Honors Institute
Where Great Minds Meet

The Honors Institute at La Roche College is designed to recognize and promote academic excellence and focuses on those academically gifted students who are searching for a challenge. With a program designed specifically for honors-level students executed by fine scholars in their field and coupled with exclusive co-curricular activities, housing and study areas specifically for Honors Institute students, the program is tailored to exemplary students who are looking for an outstanding educational opportunity that will serve as the pathway for a successful future. Admissions to the Honors Institute Candidates for the Honors Institute are expected to meet all of the following criteria: • A minimum GPA of 3.75 (on a scale of 4.0) in a high school college preparatory program; • A minimum SAT score of 1200; • Completion of a successful on-campus interview with the director of the program,including submission of a portfolio of original academic/creative work. The interview is the final stage in the Honors admissions process.

On-campus Living

La Roche has created challenging Honors Institute courses, designed by our most prestigious faculty members who are specialists in the areas of study for which the classes have been created. In fact, faculty members chosen to teach within the Honors Institute are handpicked by the heads of their respective departments and will offer students the opportunity to challenge themselves and broaden their views of the world.

In the Classroom

La Roche will provide the opportunity for Honors Institute resident students to live on the same residence hall floor, which will feature a lounge area that will be reserved exclusively for Honors students. This arrangement provides students the chance to live and study together, encouraging each other as they achieve their academic goals and sharing life outside of the classroom. Of course, every student also will have the College’s general programs and activities available to them, setting the framework for a rewarding college experience.

Growing Within the Honors Institute

As students move through the program, each year will bring additional learning opportunities. For example, throughout their time within La Roche College’s Honors Institute, students will experience a community integrative course, in which they will apply their classroom learning to a project based on a local community studies experience. Honors students also will have the opportunity to participate in a global integrative course in the form of a summer-abroad program. The possibilities for growth and knowledge within the Honors Institute at La Roche College are endless.

Preparing for the Future

Upon completion of La Roche College’s Honors Institute program, you will be on the path to a distinguished career, or you may decide to continue studying. Either way, you will be prepared. Our aim is to assist you with your goals, to help you achieve academically, push yourself to the limits, gain experience, build friendships and award you with the special recognition that you have earned.

Pittsburgh:
A City Within Easy Reach

La Roche College is situated within the northern suburbs of the City of Pittsburgh, ranked in 2007 as America’s Most Livable City by Places Rated Almanac. Pittsburgh can be of great importance to Honors Institute students in that the opportunities for internships, practica and other classroom-related learning are close at hand.

Among its many features, Pittsburgh boasts a thriving cultural district. Honors Institute students can experience the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, the Carnegie Museum and Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, to name just a few highlights. Or, students may want to experience the exciting match-ups of one of the three professional sports teams in town. Additionally, there are plenty of places to find retail shopping, excellent meals, beautiful parks and an impressive nightlife.

La Roche Heritage:
Ad Lucem Per Amorem

Ad Lucem Per Amorem (To Light Through Love) is La Roche College’s motto, and it is also a reminder of the College’s Catholic heritage and the common bond that ties the campus community together.

Founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in 1963, La Roche College originally served as an institution of higher learning for women preparing to enter religious life. Decades ago, the College began to enroll young men and women who shared the College’s mission and vision - and who bring to the campus their own forms of religion and spirituality. All are welcome ... all are recognized.

For more information contact:

Joshua D. Bellin, Ph.D.
Director of the Honors Institute
La Roche College
9000 Babcock Boulevard
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15237
412-536-1217
joshua.bellin@laroche.edu