Janice Voltzow, Director
The Magis Honors Program in STEM is designed to provide undergraduate students with a more intense, interdisciplinary experience of research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through group meetings and individual research projects, students will gain the intellectual and technical skills to carry out original research and to communicate this research to others. An additional focus of the program is the responsibility of science to society to provide students with the foundations to become socially responsible scientists. While strengthening their skills in understanding and communicating science and mathematics, students mentor each other as they design and carry out their research. This work culminates in the production of a thesis at the end of the senior year. Co-curricular activities include a multi-day STEM field experience at a local research site in conjunction with a service project at the site the week before the start of classes for all incoming freshmen in the program. Service responsibilities will include tutoring students in local school districts in their STEM coursework and working with United Neighborhood Center youth groups.
Requirements
Freshmen will participate in a common section of a first year seminar that focuses on science and society. A series of 1.5 credit seminars each semester bring together all students in the program once a week to learn how STEM researchers develop research questions, develop techniques to address those questions, evaluate their results, and share those results with others. Students learn from each other and provide mutual support as they develop independent research projects culminating in a thesis in spring of the senior year. A committee of three faculty will help guide the student through the process of developing and writing a thesis proposal, carrying out their research, and writing and developing their thesis. The program includes significant and innovative integration of science and humanities, including ENLT 143X: Writing Science in Literature , a special core humanities course, for example HIST 350 - (CH) American Environmental History , a special section of PHIL 210 - Ethics , and a core Theology course T/RS 342 - (P) Science and the Common Good . A minimum GPA of 3.5 (cum laude) is required for graduation in the program.
Admissions to the Magis Honors Program in STEM
This program is available to incoming freshmen. Students who appear qualified will be invited by the Director to apply to the program. Students not selected initially who show exceptional ability in STEM, as demonstrated by high performance in classes and recommendations by faculty, may apply in their freshman year for admission as sophomores.