About the Program
Program Components
The Curriculum
Carroll's Honors scholars program is a Great Books program. Over the course of five semesters, students will study the great works of Western civilization, from Homer to Freud. All of our courses are discussion-based seminars: this means that we expect students to lead the course of discussion. Honors Scholars faculty serve as tutors in your education: we are there to prod you, guide you, and lend our expertise when necessary. Most of all, we teach in this program because we want to share our passion for the Great Books! Our list of core texts and authors is available here.
Our Mission: Scientia, Caritas, Humanitas
Knowledge, charity, and the humanities: our Honors Scholars explore the interrelations among these three concepts by way of a careful examination of the Great Books. By reading and discussing the most illuminating, provocative, and imaginative texts of the last three millennia, our students explore the claims and limits of knowledge, what duties humans have to their communities, and what most truly constitutes a human education. In our consideration of these concepts, our inquiry is informed by the following questions:
Scientia: The Claims of Knowledge and its Limits
- What is proper role of the search for knowledge in human life?
- What is most important for a human to know?
- What is the character of the knowledge in question, and how does it pertain to our judgment of the Ultimate Truth?
Caritas: The Objects and Character of Love
- What do we owe God?
- What do we owe our fellow human beings?
- What can love accomplish?
Humanitas: Human Nature and its Constructions
- What is most necessary to improve the human condition?
- What would a good and just society look like?
- What are the greatest dangers to human societies?
Curriculum Overview
| Semester | Honors Scholars Course* | CORE Requirement Satisfied |
| Freshman Fall | HNR 150: Greek and Roman Thought | Core 110 (3 cr) |
| Freshman Spring | HNR 250: Christian and Medieval Thought | Theology (3 cr) |
| Sophomore Fall | HNR 251: Renaissance Thought | Literature (3 cr) |
| Sophomore Spring | HNR 350: Restoration and Enlightenment Thought | Philosophy (3 cr) |
| Junior Fall | HNR 450: Modern Thought | Philosophy (3 cr) |
| Junior Spring | HRN 495: Capstone | (2 cr) |
*All seminars meet from 7:00-9:30pm, once per week
Foreign Language Requirement
Foreign Language Requirement: Each HSP student must demonstrate intermediate competence in a foreign language. Students who meet any of the following conditions will have met this requirement.
| Condition | Requirements |
| Condition A | Completion of 3 credits of college-level foreign language accepted by Carroll at the level of 204 or above |
| Condition B | Completion of a foreign language to the level of 102 or above and a long-term immersive study abroad experience (minimum 8 weeks); students seeking to satisfy the FL requirement through the completion of a study abroad experience must seek approval from the director of HSP |
| Condition C | A CLEP score that meets or exceeds the following standards: German-67; Spanish-68; French-69; students submitting CLEP results in other language exams must seek approval from the director of HSP |
| Condition D (waiver) | This requirement shall be waived for (a) students whose language of secondary school instruction was not English or (b) students who were required to submit a TOEFL score as a condition of admission to the College; any student seeking a waiver must seek approval from the director of HSP |
Annual Social Events
Welcome Back Pizza Party
Meet old friends and make new ones, while eating pizza and learning about the year to come.
Fall Art Walk
Explore the downtown art galleries, shops, and nightlife!
BBQ
HSP End of Year BBQ/PotLuck