UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM
Academic Excellence That Makes A Difference
Join A Lifelong Community of Leaders
Honors is where future leaders find their people.
Within Honors, students lead the Honors Student Alliance, serve on the Honors Advisory Council, and mentor incoming Honors students as Honors Ambassadors.
Honors students are also leaders across campus, as evidenced by their over-representation at RWU's annual Student Achievement Awards. In 2026 alone, 20 Honors students were recognized with multiple Class Awards, President's Core Values Medallions, and honors including the James R. Russo Award for Athlete Academic Excellence and Melissa Carrasquillo Award for Intercultural Citizenship.
100% Post-Grad Outcomes
Honors students:
- Earn higher GPAs
- Graduate faster and at higher rates
- Place into graduate programs and internships at higher rates
...all while double-majoring, conducting research, playing sports, leading clubs and orgs, and working as interns, tutors, peer mentors, and admissions ambassadors.
Our alumni include cancer researchers, Fulbright Scholars, environmental scientists, elementary and secondary school teachers, mechanical engineers, physicians, and U.S. Secret Service specialists.
Helping You Fly Further, Dive Deeper
The $2,000 Honors Experiential Learning Grant supports students pursuing learning beyond their major program requirements, including study abroad, research, internships, and conference attendance.
In 2025-26, Honors students used their grants to study abroad in Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, England, France, Greece, N. Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Spain, as well as pursue internships in Washington, D.C. and Manhattan.
Honors also provides additional financial support for student research and presenting at the National Collegiate Honors Council Annual Conference, and students who earn an overall GPA of 3.6 or higher at the end of each academic year receive a $1,000 Academic Excellence Award towards next year’s tuition.
An Enriched Learning (and Living) Experience
Complete most if not all Honors requirements while satisfying general education and major program requirements, including in small, seminar-style, Honors-designated classes with talented Honors faculty who will challenge you and your classmates to explore broadly, think deeply, and take ownership over your learning, in and beyond the classroom, together.
If residing on campus, you'll spend your first year in our desirable Honors housing as part of our Honors Living-Learning Community. Regardless of whether you're a resident or commuter student, Honors will serve as a place for you to connect, engage, and belong.
Honors Students in the News
From Uncertainty to Advocacy: Olivia DaSilva’s Journey Leads to the Commencement Stage
Shaped by experience and a growing sense of purpose, the Criminal Justice and Psychology double major will deliver a message of reflection and resilience as RWU’s undergraduate Commencement speaker.
Kya Daniels Blends Art and Business to Build a Career in Arts Marketing
Marketing senior combines visual arts, leadership, and hands-on experience to support emerging creatives and shape a future in the arts industry.
Experiential Learning at RWU Shapes Elena Sewall’s Global Career Path
From study abroad to a U.S. Department of State internship, Sewall combines hands-on learning and leadership to prepare for a future in international relations.
Program Requirements
The University Honors Program prepares students through a curriculum focused on inquiry, community engagement, reflection, and communication across difference, in pursuit of academic excellence that makes a difference.
Our Director Team in the News
RWU research team of faculty and students and the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative partner on reparative justice project for Providence Truth-Telling, Reconciliation and Reparations initiative
Kamille Gentles-Peart’s reparative justice scholarship aims to center and amplify the lives and experiences of Black women in postcolonial Caribbean countries
The Professor of the Semester Award honors six faculty members for their outstanding teaching and mentorship, with 80 student nominations highlighting their dedication to student success.
Faculty
Our Faculty in the News
Roger Williams University presents a conversation on Roger Williams with RWU Professor of History Charlotte Carrington-Farmer and historical reenactor John McNiff.
In this computer science course, students gain hands-on experience in building computer systems using the same tools and techniques implemented by industry professionals
Michael Rich’s abstract painting, ‘La Serenata,’ will be on display at the Venice Biennial Art Exhibition, April 23-Nov. 27. His participation in the exhibition is sponsored in part by RWU and the Foundation to Promote Scholarship and Teaching.