James Graham Brown Honors Program

Thomas More College students and high school seniors of exceptional academic ability are eligible to apply for admission to the prestigious James Graham Brown Honors Program. Students accepted into the program receive full-tuition scholarships. The James Graham Brown Honors Committee, comprised of full-time faculty members who have taught in this prestigious program, selects the students who receive the scholarships.

Those selected become James Graham Brown Honors students and participate in a special program; unique to them, that includes exclusive Seminars (one per semester), a specifically-designed Community Service experience, a Leadership Seminar (made up of a series of Leadership Workshops, guest speakers and a weekend of team building and leadership activities at Camp Joy) and multiple cultural programs. They also have the opportunity for advance direction of a Senior Professor. Only James Graham Brown Honors students may participate in these unique activities.

The James Graham Brown Honors Program has two designations. As St. Thomas More Scholars they must take a special Honors Seminar each semester (3 credits) and must also complete a one or two semester service learning/community service program (minimum of 90 contact hours) before they graduate. Students who enter the program early, as freshman or sophomores are encouraged to apply for appointment as St. Thomas More Fellow. If the proposal is approved by the Honors Committee, the Fellows undertake Honors research in their majors and are supervised by a departmental professor. This junior/senior research consists of a three or six credit hour project and replaces the seminar or community service for those students during the research semesters. All students in the James Graham Brown Honors Program also participate in a year-long Leadership Seminar. St. Thomas More Fellows receive the St. Thomas More Medallion upon successful completion of their project (and a presentation of the results to all members of the James Graham Brown Honors Program and faculty) and wear it at the graduation ceremonies.

The newest direction of the Program is the acceptance of a number of incoming freshmen into the program who are a part of an Honors Freshman Seminar in the fall and the year-long Leadership Seminar so they are eased into the program. This is important because, from the beginning of the student's acceptance into this prestigious program, each student must enroll in a minimum of 18 credit hours per semester and must maintain a minimum GPA 3.6 each semester and overall. Participants must maintain a high quality performance in written material, verbal presentation, and critical judgment in all areas of the James Graham Brown Honors Program.