JCU Honors Program

The SAI Honors Program at JCU allows academically talented students to satisfy their intellectual and cultural curiosities and earn additional credentials for studying abroad. The semester Honors Program helps students to distinguish their work and gain additional recognition that acknowledges their commitment to academic achievement, creativity and community engagement.

Honors Program students enroll in a full-time semester at JCU that includes at least one JCU honors course. Honors courses are designated as such because students complete additional assignments (e.g., research papers or portfolios, attendance at interdisciplinary honors lectures), and delve more deeply into the subject. These additional assignments are graded on a “grant of honors credit/no grant of honors credit” basis and are not calculated into the final grade for the course. For the granting of honors credit, students must produce work of a quality that would receive a B (3.00/4.00) or higher and this will be noted on their transcripts. Students taking an honors course also enjoy additional mentoring from their JCU instructor.

In addition to the JCU honors course, students work with the SAI honors coordinator who provides mentoring and structured reflection and arranges participation in activities such as community service and scholarship seminars.

To enroll in the SAI Honors Program at JCU, students must:

  • Demonstrate minimum GPA of 3.5 and/or enrollment in home school’s honors program
  • Select the Honors Program at application
  • Work with the SAI Admissions Counselor to choose the appropriate courses at registration, including the honors course(s)
  • Submit the following: resume, 2 letters of recommendation, 1 personal essay discussing goals for advanced study in Italy (max. 2 pages)

For successful completion of the SAI Honors Program at JCU, students will:

  • Enroll in a minimum of one JCU honors course
  • Engage in community service during the semester for a minimum of 20 hours
  • Maintain a journal of activities, observations and reflections on their study abroad experiences
  • Submit a copy of the honors course final paper / project to SAI
  • Earn a B or better in the designated honors course(s)
  • Within 60 days of semester’s end, submit to SAI a 250-word reflection essay that relates to their honors course topics and their learning and cultural experiences in Rome

Upon successful completion, students receive a reference letter from SAI’s Vice President of Academic Affairs that confirms completion of the honors program and related activities in Italy, along with a certificate suitable for framing.