Philadelphia University Honors Institute at Thomas Jefferson University

Curriculum

Our curriculum consists of an academic core comprising an Honors section of the First Year Seminar (FYS), eight courses and four co-curricular Honors Cornerstones. A variety of Honors course sections or assignments are available each semester.

  • Students can view available Honors courses in Banner, by typing “honors” in the keyword field when searching for sections/courses.
  • For the most current list of non-Honors courses with available Honors Assignments, enrolled students should visit the “Honors Curriculum Guide by College” on the Honors Canvas site or contact the Honors Institute staff.
Curriculum Details
Honors First Year Seminar Honors section of required First Year university orientation seminar.
4 Major Courses Progress through four Honors-designated courses from your major over the course of your curriculum.
4 Hallmarks Courses Progress through four Honors-designated courses from the University Hallmarks Core Program (General Education) over the course of your curriculum.
Question Cornerstone Co-curricular requirement focusing on research and/or development of program expertise.
Act Cornerstone Co-curricular requirement focusing on professional development
Contribute Cornerstone Co-curricular requirement focusing on community engagement/service.
Adapt Cornerstone Co-curricular requirement focusing on global awareness and diversity.

Honors Cornerstones

The Honors Cornerstones reflect the core values of our program: curiosity to pursue your own questions, confidence to act and apply knowledge in real-world conditions, courage to contribute ideas that make a difference and empathy to adapt with respect to diverse perspectives. Honors Institute students must complete all four Cornerstones over the course of their respective degree programs, and there are many ways to fulfill this requirement. Here are some examples:

Cornerstone

Details

Question

  • Conference Presentation
  • Industry or Major Project
  • Publication
  • Fulbright Application
  • Independent Research/Study
  • Course-related Research Project
  • Graduate Course
  • Faculty Guided Research

Act

  • Professional Development Activity
  • Internship/Shadow
  • Toastmasters
  • Professional Certification
  • Club Officer
  • Professional Org Membership
  • Preceptorships
  • Conference Activity
  • Resident Assistant

Adapt

  • Literary Salon
  • Study Abroad
  • Study Away (NSE)
  • American Sign Language Club
  • Global Brigades
  • Cross-cultural Activity

Contribute

  • Great Hostel Give Back
  • Change Your Mind
  • Honors Community
  • Honors Student Association Chair/Officer
  • Campus/Community Engagement
  • SGA/Class Officer
  • Organization Committee Chair
  • OSE Activity