Students may spend the spring semester of their sophomore year studying at the Marino Institute in Dublin, Ireland, or a junior year semester in Australia. Students have also studied in Italy, France, Spain and other locations during Summer sessions.

Each year, two students are selected from among the Honors students and other qualified Iona students, to receive the Br. Patrick Doyle Oxford Program, a junior year study abroad opportunity at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University, England.

The Honors Humanities Seminar

This seminar is an integral part of Freshman and Sophomore years. Offered as four three-credit courses, the Humanities Seminar introduces students to the central concepts of philosophy, history, literature, and religious studies in an interdisciplinary fashion.

Its emphasis on primary texts encourages open discussion, fosters the development of essential thinking skills, and creates an appreciation of the great ideas that have shaped civilization. Writing, speaking, and critical thinking are well-defined objectives of the Humanities Seminar.

Two courses that are specifically designed to develop these skills – Honors Composition, and Logic – complement the work of the Humanities courses and prepare students to utilize these skills not only in the rest of their college curriculum but also in future graduate studies.

Download Honors Core Course Checklists:

• School of Arts & Science
• Hagan School of Business

Research Seminar

The research seminar is another exciting feature of the program iwhich is offered in the Junior year. The series focuses on exploring different types of research and developing a research proposal. The culmination of the program is the completion of an independent research project in Senior year, undertaken with a faculty mentor. While challenging students to formulate and defend a research thesis, this year of intensive scholarly endeavor is an excellent prelude to the rigors of graduate study.