Students with high academic achievement, regardless of their major, are invited to participate in Honors seminars. Freshmen are chosen on the basis of SAT scores and their high school record. Students who maintain a cumulative index of 3.3 and complete a minimum of four Honors seminars with a B+ average will be eligible for a certificate of Honors in History upon graduation. Admission to the seminars is by permission of the department head.
Instead of HIST101, Honors students take HIST—190: Honors World History (3 credits). This seminar fulfills the core requirements of three credits in history for those students who qualify. (ATTR: ARTS, CDH, HNRS)
Each semester at least one of the following history honors courses will be available. The content will vary based on the professor, but every effort will be made to offer one American and one European or Non-Western upper-division honors history course:
HIST—390. Honors Seminar: Selected Research Topics 3 credits (ATTR: ARTS, HNRS)
HIST—490. Honors Seminar: Selected Research Topics 3 credits (ATTR: ARTS, HNRS)
At Siena, honors work is a different kind of work. It will require you to take more responsibility for your education. It will require that you take the lead in developing your intellectual curiosity and abilities. It will require in-depth research, inquiry, and study. But our Standish Honors Program will also give you unique academic opportunities, extensive access to faculty, and a leg up in the real world.
Omicron Xi, the Siena Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society, has been growing steadily since its formation in 1969, and won "Best Chapter" award in 2009.
To be eligible,
In addition to the honor of having your selection recorded in your permanent academic record, the benefits of membership include the opportunity to compete for special graduate scholarships and awards, to participate in academic conferences, and all members receive a one-year subscription to The Historian. Some students also wish to purchase an honor cord to wear at graduation to indicate their membership in this prestigious organization. An induction ceremony is held late in the Spring semester as part of the Academic Celebration.