What is The Augustine Honors Collegium?

The Augustine Honors Collegium is a selective academic program designed to attract and equip academically-advanced undergraduates in order to prepare them to serve the church as Christian scholars who can think critically and communicate the gospel effectively in all walks of life.

The program utilizes an enhanced curriculum which emphasizes writing for the academy, research in the liberal arts, and public communication in order to challenge students beyond the base undergraduate requirements. Additionally, the honors program provides unique extra- and co-curricular opportunities designed to help participants engage their world beyond the classroom.

Who should apply for the program?

The Augustine Honors Collegium is designed for students who desire to challenge themselves academically and who are willing to spend more time reading and writing than the average college student. Any student with those desires is encouraged to apply.

As a reference for the types of academic achievement that would fit the program, the following guidelines have been developed. Interested students who do not meet these qualifications are still encouraged to apply. All applications are reviewed, and determinations are made on a case-by-case basis.

Incoming Freshmen
27 ACT or 1200 SAT
3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)

Transfer Students
3.5 GPA (Cumulative undergraduate)

How do I apply?

Application materials are available here.

More information can be obtained by contacting the director at honors@sbts.edu

How much does it cost?

The program costs a nominal $500.00 per semester fee which covers the cost of the extra- and co-curricular opportunities unique to the collegium. Some optional aspects of the program (e.g., out-of-town travel and international study) will incur additional fees.

Why I should I participate in Boyce’s honors program?

Participation in The Augustine Honors Collegium will challenge students beyond the excellent classroom experience Boyce College already offers. This program will provide students with the opportunity to work in smaller class settings, to learn alongside other highly-motivated students, and to engage with the academic community on some of the major questions facing humanity throughout history.

Throughout a student’s participation in the program, he/she will benefit from a tight-knit academic community that is constantly seeking to be challenged and to engage others across a variety of disciplines. The program is perfect for students who do not merely seek to find simple answers but who constantly desire to ask tough, challenging questions and who will not rest until those questions have been explored to their fullest.

Some additional benefits also come with participation—such as early registration for classes, early housing sign-up, etc.

How does The Augustine Honors Collegium affect my major and/or my ability to graduate “on time?”

The Augustine Honors Collegium has been designed to complement every major offered at Boyce College with minimal disruption. Most students should be able to complete the entire 4-year honors curriculum and graduate with the degree of their choosing without adding any classes to their degree program. (A couple of majors may require 1 or 2 additional classes).

The six-semester interdisciplinary core seminars typically substitute for the following courses:

• PH 241 Ontology substitutes for a philosophy elective.
• PH 423 Liberty substitutes for PH 321 Religion in the Public Square.
• PH 245 Culture substitutes for HU 421/422 Great Books Seminar I or II.
• PH 247 Apologetics substitutes for PH 103 Worldview Analysis.
• PH 249 Ethics substitutes for PH 311 Introduction to Ethics.
• PH 251 Aesthetics substitutes for a philosophy elective.

What are the requirements for participation in The Augustine Honors Collegium?

In order to graduate from The Augustine Honors Collegium students must take the six-semester core seminar, a one-semester research methods practicum, and complete a senior thesis. In addition, students must take a total of 24-hours of their other classes at an “honors-level.”

The six-semester interdisciplinary core seminar covers the following “Big Questions”:

• Ontology: Who are we, and why are we here?
• Liberty: What is freedom, and why does it matter?
• Culture: How does the world shape us, and how do we shape our world?
• Apologetics: How do we defend the historic Christian faith in a public forum?
• Ethics: How do we live in and engage with a fallen world?
• Aesthetics: What is ‘true beauty’, and why does it matter?