The Martinson Honors College is both an academic program and a community. The academic portion works similarly to a minor. Students typically take one Honors course per semester. Our classes can be enhanced versions of major courses, interdisciplinary courses, or classes outside of a student’s major that fulfill other Rowan academic requirements. The Honors academic experience complements students’ majors, gives them a chance to learn from faculty outside their discipline, and take classes with students from different majors. This allows them to see problems from different perspectives and find solutions in interdisciplinary ways.

The community portion of Honors involves both cocurricular and extracurricular activities. Honors College students are an active community of engaged citizen scholars who participate in and help organize social and cultural events, take part in volunteer opportunities, travel to cultural and historical sites, and take up leadership opportunities. Honors students run different Honors groups that are student-led and cover everything from food insecurity, to diversty issues, to board games, and even our own Honors Choir. We have our own wing in the Whitney Center and housing within the residence halls and apartments where you can live with other academically high-achieving students.

• Honors Participation: Each semester students attend: 2 Think events/activities (academic); 2 Thrive events/activities (leadership, professional development, social, and wellness); and 2 Share events/activities (volunteer/service)
• Honors Courses: 8 honors courses by graduation which is equivalent to 1 course per semester – we prorate if you transfer into the program beyond the first year or graduate early, so a 3-year degree means 6 courses; a minimum of 4 courses is required
• GPA: 3.33 GPA every semester to remain in the program, 3.50 overall GPA to graduate from the program

• Our strong sense of community; supportive and non-competitive!
• Enhanced First Year Experience and mentorship with the BLAST mentorship program, which follows national best practices in first-year experiences. Groups of 10+ new students are assigned 2 upper-level mentors to meet with weekly.
• Additional academic advising you have an Honors advisor to meet with each term in addition to your major advisor.
• Great courses with excellent faculty and small class size
• Priority Registration: Honors students get priority registration for classes. Our first-year students register even before seniors!
• Honors course equivalencies for selected internships and other research experiences; research assistantships come with a stipend for materials for the student and their faculty mentor; stipend for studying abroad + credit toward Honors courses
• Funding to attend academic and professional conferences
• Honors Study Lounge, Computer Lab, and Meeting Room: The Whitney Center houses our "Honors only" student lounge, computer lab, and student meeting room that has been recently updated with new technology.
• Extracurricular Activities through which students explore the world around them, expand their world views, and prepare to become effective community leaders. Trips to New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC museums and theaters., guest speakers, social events: The Honors Student Organization and the Honors office sponsor a variety of events throughout the year.
• Extracurricular Activities through which students explore the world around them, expand their world views, and prepare to become effective community leaders. These include:
  • Trips to New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC Museums and Theaters
  • Social Events (an annual murder mystery dinner, end of year picnic, and semi formals, and seasonal get-togethers)
• Honors Groups where students can gather informally based on common interests
• Campus cluster housing: Entering Honors students can opt for Honors cluster housing; Honors has grown so much that Honors Learning Communities are now in Holly Pointe, Rowan Boulevard Apartments (RoBo), and The Whitney Center.

First Year and Transfers students are invited to apply, via email, based on their unweighted GPA. The application includes an essay and a recommendation. You can learn more about the application process and timeline here: Admission Requirements for Incoming First Year Students.

Current Rowan Students can apply during the fall semester for spring semester entry and can find more information here: Admission Requirements for Current Rowan Students.

Once we have your application, as well as your recommendation letter, three members of our faculty review team read and rate your essay and recommendation. The members of the faculty review team use a detailed rubric to rate your essay on its adherence to the prompt, your motivation for being part of our community and the prose of the essay.