Honors Program

Make a difference in your education with the Commonwealth Honors Program.

Enjoy events, trips, conferences, and rigorous coursework with your favorite professors!

The Lt. Col. James F. Sheehan ’55 Honors Program, the Commonwealth Honors Program at Worcester State University, gives high-performing and motivated students opportunities to realize their academic potential and achieve their future goals. We promote scholarly excellence and awards among both students and faculty through our curriculum and events programming. We are a strong community dedicated to sustaining the intellectual and social development of our students and enhancing life at Worcester State. Our program is part of the Massachusetts Commonwealth Honors Program and a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Information for New Students

Program Requirements

As an honors student, you will be required to:

Complete 7 honors courses (21 credits)
- If you join the program after your first year, you are required to complete 6 courses
- Honors courses generally fulfill Worcester State’s LASC or major/minor requirements and must be passed with a minimum grade of B
- Honors classes may not be taken on a pass/fail basis
Attend at least 2 honors events per semester
Maintain a 3.2 GPA

Commonwealth Honors Project

We encourage all honors students to complete a Commonwealth Honors Project during their junior or senior year to earn the added designation of “Commonwealth Honors Scholar.” These projects typically encompass significant original research, artistic achievement, or civic engagement and are presented in a public forum such as an undergraduate research conference or our campus-wide Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity. Being a Commonwealth Honors Scholar will bring you additional recognition at graduation, and—more importantly—provides you a chance to integrate your college learning in a meaningful capstone experience and to prepare for graduate study or your career goals.

Some of the previous honors projects led by honors scholar graduates discussed topics such as:

DNA in cattail species (Sang Lam)
Inhibition of long-term face memory as impacted by face recognition and mental imagery (Aliana Acevedo)
Examination of Nitroxyl and GAPDH as cancer targets (Alisha Papdakis)
Racism on campus and its effects on black students experiences (Anita Asante & Daniella Frimpong)
Prevention of nurse burnout through better leadership (Ashley Cotting)
Motherhood and how it is impacted by age and marital status (Imane Samari & Arhum R. Rizvi)

Past Events

Student presenting research poster

Student playing saxaphone

Two students presenting research poster

WSU Honors at the MET in NYC

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Join the program at almost any time during your college career!

There are many chances to join the Commonwealth Honors Program before you graduate from Worcester State. See your student status below to discover how you can become a member.

First-Year Students

Potential honors candidates are identified during the Admissions process, based on high-school GPA and SAT scores. If you are deemed a qualified candidate, you'll be invited to opt into the program as an incoming first-year student. There is no special application form.

Transfer Students

If you are a transfer applicant who has demonstrated a strong academic record at a previous college or university (college GPA of 3.5), you may apply to the Honors Program. In addition, if you were enrolled in an honors program at a Massachusetts public community college or state university, you will be automatically eligible for our Honors Program. Up to 3 of your previous honors courses will be transferred into our Honors Program and count toward completion of the 6 required honors courses. If you are an interested transfer student, please contact the Honors director at honors@worcester.edu.

Full-Time, Enrolled Worcester State Students

If you are an enrolled Worcester State student, you may apply to the Honors Program with a college GPA of 3.5 or higher after your first semester. If you're accepted, you will be required to take at least 6 honors courses. If you are interested in applying, please contact the Honors director at honors@worcester.edu.

Important Notice for Accepted Students

If you have been offered a place in the Honors Program along with your admission to Worcester State, do not forget to accept your invitation for the Honors Program. This is a step separate from the process of your basic enrollment at Worcester State. Once you have accepted your invitation to join the Honors Program, you will receive information about the Honors orientation day, which takes place over the summer prior to your first semester at college. In addition, please note that your first-year fall schedule should include Honors College Writing and Honors First Year Seminar sections, rather than regular college writing and first-year seminar sections.

Residence Life & Housing

We work closely with the Residence Life and Housing Office to cluster our honors students together in the first-year residence halls. We also offer an Honors House living-learning community for sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Wasylean Hall.

Contact the Commonwealth Honors Program.

Nicole Rosa

Associate Professor

nrosa@worcester.edu

508-929-8761

241H

Department: Psychology

Maria Bocka

Clerk V

mbocka@worcester.edu

508-929-8940

129

Department: Urban Studies

Frequently Asked Questions

Be informed about all that the Honors Program can give you by learning the answers to frequent questions about the program.

The Honors Program is a track within Worcester State’s existing academic programs. It is not a stand-alone curriculum. You should take a minimum of 7 honors courses during your college career if you enter the program during your first semester at Worcester State (a minimum of 6 if you enter after your first semester); however, all of the courses you will take for honors should also count either towards the Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum (LASC), your academic major, or your minor.
The Honors Center has a designated library room, the Honors Lounge, used for study and collaboration, program planning and meetings, etc. In addition to the speakers and events on the Worcester State campus calendar, we plan a lively series of social and cultural events throughout the year just for honors students. Popular honors traditions include the President’s Dinner and Theatre nights, the fall Boston day trip, and the spring overnight trip to New York City.
Your honors participation is recognized on your transcript and at graduation. An enhanced academic record will strengthen your future graduate school and employment applications. The Commonwealth Honors Project is your chance to conduct and present independent research, synthesize your honors and college studies, and experience integrated learning by bringing it all together as a junior or senior and earning Commonwealth Honors Scholar distinction.
Academic scholarships are not administered by the Honors Program, although we are proud to report that many honors students are awarded scholarships. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information about the range of scholarships that are available.
In addition, all eligible honors students are guaranteed generous grants to support their research, travel, and study abroad programs while enrolled at Worcester State.

