"The Guide"
This guide contains almost everything you need to know about the program. Please keep it handy. It supersedes the earlier version of the guide and, we hope, makes requirements and procedures clearer.
The Program and its Mission
The Council
Acceptance in the Thomas Hunter Honors Program
Thomas Hunter Honors Program Obligations
Thomas Hunter Honors Program Requirements
Majors
Minors
College-wide Requirements
Degree Audit
Scholarships, Fellowships, & Financial Aid: Undergraduate & Graduate
Significant Odds and Ends
The Program and its Mission
The Thomas Hunter Honors Program is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide superior students with an individualized course of study adapted to their particular needs and interests. Open to students of high intellectual ability and interdisciplinary interests who are pursuing a BA degree, it is compatible with most Arts and Sciences majors. It provides its participants the chance to study with outstanding faculty members who have indicated an interest in assisting exceptional students. In general, students selected for the Thomas Hunter Honors Program must show evidence of high academic potential, diversified interests and intellectual curiosity, willingness to challenge themselves, and sufficient maturity to plan and carry out an individualized program of study in semesterly consultation with a Council on Honors faculty advisor.
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The Council
The Council on Honors is the interdisciplinary faculty body that governs the Thomas Hunter Honors Program. The current members list can be found on the Council on Honors page.
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Acceptance
1. Precertification
Your initial admission into the THHP is provisional. This period lasts a minimum of 2 full semesters, or until you have completed at least 24 credits after being admitted to the Program
2. Certification
Final certification is usually made after two full semesters (24 credits) in the Program. For part-time students, certification will, of course, take longer.
You will be considered for certification if you have:
a. maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher;
b. completed one THHP colloquium at the 200-level with a grade of B- or higher;
c. declared your 9-credit secondary concentration (“mini-concentration”) with your THHP advisor, and have completed at least one course in the sequence;
d. completed 18 credits of 200- and/or 300-level courses in a variety of disciplines, with at least 6 credits in a subdivision of Arts and Sciences other than that of the major. THHP colloquia do not count towards these 18 credits;
When you have completed all of the above requirements the Council reviews your record. If your academic record and your compliance with the interdisciplinary principles of the Program so warrant, the Council certifies you as a permanent member of the Program. All students must be certified in order to graduate with "Special Honors Curriculum."
A student who has failed to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 at the time when certification should occur, is given one semester in which to raise his or her cumulative grade point average. One of the good things about being certified is that should your GPA drop below 3.5 after certification, you can no longer be dismissed from the Program for this reason, although you may be dropped if you do not continue to abide by the regulations of the Program and its interdisciplinary principles. Another benefit of certification is that you may be eligible for certain scholarships. (See “Scholarships and Fellowships”).
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Thomas Hunter Honors Program Obligations
1. Enrollment:
All students in the Program are required to register for a minimum of 4.5 credits each semester. Any waiver of this requirement must be approved by an advisor during your required registration conference.
2. Advising:
You are required to meet with an advisor for general academic advising at least once per semester. During the semester in which you are accepted into the Program, you must meet with an advisor twice (once for a welcome session immediately after you are accepted, and the second time for registration advising). At least four professors advise for the Program each semester. You may see any or all advisors. You can choose an advisor because he/she interviewed you, or you have taken a class with him/her, or because you like him/her, or perhaps only one advisor’s schedule suits yours. If you fail to meet with an advisor once a semester, the designation “PHON” will be removed from your student group. You would lose all the privileges granted to members of the THHP, including priority registration. You are required to see an advisor every semester even after you have been certified in order to avoid any academic or bureaucratic problems that might come up, and to avoid nasty surprises at graduation audit time. It is too late to find out in your last semester that you haven’t done something essential. You should make sure your advisor reviews all requirements with you several semesters before you plan to graduate. Your advisor can also help you with your personal statement for scholarships and graduate applications
3. Communications:
It is your responsibility to keep yourself informed about opportunities and requirements of the Program.
a. We have transitioned to Navigate for all communication, including signing up for advising appointments.
b. If you change your address, phone number, or e-mail address, please tell our office in addition to notifying the Registrar’s office. Our databases are not connected. In addition, for those who list the dormitory as a permanent address, please remember to let us know your new address when you graduate.
