The Niagara University Honors Program is designed to enrich the academic experiences of students who have excelled in their previous academic endeavors. The program offers students exciting educational opportunities and courses with increased academic rigor. Within the format of Niagara University's liberal arts curriculum, university honors students pursue specified course work in writing, literature, history, philosophy and religious studies. Unlike many honors programs, the university honors students are required to take, in addition to the honors courses above, a two-semester honors thesis program which combines intensive one-on-one faculty advisement with an independent research project. This capstone experience in the student's potential graduate or professional field gives Niagara University's honors students a more challenging and unique overall academic experience.
The Niagara University Honors Program was established in the 1980s to expand academic excellence and dedication to service through scholarship. From a core group of some 20 students, the Niagara University Honors Program currently comprises over 180 students from all of the various academic colleges and departments at Niagara. Many of the current day physicians, lawyers, academicians, and business executives who graduated in the recent past from Niagara were members of the Niagara University Honors Program.The current program director is Michael Barnwell, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of philosophy. Assisting Dr. Barnwell with the program is Kathy Sydor, assistant to the dean for administrative services in the College of Arts and Sciences.
