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Honors College — Ave Maria University
The Honors College
Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL
Honors College

Catholic Fidelity. Exceptional academic quality.

For too long, academically excellent Catholic students had to choose between attending an elite school that is not Catholic and a faithfully Catholic school that is less rigorous. Not anymore.

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Our Mission

Discover joy in the quest for truth.

The Honors College at Ave Maria University combines Catholic fidelity with exceptional academic quality. We educate a highly selective group of the nation's top undergraduates who desire academic excellence at a faithful Catholic university.

Your intellectual, cultural, and spiritual growth is our top priority. You will form authentic friendships with talented peers who challenge you to be your very best. Under the personal guidance of outstanding professors, you will be nourished by the treasures of the Catholic faith, Great Books, and state-of-the-art laboratories. You will be offered opportunities for cultural and artistic enrichment, leisure and contemplation, and excursions in the exceptional natural beauty of Southwest Florida. And in collaboration with The Institute at Ave Maria University, you will receive premier access to career discernment and the acceleration of your professional skills toward the fulfillment of your calling after graduation.

2%
Selectivity Rate

Among the most selective in the Newman Guide.

Admission to the Honors College is reserved for a small cohort of the nation's most promising Catholic undergraduates — placing us among the most selective programs recognized by the Newman Guide.

Our Work

Three pillars of the Honors College.

i. Curriculum

The Honors Core Curriculum combines academic excellence and the Great Books tradition with cutting-edge science and flexibility for any major. All Honors core courses are taught by select professors in smaller class sizes.

An exclusive Honors freshman seminar introduces students to the Honors College, provides practical tips on how to thrive in college, offers enriching and interdisciplinary talks about common texts from their Honors core courses, and hosts social gatherings for Honors students.

Throughout their four years, Honors students choose at least five Honors core curriculum courses in History, Rhetoric and Poetics, Philosophy, Politics, and Theology. They can also take Latin, Greek, Chemistry, and Physics for Honors credit.

In their Honors Capstone seminar, seniors will engage deep questions on a life well lived, combining philosophy, theology, the sciences and humanities, and their own academic project.

Honors students may also receive academic credit through the Honors Research Internship, in which they gain real-world skills by working one-on-one with a professor on his or her research in any discipline.
Seek sanctity through study and friendship. Love work as prayer. Discover joy in the quest for truth.
The Honors College — Ave Maria University
The Colloquia

Lectures & debates.

The Honors College hosts a year-round series of interdisciplinary lectures, debates, and seminars with distinguished guests. Honors students participate in ten colloquia during their four years.

Colloquia

Future events.

Professor Brad Gregory
February 18, 2027

Annual Michael Sugrue Lecture

Reassessing Historical Progress: Western Christianity, Consumption, and Climate

Guest Speaker: Professor Brad Gregory, University of Notre Dame
Location: O'Bryan Performance Hall, Thomas and Selby Prince Building
Sponsors: History Department, Honors College, and Michael Sugrue Legacy Fund
Co-Sponsors: Collegium Institute and the Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society, University of Pennsylvania

About the Speaker

Professor Brad Gregory is the Henkels Family College Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame. His pathbreaking research has shown the effects of religious and political disagreement from the Reformation era to the present. He is the author of several books, including the prize-winning Salvation at Stake: Christian Martyrdom in Early Modern Europe (Harvard University Press) and the critically acclaimed Unintended Reformation: How a Religious Revolution Secularized Society (Harvard University Press), which has been translated into four languages.

For Prospective Honors Students

The benefits of the Honors College.