Since it is your responsibility to read e-mails, saying that you "did not know" about a Program requirement (e.g., to meeti with an advisor every semester) or date (e.g., to make a registration advising appointment) saying that you did not know will not be considered exculpatory and will not get you any consideration or special treatment. It is your responsibility to know the requirements, the rules, and the dates that are or have been announced.
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Thomas Hunter Honors Program Requirements
To graduate from the THHP you must complete the following
1. Three integrative interdisciplinary colloquia:
These colloquia are the core of the Special Honors Curriculum. Although they change every semester, all attempt to demonstrate how knowledge gained from a variety of disciplines can be related and integrated in an effort to understand complex processes and phenomena. Fostering the capacity for such integrative thinking is the primary goal of the THHP and a key to achievement in many careers. You must take a 200-level colloquium by your second semester in the Program. You must also subsequently take a 300-level colloquium. The third colloquium may be at either the 200- or 300-level. You may not take more than one colloquium in any one semester. If you are a part-time student, you must take the first colloquium by your third semester in the Program. While the specific content of these courses varies from semester to semester, the underlying principles remain the same.
a. The 200-level colloquium is always taught by one professor who approaches a specific problem using materials and methodologies of two or more disciplines.
b. The 300-level colloquium usually involves two professors from two different areas who focus on a given topic. Occasionally, 300-level colloquia are taught by only one professor, but in those cases there are invited guest speakers from different disciplines.
c. For a colloquium to be counted toward the requirement of three, you must have earned the grade of B- or higher.
2. Nine-credit secondary ("mini") concentration:
For purposes of this requirement, we consider the College of Arts and Sciences course offerings to be divided into Science and Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Humanities and Arts.
You are required to take a set of three related courses from the same division (usually the same department) of Arts and Sciences. The 3 courses should constitute a coherent concentrated area of study and must be in a division other than that of your major or primary concentration. For example, if your major is in the Social Sciences, your "mini-concentration" must be either in the Humanities and Arts or in Sciences and Mathematics; if your major is in the Humanities and Arts, this "mini-concentration" must be either in the Social Sciences, or in Sciences and Mathematics; if your major is in Science and Mathematics, your “mini-concentration” must be either in Humanities and Arts, or Social Sciences. This usually means 3 courses in a single department; 2 of which are at the 200- or 300-level, or above. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that you do not over-concentrate in closely related disciplines and that you achieve more than an entry-level knowledge in at least one field or discipline from a second of the three major disciplinary groupings of the Arts and Sciences. Note: Courses that have "Introduction to..." in the title are generally considered intro courses even if the course number begins with 200NN. This means that only one will count as the "Intro course." If you are unclear about this, you should speak with a THHP advisor. If you are planning to complete a departmental minor and it is in an academic division other than the one to which your disciplinary major belongs, see a THHP advisor to see whether it also satisfies our “mini-concentration” requirement. The "mini-concentration" must be approved by a THHP advisor. Since all courses for the mini-concentration must be entered into Degree Works manually by the Program Coordinator, you must contact her once you have decided what you intend to use for your mini-concentration. You should have completed at least one course in your “mini-concentration” by the time you are reviewed for certification. (See page 2, “Certification” for clarification.)
Mini-concentration divisions - not intended to be a comprehensive list
Humanities
Art; Classical and Oriental Studies; English; Foreign Languages, Philosophy; Music; Dance; Film & Media (some - check with advisor), Theatre; Religion
Social Sciences
Economics; Film & Media (some -check with advisor); Political Science; History; Psychology (except for neuro-science, which is physical science); Sociology; Cultural Anthropology (ANTHC); Geography (some might be physical science); Urban Policy & Planning
Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Physical Anthropology (ANTHP); Biological Sciences; Chemistry; Computer Science; Mathematics & Statistics; Physics and Astronomy; Psychology (neuro-science), Geology (part of the Department of Geography)
Multi-disciplinary (need to confirm specific courses with advisor)
Asian American Studies; Africana, Puerto Rican, Latino Studies; Women & Gender Studies
- can include humanities, such as literature, art, dance, theatre, and social science, such as political science, sociology
Human Biology - includes physical science and social science
3. Breadth in your curriculum:
The Council expects that you will choose courses in all of the divisions of the Arts and Sciences: Humanities and Arts, Social Science, and Science and Mathematics, which will provide a solid, wide-ranging introduction to the materials and methodologies characteristic of each branch. You are further encouraged to make sure that you take some courses that provide a sense of historical development and some knowledge of the fundamental background texts and materials essential to general culture and to the disciplines that most interest you.
