Explore the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program
Connect with the Director
Lia Jensen-Abbott
Director, Honors
Email Lia
Schedule a Campus Visit Submit Your Deposit Connect with Honors
Connect with the Director
Lia Jensen-Abbott
Director, Honors
Email Lia
Schedule a Campus Visit Submit Your Deposit Connect with Honors
What will you discover next?
The Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program offers motivated and passionate students the chance to engage in deep, interdisciplinary discussions and research alongside like-minded peers and dedicated faculty.
Honors students are known for their broad interests, independent thinking, and commitment to academic excellence. With small, discussion-based classes and personalized faculty mentoring, the program encourages independent research, culminating in an extensive project during the senior year. Participation is flexible, allowing students to combine it with any major and career preparation program, while fulfilling core academic requirements.
As an Honors student, you’ll enjoy a range of enriching experiences, from field trips and guest lectures to social events and a first-year retreat. With 24-hour access to our facilities in the historic Observatory building, you’ll have a dedicated space for study, collaboration, and connecting with fellow Honors students. Notably, 80 percent of Honors graduates go on to attend graduate or professional schools, reflecting the program’s ability to prepare students for the next level of their academic journey.
It’s a balance of academics and social support that works.
Honors Eligibility
Honors students are required to maintain a specific average GPA each year as outlined below, and must complete three Honors seminars, the Thesis Development course, and submit an acceptable Honors thesis to the Honors Committee by the required deadline.
Honors students who fulfill the requirements of the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program wear a special medal at graduation and receive an Honors credential on their diploma notating their significant accomplishment.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
After the first year, you must have earned a college GPA of at least 3.2 and have completed one of the required three Great Issues seminars. Students whose college GPA is below 3.0 will be dropped from the Program, while those with GPAs between 3.0-3.2 will be placed on probation.
After the second year, you must have a college GPA of at least 3.35 and have completed at least two of the required three Great Issues seminars and the Thesis Development course. Students whose college GPA is below 3.2 will be dropped from the program, while those with GPAs between 3.2 and 3.35 or who have not completed at least three of the required seminars will be placed on probation.
After the third year, you must have maintained a college GPA of at least 3.45, have completed all three of the required Great Issues seminars. Completed the Thesis Development course and have submitted a Thesis Registry form to the Honors Director. To complete the Thesis Registry form, students must previously have decided the subject and tentative title of their thesis, and have assembled a Thesis Committee consisting of an Albion faculty member to serve as Thesis Director and at least two other faculty members to serve as additional readers.
Students whose college GPA is below 3.4 will be dropped from the program, while those with GPAs between 3.4-3.45 or who have not completed all four of the required seminars or have not submitted a Thesis Registry form will be placed on probation.
To graduate with Albion College Honors, You must have a college GPA of at least 3.5, have completed all three Honors seminars, the Thesis Development course and have completed an acceptable Honors thesis and submitted it to the Honors Committee by the required deadline.
Albion not only prepared me to be academically competitive enough to accept my dream job offer and to secure acceptance to prestigious schools for graduate study, but it also shaped me into a well-rounded young woman through its liberal arts education and diverse campus involvement opportunities.
