About

The Honors College at UMass Dartmouth is part of the statewide Commonwealth Honors Scholars Program. Students who graduate from the Honors College receive special recognition on their transcripts, diplomas, and at Honors Convocation. Graduating from the Honors College is a wonderful way to prepare for graduate school or to set oneself apart for potential future employers. Working one-on-one with a faculty mentor on the APEX is a formative experience for our seniors. It is also a great accomplishment for your resume, whether you are applying for a job, medical school, law school, or graduate school.

The Honors College is an academic and social community. Students actively engage with one another and find community in our small classes. They also connect outside of class on the student council, doing community service projects, and participating in our many social events such as game nights, dance parties, holiday celebrations, Super Bowl Sundae parties, apple picking, Six Flags trip, spring break trips, and more.

College mission

Through our flexible curriculum and close mentoring, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Honors College promotes curiosity, imagination, engagement, academic excellence, and original scholarly activities across diverse fields. Within a supportive and inclusive community, we empower high-achieving undergraduate students to widen their focus beyond the classroom and face the challenges of today and the future.

Benefits of being in the Honors College

  • Priority registration
  • Option to live in the Honors living and learning community
  • Upper-class housing for sophomores
  • Free and reduced cost enrichment and social events
  • The Honors Annex study space and private small group study room
  • Honors-only scholarships
  • Academic and career advising that is tailored to help you achieve your personal interests and goals
  • Museum memberships, theater tickets, and trips that will make you more well-rounded and interesting to talk to in professional and social circles
  • A mechanism through which to distinguish yourself with an independent project, the APEX (Academic Project or Experience)
  • Leadership development experience on the Student Council

Honors College learning outcomes

The National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) publishes guidance about the goals of honors education. Based on their recommendations, common goals adopted for honors curricula at other institutions, and the institutional values of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has adopted four broad categories of curricular goals. In each of these areas, we identify specific, objective, measurable outcomes that guide our curriculum and course objectives. As is appropriate for an honors education, these outcomes focus heavily on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Develop rigorous scholarly inquiry skills

  • Use a systematic approach in assessing evidence, data, context, and interpretations
  • Critically evaluate and critique the knowledgebase within an area of inquiry
  • Identify gaps in understanding (metacognition)
  • Formulate and pursue original scholarly endeavors

Promote creativity and divergent/convergent thinking skills

  • Synthesize findings, ideas, and/or theories in innovative ways
  • Apply existing skills in different settings
  • Formulate solutions to novel problems

Hone oral and written communication skills

  • Clearly explain (orally and in writing) findings, thoughts, ideas to both experts and non-experts
  • Respectfully and civically debate positions with people who may disagree

Appreciate diversity of culture, context and perspective at local, national, and international levels

  • Evaluate the potential of differences as something other than deficits
  • Integrate the role of context and culture into understanding others’ thoughts, attitudes, and behavior