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Majors
1. Departmental Major
Although the Thomas Hunter Honors Program is considered a major and will appear as such on your final transcript (it will state "Special Honors Curriculum" when you graduate), most students in the Program also complete one, or sometimes even two, departmental majors. If you want to major in English, for example, you declare a major with the English Department and are responsible for completing all departmental requirements. You are expected to sign up for "honors" work in at least one of your major departments, if it is available. Find out what your major department requires for honors when you declare the major. Do NOT wait until your senior year to do so. It is important that you consult with a Thomas Hunter Honors Program advisor about how you intend to complete this requirement. (See the handout "Requirement of Honors in Departmental Major.")
2. Special Honors Interdisciplinary Major:
Should you prefer to create your own personal, interdisciplinary major instead of doing a departmental major, you must work out and submit an academic plan and have it approved by a Thomas Hunter Honors Program advisor. This may not be done at the last minute, and you must submit a proposal by the time you have completed 90 credits, or no later than the second to last semester before you intend to graduate. You may not decide just before graduating that you are going to have only an interdisciplinary Honors major. In addition, if you choose this option, you must complete either HONS 301.99 or HONS 491.51 and produce a substantial piece of writing that reflects and pulls together the knowledge acquired in the interdisciplinary course of study you have been pursuing. If you choose this option, only "Special Honors Curriculum" will appear in the slot for majors on your final transcript. If you have several majors, they will all appear. You do not have to formally declare your Individual Major (Declaration of Major form with OneStop, but you do have to complete and submit to a THHP advisor the "Contract for Individual Major", which is available in the THHP office.
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Minors
Students who enrolled at Hunter College prior to Spring 2009 have the option, but not the obligation, to complete any minor sequence that was declared and approved by the students' major department prior to the last day of the Spring 2009 semester. For all other students, or for pre-2009 students who did not declare a minor before May 2009, the minor is also optional, but only courses of study approved by the minor department may be declared as minors.
Please note, THHP students still must complete the mini-concentration (sometimes referred to as a "mini-minor"), in an academic division other than the one to which your disciplinary major belongs. If you decide to cancel your minor, but have completed at least 3 courses, (two at the 200-level or above), you should check with a THHP advisor to see whether they satisfy our "mini-concentration."
College-wide Requirements*
All students entering Hunter after Summer 2013 must complete the Hunter Core Requirement which includes the CUNY Common Core (CCCR) in the areas of:
a. English Composition
b. Math and Quantitative Reasoning
c. Life and Physical Sciences
d. Scientific World
e. Creative Expression
f. U.S. Experience in Diversity
g. World Cultures and Global Issues
h. Individual and Society
In addtion, Hunter requires students to complete up to 12 credits for the Hunter Focus, which emphasizes foreign language and concentrated study. Since this depends on your language proficiency at the time of matriculation, the composition of these courses will vary. Please see one of the THHP advisors for additional information about this requirement.
*Students who entered Hunter prior to Fall 2013 should see a THHP advisor to see which General Education Requirements (GER) you might be exempted from completing.
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Degree Audit
Degree Audit is now processed completely on-line.
