Baccalaureate Honors Program
The Baccalaureate Honors Program (BHP) is a University-wide program designed to enrich the educational opportunities available to Rider students of proven intellectual ability who choose to become Baccalaureate Scholars. Interdisciplinary in orientation, the program enables Baccalaureate Scholars to explore diverse forms of thought, expression, and institutions past and present–an exploration that will enable them to meet future challenges with confidence. Through a series of team-taught seminars and other Honors courses, co-curricular experiences, personal contact with faculty, and completion of a senior Honors capstone project, the scholars extend their ability to think critically about the great themes of their human heritage.
An invitation to join the Baccalaureate Honors Program is extended to eligible entering freshmen and transfer students. Currently enrolled students may also apply for BHP. Students currently enrolled at Rider must have at least a 3.5 GPA at the time of application to the program.
Students in the Business Honors Program in the Norm Brodsky College of Business may also complete the Baccalaureate Honors Program if desired. They will automatically be enrolled in both programs and assigned to complete BHP 100 and BHP 150. After that, any two CBA Honors courses may count toward the BHP certificate, and their CBA senior thesis will be tailored for BHP as well. Completing both honors programs simply requires 3 additional honors courses or contracts beyond what is already required for Business Honors. How specifically to fulfill those requirements may be discussed with the Honors Director.
Other qualified Rider students with a 3.5 grade point average, including juniors and seniors, may also enroll in Honors seminar courses if seats remain open, as long as they receive the approval of the Director.
BHP courses count toward the completion of the honors program, and may also count to fulfill one other requirement. For example, they may count toward ONE Disciplinary Perspective/ general education requirement, toward the Global Perspectives, OR toward the student's major/ minor (depending on what the course has been approved for). In addition, Honors sections of single-discipline courses, designated in the course roster, assist in fulfilling BHP requirements. Honors seminars and courses are designated on student transcripts, whether or not the student completes the program. Successful completion of the BHP is noted on the student’s transcript and in the commencement program.
Eligibility for the Baccalaureate Honors Program
For students entering Rider as a freshman:
- Students who earn a 3.5 GPA or higher in high school AND who also score 1280 or higher on the SAT or an ACT composite of 26 or better, are invited to join the Baccalaureate Honors Program as entering freshmen. If students apply test-optional, they must receive a GPA of 3.7 or higher and a total of approximately 17-20 honors/ AP/ IB/ Dual-Enrollment classes. Students may contact the Office of Admissions for any questions surrounding eligibility for honors in any given year.
- While at Rider, the completion of two honors writing courses, 5 upper-level seminars or honors experiences, and an honors capstone project is required for graduation with honors.
- Currently enrolled freshmen or sophomores may apply to the honors program if they achieve success in their freshmen writing class(es), earn a GPA of at least 3.3, and/ or are recommended by at least two faculty members. For these late-start students, completion of one honors course or experience per semester they are in the program is required for graduation with honors. This includes an honors capstone project during one semester of their senior year.
For students entering Rider as a transfer with 20 credits or less:
- Students who earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and achieve a grade of B or higher in a college-level English/writing class may be invited to join the Baccalaureate Honors program as transfer students. For these transfer students, completion of 6 courses in the honors program plus an honors capstone project is required for graduation with honors. Honors credits taken at the students' first institution may be accepted at the discretion of the program director.
- Transfer students must speak with the Honors Program Director to establish the personal trajectory that will be required to complete their honors experience at Rider.
For students entering Rider as a transfer with more than 20 credits:
- Students who earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and achieve a grade of B or higher in a college-level English/writing class may be invited to join the Baccalaureate Honors program as transfer students. For students who start after their first semester, they must complete one honors course or experience per semester in order to complete the program. Honors credits taken at students' first institution may be accepted at the discretion of the program director.
- Transfer students must speak with the Honors Program Director to establish the personal trajectory that will be required to complete their honors experience at Rider.
Contact:
Cara DiYanni, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Director, Baccalaureate Honors Program
Hennessy Science and Technology Center, #320C
(609) 896-7761
cdiyanni@rider.edu
For more information on the Baccalaureate Honors Program please see: www.rider.edu/bhp.
Honors in Business
The Business Honors Program is designed exclusively for business majors enrolled in the Norm Brosky College of Business. Entering students are automatically considered for the program based on their academic record. Continuing students are invited to join by the director of the program.
Rider’s Business Honors Program features cohort learning, which teaches the framework of successful business environments by encouraging teamwork and critical thinking. Students participate in classes with the same group of students for all four years. The cohort creates a powerful learning environment where students gain crucial business skills: the ability to communicate and collaborate, problem-solve, analyze various perspectives, initiate discussions, network, and delegate.
Business honors students receive special advising, the opportunity to live in a residential learning community in their freshman year, priority in course registration, and invitations to attend co-curricular events (e.g., art exhibits, film screenings, poetry slams, theater previews, etc.) which are planned by the faculty team.
Each fall, approximately 25 students who have applied for and have been accepted to Rider University’s Norm Brodsky College of Business will be invited to participate in the Business Honors Program. These students will be chosen based on their SAT scores and high school GPA. An additional ten students will be chosen after the end of the fall semester based on GPA.
To complete the Business Honors Programs, students must complete the required number of honors business core classes, write an honors thesis, maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.4, complete one non-core business honors class, and complete a thesis.
The selected students will take the following sequence of honors courses beginning in the fall of their freshman year:
| Class Standing | Semester | Honors Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman | Fall | CIS 185, ECO 200 and CBA 110 |
| Spring | ECO 201 and MKT 200 | |
| Sophomore | Fall | ACC 210 and MGT 201 |
| Spring | FIN 220 | |
| Junior | Fall | BUS 300 and CIS 385 |
| Senior | BUS 444, BUS 400 and Senior Honors Thesis |
In order to successfully complete the honors program, a student will do the following:
- Complete eight of the eleven honors courses above (not including BUS 444), one of which must be BUS 400. Students that enter in the Fall of their sophomore year must complete six core honors courses.
- Complete a non-core CBA honors course (BUS 444).
- Complete an honors thesis.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.4 in all honors courses.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.4 overall.
Upon successful completion of the honors program, a student will receive a special honors designation on his/her transcript, an honors award, and special recognition at graduation.
Contact:
Ira Sprotzer, J.D.
Associate Professor of Legal Studies
Director, Business Honors Program
Norm Brodsky College of Business, #239
609-896-5280
businesshonors@rider.edu
For more information about the Business Honors Program please see: https://www.rider.edu/academics/colleges-schools/norm-brodsky-college-business/undergraduate-programs/honors-programs