What Honors students enjoy

  • Enriching and stimulating Honors courses taught by select Honors professors in smaller class sizes
  • Invitations to Honors Colloquia, special academic gatherings that foster community and conversation in the Catholic liberal arts and sciences
  • Honors Housing on premium floors in the residence halls
  • Access to the Honors Lounge, a dedicated space for Honors courses, colloquia, and study
  • Personal mentorship by devoted Honors professors
  • Cultural excursions to musical concerts, theater productions, museums, and film nights
  • Spiritual formation on the integration of faith, work, and study
  • Opportunity to compete for internal scholarship nomination for graduate studies at Oxford

Honors students also receive

  • Honors Scholarship to help defray the cost of tuition
  • Special early registration for all classes each semester
  • Collaborations with accomplished professors on research projects
  • Best-in-class formation on pursuing graduate studies and being admitted to top-tier graduate programs
  • Professional development and career discernment through collaboration with The Institute at Ave Maria University
  • Recognition of graduating in the Honors College on official transcript and diploma
  • Priority access to tutoring jobs at the University
  • Leadership opportunities to serve on the Honors Student Board
  • Exclusive gatherings during Freshman Orientation
  • All the benefits of being fully integrated within Ave Maria University
Applying to the Honors College

Eligibility, How to Apply, and FAQ.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Incoming freshmen, transfer students, current AMU students, and dual-enrolled students are eligible to apply.
  • Incoming freshmen and dual-enrolled students must have a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 3.70 as well as a minimum 1360 SAT score or 30 ACT score or 92 CLT score.
  • Transfer and current AMU students must have a minimum university GPA of 3.70 as well as a minimum 1360 SAT score or 30 ACT score or 92 CLT score. They must also have enough semesters left to be able to complete the Honors College curricular and colloquia requirements.
  • Honors students must maintain a 3.40 GPA to remain in the Honors College.
The Faculty

Meet the faculty.

Honors Faculty Members

Honors Faculty Members are elected members of the Honors College. They are full professors with a record of accomplished research and teaching excellence. They actively shape their academic fields through peer-reviewed and other publications as well as service to their discipline and wider community. They serve the Honors College through undergraduate Honors teaching, thesis supervisions, mentorship and formation activities, and participation in Honors events based on a genuine academic and apostolic initiative. Committed to imparting the Catholic intellectual tradition, they foster a spirit of collegiality, a school of virtue, and interdisciplinary learning in the Honors community.

Dr. Michael Breidenbach, Ph.D.
Dean of the Honors College

Dr. Michael Breidenbach, Ph.D.

Dean of the Honors College; Professor of History
Dr. Paul Baxa, Ph.D.

Dr. Paul Baxa, Ph.D.

Chair of the History Department; Professor of History
Dr. Agnes Berki, Ph.D.

Dr. Agnes Berki, Ph.D.

Chair of the Biology Department; Professor of Biology; Director of Health Science Program
Dr. Gerald Boersma, Ph.D.

Dr. Gerald Boersma, Ph.D.

Chair of the Theology Department; Professor of Theology; Director of Graduate Programs in Theology
Dr. John Colman, Ph.D.

Dr. John Colman, Ph.D.

Professor of Politics
Dr. Travis Curtright, Ph.D.

Dr. Travis Curtright, Ph.D.

Chair of the Humanities Department; Professor of Humanities and Literature; Director of Shakespeare in Performance
Dr. Michael Dauphinais, Ph.D.

Dr. Michael Dauphinais, Ph.D.

Fr. Matthew L. Lamb Professor of Catholic Theology; Professor of Theology; Director of Catholic Studies Program
Dr. Andrew Dinan, Ph.D.

Dr. Andrew Dinan, Ph.D.

Professor of Classics
Dr. Saverio Perugini, Ph.D.

Dr. Saverio Perugini, Ph.D.

Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science; Director of Computer Science Program

Honors Faculty Affiliates

Honors Faculty Affiliates are invited to teach Honors courses as needed based on a record of teaching excellence. They demonstrate high quality scholarly activity, an active research agenda, and dedicated service to the university that inform their teaching in the classroom.

Coming soon.
Get in Touch

Staff & contact.

The Honors College is led by its Dean, with the support of an Administrative Assistant and a faculty network drawn from across the disciplines.

Teresa Ledesma

Administrative Assistant of the Honors College

Email: teresa.ledesma@avemaria.edu

Phone: (239) 304-7178

General Inquiries

Questions related to the Honors College

Email: honors@avemaria.edu

Support the Honors College

Preserve a tradition for the next generation.

Your support funds Honors Scholarships, colloquia and lectures, formation activities, and the Honors College's ongoing work of intellectual and spiritual formation rooted in the Catholic tradition.

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