Once you have completed 90 credits at Hunter, you will receive an e-mail from the Office of the Registrar, informing you that you can apply to graduate. Click on "Intent to Graduate" on your @MyHunter page. Although the instructions are very simple, you need to keep the following in mind;
a. You should only apply if you are certain that you will have completed all of the requirements to graduate in the semester indicated in the e-mail.
b. Once you have applied to graduate, you should meet with a THHP advisor for a "pre-audit" meeting. Since you can apply up to a year before you graduate, you will still need to meet with an advisor at the start of the semester in which you are actually graduating.
c. If, after you have filed for graduation, you cannot complete all of your graduation requirements, notify the Degree Audit division to cancel your graduation, and file to graduate in the following semester. You will not be able to register for courses unless you cancel your audit.
Keep checking your @myHunter email for updates from Degree Audit.
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Scholarships, Fellowships, & Financial Aid: Undergraduate & Graduate
Even if you are not presently receiving financial aid, you should have a completed and current FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) on file with the financial aid office. Scholarships and fellowships cannot be awarded without a properly completed FAFSA. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Attention all students receiving TAP and/or Excelsior: As you plan your course schedules, please take into account the stringent guidelines that are currently being enforced. See the information posted at the following website: Financial Aid Applications Information.
You should periodically consult the Hunter Gatherer (http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/studentservices/events) for interesting scholarship and internship opportunities. It is a very useful tool.
Undergraduates - Myrna Fader's office in Student Services, 11th floor East is where you can find out about the Charlotte W. Newcombe, Fulbright, and Siff scholarships, etc., pick up helpful information and perhaps schedule an appointment with Myrna Fader. Her Undergraduate & Graduate Grants Guide details a variety of scholarships (not TAP, etc.) for which you may be eligible. It is also available on-line at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/studentservices/scholarships/repository/files/GrantsGuide.pdf. Ms. Fader also produces a Planning for Graduate School booklet, which is available in her office.
If you intend to go on to graduate school, do not forget to file an application for a Scholarship and Welfare Fund Senior Scholarship for Graduate Study by the deadline (usually in February) of the academic year in which you plan to graduate. This scholarship for first-year graduate study may be used anywhere and is independent of anything your graduate institution may give you. Apply for it even if you are going to take a year off. The scholarship may be deferred for two years.
The Scholarship and Welfare Fund of the Alumni Association also provides small scholarships for excellent undergraduate students. Apply through the Office of Student Services. (Deadline is May 1st.) In addition, they award a small number of larger scholarships to Thomas Hunter Honors Program students recommended to them by members of the Council on Honors.
Members of the Thomas Hunter Honors Program intending to graduate in January or June who are majoring in one of the humanities or arts, or history, and who plan to go on to graduate school, should tell our office by September of their intention to graduate, so we will think of them when we are asked to nominate students for certain fellowships, the deadline for which occurs in the early fall. Outstanding students contemplating applying for special scholarships for graduate studies (e.g., Javits, NSF, Jack Kent Cooke) should see the Chair or an advisor, as well as Myrna Fader early in their junior year (at the 60-70 credit point) for assistance during the application process.
All certified Thomas Hunter Honors Program students are eligible to apply for several special scholarships reserved for THHP students. If you expect to receive certification in a given semester, you are also encouraged to apply then. In addition to an outstanding academic record at Hunter, the other criteria for the scholarships are:
1. a transcript showing intellectual commitment to the interdisciplinary principles of the Thomas Hunter Honor Program
2. financial need
3. If you should find yourself in real financial difficulty, see the Chair, or just speak to an advisor.
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Significant Odds and Ends
1. Incompletes and FINs:
a. The Thomas Hunter Honors Program strongly advises against taking an Incomplete in any course. However, if you find yourself in the situation in which that is your only option, and your instructor(s) agree(s), fill out a "Contract to Resolve Incomplete Grades" with your instructor(s) and give the THHP office a copy. This will encourage you to complete the course requirement(s) in a timely manner, and will also give us a record of your intention. If you take an Incomplete in any course, you will not be on the Dean's List for that semester.
b. An Incomplete in a THHP Colloquium will prevent you from being certified in the Program.
c. A FIN in a THHP Colloquium will prevent you from registering for another THHP Colloquium until the FIN is resolved. If you have an Incomplete, you are placed on the wait-list for any new THHP colloquium until the work for the previous colloquium has been completed. Please note that if an IN turns into a FIN by the end of the semester in which you plan to graduate, and if the FIN is not resolved before the deadline, you will need to cancel your grad audit and your graduation will not be in effect until the work has been completed and the change of grade form has been submitted to the Registrar's office.
