Honors Program
The Honors Program at Lesley University is built around a common academic structure that provides students with a cohesive and rigorous learning experience grounded in discipline-based academic content. Each student completes five designated honors courses (identified below with numbers 1-5), which may include contracted honors course options tailored to a student’s individual interests.
All students begin their journey with a First-Year Seminar, introducing them to interdisciplinary thinking and academic inquiry. For Art & Design students, this seminar takes the form of INTGR 1000 Honors Studio I, while those in the other areas enroll in an Honors FYS linked to Honors CWRIT 1101. This common start helps build a sense of cohort identity, as students share intellectual experiences and begin developing the skills they’ll refine throughout the program.
The Honors Program continues with honors-level sections of required General Education, “CommonLynx”, courses that also provide students with additional shared honors experiences. Students engage in advanced writing practice with Honors CWRIT 1101 Writing as Thinking and Process and cultivate analytical and creative skills through Honors CLITR 1100 Word & Image. Nearer to the end of their undergraduate studies, they synthesize their learning in Honors CommonLynx capstone course, which serves as the culminating requirement for Lesley’s General Education Program and fosters real-world application of ideas.
All students participate in an honors capstone course, which varies slightly by program. For Art & Design majors, the culminating course is INTGR 2000 Honors Studio II, while those in Education, Mental Health & Wellness, and Liberal Arts & Business complete a contracted Honors course that deepens their expertise and integrates what they’ve learned across disciplines. This phase allows students to push the boundaries of their academic interests, engage with peers and faculty mentors, and emerge from the Honors Program equipped with the critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills essential for success in their future endeavors.
Requirements for honors students:
Students complete five designated honors courses (including contracted honors course options)
Students all take First-Year Seminar
(1) LA+D: INTGR 1000 Honors Studio I
(1) Liberal Arts & Business, Education, and Mental Health & Wellness: Honors FYS (linked to Honors CWRIT 1101)
Students have shared honors course experiences (cohort) with required General Education courses:
(2) Honors CWRIT 1101 Writing as Thinking and Process
(3) Honors CLITR 1100 Word & Image
(4) Honors CommonLynx Capstone (This is the capstone for the General Education Program)
Students all have honors culminating experience:
(5) LA+D: INTGR 2000 Honors Studio II
(5) Liberal Arts and Business, Education, and Mental Health & Wellness: Contracted Honors course