NJIT Honors College: Requirements and Curriculum
The Albert Dorman Honors College at NJIT offers a unique academic experience for high-achieving students. It combines a rigorous curriculum with opportunities for personal, academic, and career development. This article details the requirements and curriculum of the NJIT Honors College, covering admissions, academic expectations, and available enrichment opportunities.
Admission Requirements
The Albert Dorman Honors College seeks students with a strong academic record and a commitment to service and leadership. The college welcomes applications from high school students with excellent grades (B+ average) who rank in the top 90+ percentile of test takers on the SAT or ACT exam and participate in service activities. However, first-year students applying to New Jersey Institute of Technology for entry in the Fall of 2023 could choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores. Current NJIT students and incoming transfer students are also welcome to apply if they have outstanding records. A GPA of 3.6+ in a rigorous college-level curriculum is required for transfer students. To be considered, transfer students must have completed at least 12 college credits. Students generally are expected to have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher at their current collegiate institution.
The Honors College appreciates students who demonstrate a potential for exceptional academic achievement, combined with evidence of strong leadership abilities, a commitment to service, and breadth and depth of interest and involvement.
Honors Education Plan
As a member of the Albert Dorman Honors College, students create an Honors Education Plan (HEP) that enhances their personal, academic, and career development at NJIT. Together with their advisor and freshman seminar leader, students develop a plan that considers the range of course work, research, co-op, leadership, and service activities in which they are interested. The Honors Education Plan Worksheet helps students get started. Honors scholars are encouraged to work with their Honors advisor in creating an Honors Education Plan (HEP) that provides a roadmap of Honors courses, learning experiences, and other options such as dual majors and graduate-level courses.
Curriculum Overview
All Dorman Scholars are enrolled in an academic honors track that includes General Education Requirements (GER) and major-specific courses. The number of courses depends on the pathway or educational track scholars pursue. Honors students are expected to complete between 6 and 8 Honors courses in their first two years (3 to 4 for B.Arch).
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Course Requirements
Honors course requirements are distributed among 4 groups, A through D. In this section list the Honors courses you plan to take in each of the groups. The required courses are distributed over the scholar's tenure at NJIT. In alignment with the university's vision, incoming Honors first-year scholars and transfer students entering the Honors College in the Fall will have the option of completing Honors-quality learning experiences that result in reductions in the student's minimum required number of Honors courses.
Grading Policy
Students must obtain grades of no lower than B in all courses taken to fulfill this requirement, except that one grade of “C” or "C+" is acceptable if balanced by an “A” in another Honors course. In no case will a grade below C be accepted as Honors. If a student obtains a grade below B without a compensating A - even if still a passing grade - the course cannot be used to satisfy the honors requirement. The course may be retaken as an Honors course, and if the grade is B or higher the course will be counted as Honors. Some accelerated medical/dental programs have higher grade requirements. After grades are submitted each semester, a member of the Albert Dorman Honors College staff will review each student’s grades for compliance with Albert Dorman Honors College standards. Accelerated students are granted the same one-semester grace period as other Honors students to bring their GPA into compliance.
Alternative Course Options
Non-Honors courses taken specifically to fulfill a second major, and up to three (3) graduate courses, are counted toward the Honors Group A course requirement if such courses are not being used to fulfill a General University Requirement or a major requirement. However, such alternatives may not substitute for Groups B, C, and D. To count as a substitute, the grade must be at least a B. The second major must be officially declared through the Registrar's office. A student needs to fill out the necessary BS/MS paperwork to take graduate courses.
Major and Minor Selection
Each student should select a major that will enable him or her to learn how to think as a professional. The curriculum of every major is available on the NJIT web - go to either your major department’s home page or the NJIT online catalog. It is acceptable to cut and paste your curriculum from one of these sources to the Worksheet, but replace the generic description of requirements (e.g. "elective" or "GUR") with the name of the specific courses that you plan to take. During your undergraduate years, you may wish to widen or deepen your career opportunities by adding a Minor, chosen from either NJIT offerings or those offered through cross registration at Rutgers-Newark. Exceptionally well-prepared students may choose to do a Double Major, usually one composed of complementary majors (e.g., Computer Science and Math), but there are other possibilities.
Research, Projects, Internships, and Co-op
This category refers to activities related to your major course of study and/or your career plan, but conducted outside of courses. To begin, list those areas related to your career interests in which you might like to become active. Do not be concerned at this stage with whether you will have the skills necessary, or what opportunities exist; that will come later. At this stage, think about - or, if necessary, research - the kind of activities that people in your career engage in. Then decide which of them you might like to pursue while still an undergraduate. NJIT students carry out such activities both on campus or off. On-campus, you may work with an individual professor or at one of the many research centers (from the NJIT home page, click on Research and then on Research Centers and Labs). It is important to understand that projects usually do not pay a salary. Off-campus, you may wish to work with a medical center or firm or even at another university working in cooperation with NJIT. Through an Internship or Co-op you will have an opportunity to work with a company or agency to apply your skills and knowledge while giving you an additional opportunity to learn about your planned profession and the workplace. These projects may be conducted through the Career Development Services Office, the Honors College, or your major department. Project Option: In exceptional cases, and only with the prior permission of the Associate Dean, students majoring in certain programs may earn credits toward fulfillment of this requirement by completing Honors research or professional projects within their disciplines.
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Leadership Development
Leadership skills include strategic planning, effective communication, productive teamwork, and many others. Such skills are best developed through actual hands-on experiences such as service and extracurricular activities.
Senior Design Capstone
One honors major-specific Senior Design Capstone as per department curriculum. Scholars majoring in Architecture and other programs which do not have a designated honors major capstone course may need to enhance an appropriate upper-division or graduate course.
BS/MS and Graduate Education
At NJIT, students may complete up to six credits of graduate work while enrolled as an undergraduate student and then subsequently complete a master's degree in a shortened time period. NJIT also offers doctoral degrees programs in most fields. The PhD degree is primarily for those who wish to engage in corporate or academic research and/or teaching. Consult the online graduate catalog for information on available programs and admission requirements. All Honors Scholars should begin planning, while still an undergraduate student, to attend graduate school, either full- or part-time.
Educational Goals
Write about what you expect to achieve academically, culturally, personally and socially at NJIT.
Course of Study
Here you are to create a specific list of courses that you expect to take each semester in order to complete the General University Requirements (GUR), your major, a second major, or minor.
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