2. Pass/No Credit Grades (P/NC) previously designated as CR/NC:
You must maintain a 3.5 GPA to be certified in the Program. The use of Pass/No Credit (P/NC) is discouraged by the Council on Honors, except in special circumstances and with the permission of an advisor. If you opt for a Pass in one of your THHP colloquia, it will not count towards the three THHP colloquia you need. In addition, while Ps and NCs are not averaged into your Hunter GPA, you will not be on the Dean's List in a semester in which you take a P/NC. Medical schools and many graduate schools consider Ps taken in courses where letter grades are available to be the equivalent of a D, and law schools may factor in NCs as though they were Fs. (This does not applies to internships, etc., where Pass and NC are the only grades given.)
3. Leaves of Absence:
a. The College does not recognize leaves of absence. If you leave for more than one semester, you are technically 'not on file' and you must apply for readmission to Hunter. Deadlines for readmission are July 1 for Fall, December 1 for Spring, and April 1 for Summer admission. You are required to pay a $10.00 fee. If you are not on file for two consecutive semesters, the THHP designation will be removed from your record. Make sure you come to the THHP office and notify us that you are planning to be readmitted. If we don't know that you are planning to return, you will lose priority registration for the semester that you do return. You must also see a THHP advisor.
b. If you have been certified in the Thomas Hunter Honors Program, you will be readmitted to the THHP automatically if your GPA was 3.5 or higher when you left.
c. If you have not yet been certified in the Thomas Hunter Honors Program, you will be readmitted to the THHP automatically if your GPA was at or above the entering eligibility requirement (currently 3.65).
d. All other cases will be reviewed individually.
4. If you need money and are interested in part-time jobs:
Please tell our office so we will think of you when people call. Conversely, if there is a position available where you work, please let us know! We do keep an active list of students who are looking for work. Foreign students on student visas may work on campus only.
5. GRE, MCAT, and LSAT preparation:
If you are going to take a preparatory course, Princeton Review gives all Hunter students a 30% discount.
6. Pre-Professional Programs:
a. The Pre-Health Professions Office provides services to students who intend to go to medical school, vet school, dental school, and any other doctoral level health profession. They guide students through the application process including personal statement assistance. It is recommended that you open a file with the Office of Pre-Health Professions Advising as early as possible so you can take advantage of their services. www.hunter.cuny.edu/prehealth
b. If you are interested in attending Law School when you graduate, you should visit the Pre-Law Advising website for a wealth of information, including how to register with the Pre-Law Advisory Office, and schedule an appointment with Elise Jaffe, the Director of Pre-Law Programs and Pre-Law Advisor. www.hunter.cuny.edu/prelaw
c. Students planning to pursue an MBA are encouraged to meet with Grace Trewartha, the Pre-Business Advisor. www.hunter.cuny.edu/prebusiness
7. Phi Beta Kappa and other Honor Societies: Many of our students are invited to join prestigious national honor societies such as Phi Beta Kappa. If you receive an invitation to one or more of these please do not disregard it, as admission to such societies is definitely a feather in one's cap. If you have doubts about whether you should join or not, see an advisor and discuss the matter. Do not simply dismiss the invitation.
8. Web site: Periodically check out our website. It includes a "late-breaking news" section which will keep you up-to-date on the latest "need to know" information on the Program.
9. Once you graduate, make sure to visit the Hunter College Alumni Office, room 1314A East. We have established a Thomas Hunter Honors Program chapter of the Alumni Association, so please join and do keep in touch!! We always want to know where you are, what work you are doing, and how well you think Hunter College and the Thomas Hunter Honors Program prepared you for life after the undergraduate experience. Please let us know your e-mail address and telephone number, so that we can reach you if necessary.
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This guide was last updated on May 24, 2023.