The Pennoni Honors College

About the College

The mission of Drexel University’s Pennoni Honors College is to enhance the University experience for talented and ambitious students from all majors. The Pennoni Honors College delivers innovative and interdisciplinary academics, student-centered experiential learning, and serves as a space for courageous conversations that welcomes students as their authentic selves. The College cultivates intellectual agency, motivated curiosity, and a conscientious community. 

The Pennoni Honors College is made up of the following units:

• Honors Program
• The Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry which houses the Custom-Designed Major, the Interdisciplinary Problem Solving Minor, and The Symposium.
• Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs which houses the STAR Scholars Program, SuperNova Research Fellows Program, Fellowship Advising and Enrichment Programs such as Aspire Scholars.

Through these offerings, the Pennoni Honors College will shape the future of higher education as a guiding light for interdisciplinary learning, institutional collaboration, and integrative experiences that emphasize student agency and enhance the Drexel experience.

The Pennoni Honors College was endowed by Annette and C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni, CEO of Pennoni Associates. Mr. Pennoni, a Drexel graduate, was a two-time interim president of the University. He embodies the qualities of leadership, integrity, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to Drexel and the larger world that the College seeks to imbue in its students. With the help of a gift from Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems, and his wife Caroline, Drexel University opened Bentley Hall in 2020, a combined residence, programming, seminar, and office space.

Honors Program

Overview

The Honors Program is a unique layer to the Drexel student experience in that it offers a multitude of opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom for students to explore their academic interests. Through the Honors Program, students engage in coursework outside of their major plan of study in pursuit of additional breadth and depth to their education. Students interested in applying to the Honors Program may do so as incoming first year students, current Drexel students in their freshman or sophomore year, or through the Transfer student admissions process. All other programs and initiatives in the College are open to all students at the University with the appropriate interests and record of achievement.

Program Requirements

The program and coursework requirements below apply to students who have joined the Honors Program in Fall 2019 to present. To view program requirements for Honors admit years prior to 2019, please visit our website at https://drexel.edu/pennoni/academics/honors/academics/requirements/

• The Honors Program requires a total of 16.0 credit hours of coursework.
• Students must maintain a 3.2 cumulative GPA
• Students must receive a minimum of "B" grade in each undergraduate course applied to satisfy Honors Program Requirements

Required Coursework

Honors with Distinction

Overview

The Honors with Distinction path within the Honors Program is an opportunity for students to further enhance their education through coursework that emphasizes citizenship, global perspective, and self-reflection. Honors with Distinction exemplifies the breadth and depth of the Honors Program by offering a balance between flexibility for students to take courses that pique their interest and the intellectual rigor of requirements that deepen their learning across diverse perspectives.Students interested in applying to the Honors Program may do so as incoming first year students, current Drexel students in their freshman or sophomore year, or through the Transfer student admissions process. All other programs and initiatives in the College are open to all students at the University with the appropriate interests and record of achievement.

Program Requirements

The program requirements below apply to students who have declared Honors with Distinction in Fall 2023 to present. To view Honors with Distinction program requirements for admit years prior to 2023, please visit our website at https://drexel.edu/pennoni/academics/honors/academics/requirements/.

• Honors with Distinction requires a total of 24 credit hours of coursework.
• Students must maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
• With the exception of the Civic Foundations course series, students must receive a minimum ‘B’ grade in each undergraduate course applied to satisfy Honor with Distinction requirements. Courses in the Civic Foundations series follow the university grade minimum requirements of ‘D’ or above. 

Required Coursework

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See Honors Academic Advisor for options

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To discuss study abroad Honors Options, please contact HonorsProgram@drexel.edu for additional information.

Undergraduate Research and Enrichment

Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry

The Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry (CII) is a Unit in the Pennoni Honors College that promotes intentional and integrative approaches to working across disciplines for all students, faculty, and staff at Drexel. The Center emphasizes collaboration, communication, critical analysis, and creative thought in order to foster more holistic understandings of the world. The Center’s founding in 2011 was in conjunction with the launch of the Custom-Designed Major – an individualized major program that enables students to create their own plans of study by incorporating courses from disciplines across the University. The major is unique in that students can pursue a path of self-directed and interdisciplinary learning that goes beyond a traditional major or double major. Students work closely with advisors to create a plan of study to support their vision, and high-touch advising supports and guides them throughout their time in the major.

The Center is also home to the Symposium, an interdisciplinary course series organized around a central annual theme. Each class within the series is designed by co-instructors representing different fields of knowledge, enabling a wide range of interpretations of engaging topics related to the overarching theme. All Symposium courses are open to all students regardless of affiliation with the Honors Program. 

For students who want to augment their major with coursework that allows them to address complex, real world problems through an interdisciplinary approach, the Center’s Interdisciplinary Problem-Solving minor is an excellent opportunity to synthesize ideas, methods, practical skills, and experiential learning from across multiple fields. The minor provides opportunities for students to explore and develop interdisciplinary thinking and problem-solving in ways that will assist them navigate situations in any disciplinary context.