group of students and faculty after a conference

Interdisciplinary Honors Program

A Creative and Challenging Approach to Studying the Liberal Arts

The Interdisciplinary Honors Program (IDHP) challenges highly qualified students to pursue a creatively different approach to the liberal arts. The program offers seminars that promote liberal education by stressing interconnections among different fields of study and by challenging students and faculty alike to learn and to teach. These seminars are reading- and writing-intensive and emphasize discussion, intellectual independence, and integration of knowledge.

All Honors seminars are co-taught by faculty members from different disciplines and are conducted primarily by group discussion. To insure fresh and appealing choices for all students in the Program, seminars are rotated on a regular basis, and each Honors seminar is offered for a maximum of three years.

Students not in the Honors Program who would like to take a specific seminar may contact the Director; however, preference is given to students pursuing the complete program.

Benefits of Studying in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program (IDHP)

Interdisciplinary Honors Program scholars:

  • Build a strong community of fellow students and faculty members who support and challenge each other to make the most of their educational experience. Having a “cohort” or “team” of other motivated students and mentors makes for a smoother transition to college.
  • Receive a significant IDHP scholarship to help them persist in their educational goals.
  • Fulfill many Core requirements by taking small Interdisciplinary Honors Program classes taught by two professors representing different academic disciplines. These courses are designed to stimulate deeper conversations on a range of compelling subjects. Classes are discussion based and writing intensive – there are no quizzes, tests, or exams.
  • May choose to live in Honors Housing for their first year, to foster a supportive social and academic environment for these students on campus. All IDHP students also have access to the IDHP Library in Saint Joseph’s Hall – a welcoming space for quiet study, small group collaboration, or just relaxation between classes.
  • Receive preference every semester for registration.
  • Participate in local cultural and service experiences and in events on campus sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Honors Program, the student-led Honors Council, or specific Honors instructors. Students are also invited to present papers and posters at a local Undergraduate Honors Conference – a wonderful experience especially for those considering graduate school.
  • Have “bragging rights” as well as evidence on their transcripts that they will graduate from an Honors Program – an impressive credential to share with future employers and graduate school admissions offices.

Eligibility and the Application Process

Incoming, first-year students with a cumulative 3.3 High School GPA will be invited to apply for the Interdisciplinary Honors Program upon completion of their application for admission to Chestnut Hill College.

Some applicants will be notified of admittance based on their transcripts and other admissions materials; others may be invited to interview or supply more materials (letters of recommendation or writing samples) before a decision is made.

In addition to a strong academic record, we value evidence that students are challenging themselves in high school, can read critically and write clearly, and are intellectually curious and engaged.

There are typically 15 IDHP scholars in a first-year class; after application deadlines in December, February, and March, students are notified of admittance or waitlisted until a later deadline. The cohort is filled from the pool of admitted students as they deposit with CHC on a first-come, first-served basis.

Learn More and Apply

  1. Read the Interdisciplinary Honors Program Handbook
  2. Contact the director of the program: Mia Grogan, Ph.D (contact info below)
  3. If you have not applied to Chestnut Hill College, submit your Undergraduate application
    The IDHP application will be available upon review of your application for admission.
  • Marie (Mia) Schilling Grogan

    Marie (Mia) Schilling Grogan, Ph.D.

    Associate Professor of English Director of the Interdisciplinary Honors Program

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