Admission: Honors and Pre-honors

Admission to the Bloomfield College Honors Program is open to current students, transfer students, and first-time freshmen based on meeting the admission criteria.

First-Time Freshmen
First-time freshmen are considered pre-honors until they have completed three college-level courses. Pre-Honors students who meet the following criteria may take honors courses and participate in co-curricular activities of the Honors Program during their first semester:

• High School grade point average of 3.3 or higher

• Participation in extracurricular activities

• Recommendation by two teachers

• Completion of at least 3.0 college-level courses

• Grade point average of 3.3 or higher

• Two letters of recommendation

• Interview with Honors Program Director

Transfer Students
Transfer students who meet the following criteria are eligible for membership in the Honors Program are eligible for admission to the Bloomfield College Honors Program immediately upon transfer:

• Membership in Honors Program at the most recent previous institution attended
  or

• Grade point average of 3.3 or higher at the most recent previous institution attended

• Transfer of at least 3.0 college-level courses

• Two letters of recommendation (from faculty at most recent previous institution or Bloomfield College)

• Interview with Honors Program Director

For more information contact us at honors_program@bloomfield.edu or call 973-748-9000, ext. 285.

Download application and recommendation forms:

• Application (pdf)

• Recommendation Form (pdf)

Curriculum and Co-curriculum

The Bloomfield College Honors Program includes both academic (curricular) and co-curricular components. Students in the Honors Program are expected to show regular progress toward meeting the Honors Program curriculum requirements to remain members in good standing. Nearly all of the coursework can be accomplished through your major and General Education requirements. Only the Honors Seminar is additional.

The Curriculum

• Four Honors Courses
  At least four courses must be taken for honors credit to fulfill the Honors Program curriculum requirements. You may accomplish this by registering for a course listed on the Course Schedule with an “H,” such as CAT 203H which is being offered during the Fall 2010 semester.
  
  Since a limited number of honors courses are offered each semester, you may also fulfill the honors course requirement by arranging to do honors-level work in any of your regular classes, with agreement of the instructor and Honors Program Director. You may also arrange to do an independent study for honors credit, also with agreement of the instructor and Honors Program Director. Both of these arrangements are known as doing an “honors option” in a course.
  
  For honors options you must submit a completed Honors Course Approval Form to receive honors credit and for the course to be indicated as “honors” on your transcript.

• One Honors Seminar (HON 499/HON 498)
  At least one honors seminar must be taken to fulfill the Honors Program curriculum requirements. The Honors Seminar courses are labeled HON 498 (0.5 cus) and HON 499 (1.0 cus) and are listed on the Course Schedule when offered. You may take either HON 498 or HON 499 to fulfill this requirement. Honors seminars are typically offered each spring semester.

• Honors Capstone Project
  To fulfill the Honors Program curriculum requirements, each student must do an honors capstone project. Honors capstone projects can take on many forms but all honors capstones must incorporate a multicultural /interdisciplinary component. The capstone project does not have to be attached to a course labeled “capstone” or to any course at all. The capstone may be a research project, creative production, internship-related, or a written thesis, among other possibilities.
  
  If your major requires a capstone, you will not have to do an additional capstone, but may have to add a multicultural/interdisciplinary component depending upon the nature of your capstone.
  
  If your major does not require a capstone, then you will have to design a capstone project. If this is the case, speak with the Honors Program Director.
  
  With the exception of the honors seminar, it is possible to complete the HP curriculum requirements within your graduation requirements if you do honors options or take general education honors courses.

The Co-curriculum

The college honors experience is not just about scholarship. The co-curriculum is an integral part of the Honors Program and affords member students opportunities to develop as a cohort, have fun, and serve the College and community. Co-Curricular activities include participation in national and regional conferences, speaker series, movie matinees, fundraisers, and service activities such as visiting with residents of the Park Manor Nursing Home. There also are regular meetings of the Honors Program and other College events at which honors students are expected to be present. Students who are interested in having a role in policy-making may serve on the Honors Council, the advisory group composed of faculty, students, and the Honors Program Director.

The co-curriculum is enhanced by our partnerships with honors organizations and societies.

Bloomfield College is a member of

• The National Collegiate Honors Council

• The Northeast Regional Honors Council

• Alpha Chi National College Honor Society (New Jersey Beta, Chapter 223)—for juniors and seniors in all majors

• Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business (Zeta Sigma Chapter)

• Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education (Alpha Beta Eta Chapter)

• Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology (Chapter 585)

Scholarships and other benefits

The following scholarships are exclusive to the Honors Program:

• Joel M. Weiner Scholarship (academic; all majors)

• Public Service Enterprise Group Endowed Scholarship (academic; science majors)

• Grandy Endowed Scholarship (academic; finance majors)

• Joel M. Weiner Special Use Scholarship

• Maureen Grant Study Abroad Scholarship

Students eligible for these scholarships are identified by the Office of Financial Aid. Recipients are selected by the grant administrator in conjunction with the Honors Program Director.

Other benefits include a dedicated study lounge in the Library.

Highlights

• You get a ready-made cohort of motivated, scholarly—and fun—students

• Academic scholarships (and new scholarships are in the works)

• Study abroad scholarships

• Dedicated Study Lounge

• Curriculum –There are course requirements but these can be incorporated into your major and General Education programs with the exception of one honors seminar

  • Special honors courses for pre-honors freshmen

  • Special honors seminars – small classes in which students collaborate on the course design

  • Work with honors faculty

• All majors can fit with the Honors Program academic requirements, even the most demanding programs such as Nursing

• Opportunities to participate in co-curricular programs such as our “Welcome Back BBQ” as well as events hosted by honors programs at other colleges such as weekend “sleeping bag seminars” and “Partners in the Park”

• Opportunities to attend national and regional conferences with honors students from other states; find out what is happening nationally in honors

• Opportunities to present or publish research – great preparation for graduate school or employment!

• Opportunities to participate in fundraisers and service activities such as a bowling night fundraiser

• The Honors Program is growing by leaps and bounds and is highly diverse

  • All seven academic divisions are represented

  • Male and female students in proportions matching the BC student body

  • Students come from a range of ethnic backgrounds, representative of the BC student body

  • Traditional age and adult students participate in the Honors Program