at St. Mary’s

The St. Mary’s University Honors Program seeks exceptional and motivated students of all backgrounds. The Honors Program is enriched through the diversity of talents and experiences our students bring. 

To complete the advanced academic program, each Honors Scholar undertakes a senior thesis demonstrating the ability to conduct original research at an advanced level, attends seminars and participates in high-impact practices (HIPs). 

  • Contact Us

    Camille Langston, Ph.D.
    Director of the Honors Program
    clangston@stmarytx.edu
    210-431-8082

    Richard Cardenas, Ph.D.
    Assistant Director of the Honors Program
    rcardenas@stmarytx.edu
    210-436-3262

    Find Us

    Chaminade Tower
    Honors Suite, Room 110

Program Benefits

  • $2,000 stackable scholarship
  • Challenging, seminar-style courses
  • Opportunity to attend research conferences
  • Tight-knit community where you attend classes with the same cohort of students, as well as live together in the Honors Living Learning Community
  • Academic accolades, including recognition during Commencement
  • Access to Priority Registration
  • Funding for research, internships, service projects and study abroad/away
  • Workshops on applying for national and international awards, programs and scholarships
  • Membership in St. Mary’s Society of Honors Scholars, National Collegiate Honors Council and Great Plains Honors Council Peer mentoring program called Little and Big Scholars
  • Honors students engage in deep critical thinking.
  • Honors students participate in high-impact practices that prepare them for professional success.
  • Honors students develop as knowledgeable researchers and writers.
  • Honors students grow as global servants for the public good.
Student Learning Outcomes

Program Requirements

  • Enroll in Honors courses and participate in required activities.
  • Students in the program must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in their first year and 3.25 GPA after their first year.
  • If a student falls below the required minimum GPA, the student will be placed on probation for the Honors Program and will be given one semester to increase their GPA.
  • If the student does not raise their GPA to the required minimum after one semester, they are transitioned from the Honors Program.
80%
of Honors students graduate in less than four years 
70%
of Honors students pursue further studies  

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.

Sophomore admission is an alternative avenue into the Honors Program. Application is by invitation, which is sent in May. Decisions are made in June. To be eligible for sophomore admission to the Honors Program, students must have:

  • 3.85 GPA
  • Completed 15 hours at St. Mary’s University

Students will be able to transfer no more than 6 hours into the HO core. After successfully completing the application process, new members receive “catch-up” advising and are formally admitted to the program in the fall.

How do I apply as a Sophomore?

Visit the Undergraduate Transfer Admissions page for information regarding the admission and application process. There is no additional application fee to join the Honors Program.

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship 

The Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Transfer Scholarship is available to confirmed Phi Theta Kappa honor society members. Transfer students with a 3.5 GPA who are members of PTK receive automatic admission into the St. Mary’s Honors Program. Confirmed PTK members with at least 12 hours of coursework toward an associate or bachelor’s degree may receive up to $5,000 in scholarship funds per year.

Transfer students are automatically considered for our Transfer Academic Merit Scholarships if they apply by the June 1 priority date, are admitted to St. Mary’s University, and are enrolled as full-time students. No additional applications are required for these awards.

How do I apply as a transfer student?
  • Academic and Extracurricular Activities

    Beyond our curriculum, the program offers stimulating group activities, from attending plays and concerts to community service projects and social events.

  • Memberships

    • St. Mary’s Society of Honors Scholars 
    • National Collegiate Honors Council 
    • Big/Little Scholars
    • Great Plains Honors Council peer mentoring program 

Accomplishments and Career Opportunities

Many Honors Scholars graduate with summa, magna or cum laude honors, win the University’s highest student recognition for students — the Presidential Award — and hold student leadership positions on campus.  

Graduates go on to pursue further studies in medicine, law and other professions. Others go into the fields of education and engineering or enter the corporate world. 

  • The Honors Program has welcomed me with open arms; it has granted me many opportunities to grow as a scholar and a human. The Honors community has brought me closer to other students who care about making the world a better place and who always go beyond to achieve greatness. I am grateful and honored to be part of this amazing community!

    Erika Pineda-Horta, First-Year, Pre-Law Sociology and Criminology double major with a Spanish minor

Living Learning Community

Students in the Honors Program have the opportunity to reside alongside their fellow Honors Scholars in the on-campus Honors Program Living Learning Community, where students who welcome academic rigor can join in community with their like-minded classmates. Honors Scholars participate in study groups and game nights together and even bring in speakers for enriching discussions.


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

Camille Langston, Ph.D.
Director of the Honors Program
Professor of Communication Studies | Honors Program Director

Eric Chelstrom, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Philosophy

Heather Hill, Ph.D.
Chair, Chair of the Department of Psychology | Professor of Psychology

Juan Ocampo, Ph.D.
Chair of the Department of Engineering | Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Richard Cardenas, Ph.D
Assistant Director of the Honors Program
Chair, Department of Physics

Gregory Pool, Ph.D.
Professor of Graduate Industrial Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior

The Rev. Richard Villa, S.M.
Chaplain of the School of Science, Engineering and Technology



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