I did not expect so much flexibility in requesting honors courses, which allowed me to get the honors credit for courses that I enjoyed while they contributed to my graduation credits. Additionally, the Honors Program gave me a push to get more involved on campus with the event attendance requirement. I am glad that the Honors Program is inviting to new requests and gives credit for intriguing events, showing that everyone experiences honors in their own way.

— Sarah Flynn '22, English

Taking honors classes has made me a better student. In honors classes, I am assigned extra research projects or papers. These extra research projects have made me think more outside the box. I have learned so much from independent research and doing presentations.

— Ashley Cooper

Being a part of the honor program has been challenging, educational and fun! Honor class professors are so passionate with what they teaching. I learn so much from the honor classes. I also get to make friends with other students in honor program. All the resources and trips provides by honor program are amazing!

— Aspen Zheng

For me personally, when I needed to take a semester off due to medical reasons, I felt very supported by Dr. Wiese and the program, which was truly a weight off of my back and let me focus more on myself during that time. Overall, I had so much fun during my undergraduate years with the program, going to Boston and Baltimore, talking with the invited guest speakers, getting to know the campus resources better, and meeting friends in the program.

— Grace Van Kirk

Being required to attend 2 events per semester has allowed me to open myself up to new learning opportunities and social events that I otherwise probably wouldn't make the time for. The honors program also challenges me to be the best student I can be.

— Jade Menard

[I] love that we have a private room in the library. I am constantly going there, and it has helped me get a lot of work done because the solitude and privacy truly helps me stay focused.

— Rukie Hoyt-Rouse

Information for Current Students

If you are already an Honors student, you know the basics: earn at least a B in a total of 7 honors courses (6 if you’ve transferred in to the program), maintain at least a 3.2 GPA, and attend at least 2 honors events per semester. But how can you really thrive in Honors? Here are some suggestions.

Take additional all-honors courses beyond your first-semester FYS learning community.

We are continually striving to add new all-honors offerings, including exciting short-term study abroad opportunities.

Keep up-to-date with honors.

Read the “This Week in Honors” Smores e-newsletters and attend events beyond your requirements.

Pursue your intellectual/artistic interests through a Commonwealth Honors Project (CHP).

Do not forget that you can graduate as a Massachusetts Commonwealth Honors Scholar by pursuing a project that you are passionate about. Learn more about the benefits of completing a CHP in the "Learn more about CHP & grants" accordion below.

Get to know your honors advisors.

We are here to help with matters large and small.

Apply for honors research & travel grants.

Your hard work has earned you the opportunity to expand your knowledge in places outside of the U.S., and we provide the funds necessary to do so. Learn more about studying abroad and researching grants in the "Learn more about CHP & grants" accordion below.

Learn more about CHP & grants.

“Commonwealth Honors Scholar” is the highest distinction for students graduating from public colleges and universities in the state of Massachusetts. In addition to the regular honors requirements, students must complete a Commonwealth Honors Project and present the project at a public forum or conference. Commonwealth Honors Scholars are recognized with a special listing in the graduation booklet, and the achievement is listed on your transcript.
Project Guidelines & Standards
The project should represent integrative/synthetic/capstone work. As such, it should be completed during the junior or senior year. Depending on a student’s major field, a CHP might take the form of laboratory or literature research, production of a creative or performing arts piece, or community engagement. Regardless of its particular form, a CHP should contextualized within a scholarly framework. It can be pursued as an independent study or developed within a LASC or major capstone course, but it must go beyond the requirements for a graded course project. A CHP must also be supervised by a faculty advisor and presented either as an oral presentation or poster at public forum such as:
Worcester State’s annual Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity (presentation at the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity is required to be eligible for a CHP Prize)
Statewide Undergraduate Research Conference at UMass Amherst
Other forum with approval of the program directors
CHP Prize
The Honors Program sponsors an annual Commonwealth Honors Project Prize competition. A panel of distinguished faculty and administrators judge the projects at the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity, and the first, second, and third place winners are awarded cash prizes and certificates of recognition.
Project Advising
While students should work under the supervision of a professor in their major field, the program coordinator is also available to answer any questions and guide you through the process. We also offer proposal workshops and a practice dinner prior to the Worcester State and UMass undergraduate research conferences.
Approval Process & Deadlines
The proposals will be reviewed by the Honors Advisory Board. Deadlines will be announced in the Smore newsletter.
Please note that the form must be APPROVED in ADVANCE of the public forum.
The Honors Program has funds to provide a limited number of grants of up to $300 each to support student travel and research needs related to honors work. Applications will be evaluated based on proposal quality, and grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.
The application requests the following:
A description of the independent project, coursework, or educational experience to be supported
Details on how the funds will be spent
A brief statement of how the supported experience will contribute to the student’s educational or career goals
General eligibility guidelines for honors student grants are:
Students must be enrolled in the Worcester State Honors Program in good standing (GPA 3.2 or above)
Funds must be used to support educational experiences for which students are receiving academic credit (including independent studies, internships, study-abroad, or other off-campus programs, and regular courses) or for Commonwealth Honors Projects
Any requests for funding of projects completed within the framework of a regular academic course must come from the students involved in the project, not the course instructor
Any student who receives a grant must agree to present his or her work at the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity in April
Examples of acceptable uses for honors student grants include, but are not limited to:
Support for travel to an off-campus conference or research site
Support for participation in a study-abroad or other off-campus program for academic credit
Funds for research supplies
Funds for photocopying research materials or preparing presentation materials
Student Event Credit Form to be filled out after you’ve attended an event
Intent to Graduate with Honors Form
Honors Scholar Project application to be filled out and approved before presentation.
Honors by Request to be filled out before the end of add/drop of the current semester
Study Abroad grant application students are eligible for up to $1000 grant to cover the cost of study abroad (pending available funding)
Travel and Research grant application students are eligible for up to $300 grant to cover the cost of research or conference attendance (pending available funding)