Pennoni Honors College

Students seeking the most from their college education are encouraged to investigate the resources and academic options available through the Pennoni Honors College.

The Pennoni Honors College provides a number of enrichment opportunities open to all undergraduate students, including the Great Works Symposium, undergraduate research opportunities, Study Abroad, the DragonFire, the Baiada Center, and the Writing Program.

Honors Students

The Pennoni Honors College also accepts students as Honors students. Honors students come from all majors and have a variety of interests. Admission criteria for the Pennoni Honors College are based on multiple factors, including a student's intellectual strengths, accomplishments, and motivation.

The Pennoni Honors College offers these exceptional students access to classes and opportunities that broaden and enrich their Drexel experience. All Honors students are required to take one 1-credit Honors course during their first year at Drexel. After that, they can sample any of the Honors classes Drexel offers.

Honors Learning Communities

Students admitted into the Pennoni Honors College have the option of Honors housing in Van Rensselaer Hall and portions of Myers Hall. Honors housing gives students the opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded individuals, many of whom will share common classes and interests. They are also places where Honors students can showcase their creativity and initiative by planning activities and events, including the Annual Honors Arts Night.

Enriched Courses

Honors Colloquia – Classes offered as part of the Honors Colloquia change every term and cover a variety of topics. Past classes include Fairmount Park, Representations of Evil: The Holocaust, Chaos Theory, Arts and the Internet, and The American Experience: Wilderness.

Honors-Section Courses – Honors sections are available for many core University courses. These smaller classes consist entirely of Honors students to encourage enthusiastic discussion and deeper understanding of the subject. Honors-section courses include Calculus, General Psychology, Mechanical Engineering, and Mechanics.

Independent Study – Honors students frequently come across topics that they would like to investigate in greater detail. An independent study allows Honors students to study a topic of their choosing with guidance from a faculty member.

Honors Options – Non-Honors courses may be enriched for Honors students. To pursue this option, the student and the professor teaching the class must develop a course of study worthy of the Honors distinction and receive approval from the program director.

Honors Center

Located on the fifth floor of MacAlister Hall (on the corner of 33rd and Chestnut Streets), the Honors Center houses the college's administrative offices, as well as a seminar room and student lounge.

On any given day, expect to find students studying, relaxing, holding group meetings, or engaging in a grueling chess match in the student lounge. Members of the Honors College can also take advantage of computers and printers available in the lounge to complete homework assignments and check email between classes.