January 17, 2025
The University Honors Program at St. John’s University challenges high-achieving students while encouraging them to reach their highest academic potential.
All students—regardless of major—are eligible for the Honors Program, which in 2003 expanded from St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to include all five undergraduate colleges. The Peter J. Tobin College of Business has since created the business-specific Thomas J. Cox, Jr. Honors Program.
Smaller class sizes offer students a more personal connection with professors and classmates while focusing on core curriculum topics in depth through vigorous class discussion. Students also appreciate the opportunity to create lasting friendships rooted in their shared academic experiences.
“The classes provide enhanced dialogue between instructor and student, creating better conversation and productivity,” said sophomore Biomedical Sciences student and Honors Program member Oscar Monge, who, with Rachel Hollander, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of English and director of the University Honors Program, helped to launch the Honors Program Instagram Page, better connecting students and administrators.
Benefits of St. John’s University’s Honors Programs
Nearly 1,000 students are currently enrolled in the University Honors Program, and about 250 first-year students are admitted each fall. Classes rarely exceed 25 students. Honors courses are not necessarily more complex than conventional classes. However, with smaller class sizes, professors often focus on topics in greater depth.
Christina Nimblett, a sophomore Environmental Science major from Trinidad with a double minor in Social Justice: Theory and Practice in the Vincentian Tradition and Global Development and Sustainability, said the program introduced her to a tight-knit community that values strength through knowledge.
“Being an honors student means I am part of a community that prioritizes academic excellence and seeks to push the boundaries of our learning so we can make meaningful contributions to the world after graduating from St. John’s,” Christina said.
Incoming first-year students are invited to join the University Honors Program upon acceptance to St. John’s and completion of an Honors Program application essay. Among the criteria used for selection are high school grade point average (GPA), strength of high school courses, and the results of standardized tests, if submitted.
Honors students must complete 30 credits of honors-designated courses. Most of those credits are earned through the completion of the University’s core curriculum. However, students can earn additional honors credits through elective courses and other means, including research projects. Honors students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.3.
Honors students are alerted via email and the learning management system Canvas to program-specific activities, including museum gallery tours, lectures, and even New York City Ballet and Metropolitan Opera performances.
Build Lifelong Academic Skills with St. John’s University’s Honors Programs
Students come from various backgrounds, including many international students from as far away as Morocco and Slovenia. However, all are eager to maximize their potential, trust their convictions, and gain confidence through elevated academic achievement.
“The students perform at a consistently high level—that’s no surprise,” said Honors Program instructor Timothy A. Milford, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History, St. John’s College. “What’s more important, and more gratifying, is the esprit de corps—the way the students support each other, the way they want to do well, and just the good vibes that fill the room.”
Students in the Thomas J. Cox, Jr. Honors Program at Tobin take a minimum of 21 credits of honors courses. In addition to their work in the classroom, students hear from industry speakers, conduct research with faculty within their major, connect with Tobin alumni, and engage with career counselors as early as their first year in the program.
“It has been a great experience,” said sophomore Cox Honors Program member Alexandra Cicala. “I have been able to do site visits to the NASDAQ Stock Market and the Bloomberg offices in Manhattan, NY. That experiential learning has been so valuable and was one of the reasons I wanted to come to the University.”
Christina credited Dr. Hollander with providing her with the academic tools and confidence needed to select a new major and guiding her to a field of study that fulfilled her passions for social justice and advocacy.
Dr. Hollander, meanwhile, said that such peer and staff mentorship allows honors students to form a supportive and encouraging community. Dr. Hollander was Honors Program Director at the Staten Island, NY, campus for 13 years before joining the Queens, NY, campus as Program Director in 2023.
Her plans for the 2025 Spring semester include a career workshop for honors students and other get-togethers designed to grow the University Honors Program’s alumni network.
“The students are constantly pushing themselves and their peers to be better every day, while putting extra effort into their studies, which the Honors Program deeply encourages,” Dr. Hollander said.
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