Scholars Program
Scholars Meeting Class
All Scholars will participate in a weekly Scholars meeting in the fall term of their first year. Attendance at the Scholars meeting is mandatory and the class will help prepare students for the Scholars Program and life at Union College.
Two Accelerated Courses
Scholars take Honors First Year Inquiry in the winter of their first year and Scholars Research Seminar in the spring of their first year. Honors First Year Inquiry takes the place of the standard First Year Inquiry course, but adds increased breadth and depth to the material and discussions. Sophomore Research Seminar provides students with an introduction to college-level research and preparation for their Sophomore Independent Study Projects.
Sophomore Project
In the second year, all Scholars must complete a Sophomore Independent Project. The project consists of a one- or two-term independent project with a faculty supervisor. The scholar initiates the idea for the project and works with a faculty member to develop and research the project. The scholar receives one course credit for this project.
Additional Course Work
To graduate with a designation as a Union Scholar requires a minimum of 38 credits. Since most majors at Union only require 36 credits to graduate, most Scholars take two extra courses to meet this requirement. See “Extra Courses” below for further details on the policy. The Scholar’s Sophomore Project, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate courses may be used to fulfill this requirement.
Minimum Scholars GPA
Scholars must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.4 or above.
For More Information
Should you have any questions about the program, please email scholarsdirector@union.edu.