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The Honors Scholar Society at Eastern Nazarene College supplements students’ academic, spiritual, and ethical development through courses and activities designed to stretch the mind and strengthen the heart. Society members are encouraged to participate in honors classes, senior research projects, extracurricular activities, service projects, and learning opportunities with contemporary scholars in various fields.
The Boston area offers a unique opportunity to engage the life of the mind and has historically been at the center of intellectual, cultural, and political developments in United States history. ENC is a part of this rich academic landscape and offers students unique opportunities to expand their learning.
“The Honors Scholar Society profoundly enriched my college experience at ENC. I was able to explore topics of interest inside and outside of my major, allowing me to engage more deeply with class content and expand my research skills. The Boston Lectures series also exposed me to academic and cultural events unique to the city. As a current graduate student, I know that the Honors Scholar Society helped prepare me both as an individual and an academic.”
First-time, full-time students with at least a 3.5 high school GPA are invited to apply for entry into the Society as pledges for their first semester, providing access to Honors Scholar Society social activities. Honors Society pledges are then encouraged to take the Honors course IS199 Contemporary Questions during the spring semester of their first year. Students who complete IS199 with a grade of a B or better and have attained an ENC composite GPA of 3.5 or above will be officially inducted into the Society at the end of their first year in a formal ceremony.
Transfer students and others who did not take IS199 may still join the Honors Scholar Society if after two full semesters at ENC they earn a composite GPA of 3.5 or higher and successfully complete at least one Honors course (either a designated Honors course or by contract).
The Honors Scholars Society fosters a tight-knit community with access to:
Moreover, the Society sponsors monthly outings, including to local historical sites, the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, Martha’s Vineyard, New York City, etc. and a 2025 Spring Break trip to the Mediterranean is being planned.
Eligible students may enroll in Honors Scholar Program courses and also have the option of contracting regular courses for honors credit. Any honors courses completed with a grade of at least a B will be indicated as Honors Level on academic transcripts.
Students will also have the opportunity to take IS299, a course that requires students to attend with ENC faculty multiple lectures in the Boston area over the course of a semester. These excursions allow students to hear from leading scholars in various fields and then afterward discuss these topics with ENC faculty and students over dinner. Past IS299 trips included attending talks at:
Students who successfully complete all Honors Scholar Society requirements will be recognized at graduation ceremonies and receive an Honors Scholar notation on their transcripts.
Please email Honors Scholar Society questions to honors@enc.edu or nicholas.pruitt@enc.edu. Admissions questions may be directed to admissions@enc.edu.
