Liberty’s Honors College gives ambitious students a worthy challenge on path to success

When students attend Liberty University, they receive a quality education as they train to be Champions for Christ in their chosen fields. For those who desire additional academic challenges to develop them into leaders and scholars for the future, there’s a place in the Honors College.

The goal of the Honors College is to provide high-achieving students with outstanding academic experiences, leadership preparation, service opportunities, and Christian development for their callings as Champions for Christ.

The college incorporates the Honors Scholars, Eagles Scholars, Washington Fellowship, and Quiz Bowl Team — programs that have existed at Liberty for a long time but previously operated under different departments. A new Honors Fellows program is planned for Fall of 2025 to allow students enrolled in Liberty’s online programs to be involved in the more challenging honors environment, a unique offering in higher education. Honors Fellows will be given similar opportunities as residential honors students.

With the development of the new college, Liberty designated faculty members to teach courses solely under its honors programs.

“The academic challenge of this rigorous program is attractive to the students, and many of them look forward to and enjoy the tight-knit community it provides,” said Honors College Dean Dr. Roger Schultz, who also serves as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “With the Honors College, we’re bringing together all of these programs, and we’re hoping to promote additional special opportunities to encourage community cohesiveness among the honors students.”

Emmalene Sotomayor, a senior English student, said she chose to join the honors program due to its academic challenge and smaller class sizes. She said she’s been encouraged by her peers and professors to do her best work and grow as a student and professional in her field.

“Being an honors student has definitely allowed me to enjoy the fellowship of people who think deeply and work hard academically,” she said. “I have loved the smaller class sizes, with professors who encourage critical thinking and genuine conversation about difficult topics. I grew up homeschooled in a very academically rigorous environment. I wanted the challenge of writing an honors thesis as a final display of my college education.”

Following her sister’s experience, senior Alyssa Zern chose the honors route for her major in strategic communication and minor in pre-law as she prepares for law school.

“I desired to join Liberty’s honors program because I wanted to push myself academically and take advantage of the unique opportunities the program offers,” she said. “The community is supportive, as my fellow honors students are not just classmates but friends who share a common passion for academic excellence. I believe that the training and high standards of the honors program have prepared me for the challenges of law school and in my future career.”

Students in the Honors College have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of co-curricular and recreational activities throughout the year, including special convocations, lectures, holiday parties, visits from the Career Services office, and trips to academic conferences.

Currently, there are about 940 students in the Honors College. Students must submit applications and meet academic eligibility requirements specific to each program.

• • Honors Scholars: This program gives academically talented students the opportunity to achieve their highest intellectual and creative potential through a rigorous curriculum consisting of Honors seminars, major-specific Honors petition courses, and a senior Honors thesis. These more challenging classes have a student to professor ratio of 15:1.
• • Eagles Scholars: High-achieving freshmen and sophomores looking for personal and professional development can cultivate leadership skills for college and their future careers.
• • Washington Fellowship: Students from all degree programs can apply to live and work in our nation’s capital as they complete internships and gain professional experience and enjoy career networking opportunities.
• • Quiz Bowl: This academic team, often called the “varsity sport of the mind,” has had a longstanding record of success. The team completes regionally and nationally against other colleges and answers questions on topics such as literature, history, geography, the sciences, math, art, pop culture, and sports. Participants may be eligible for a $2,000 scholarship per year. For more information, email the coach, Dr. Jim Nutter, at jhnutter@liberty.edu.

The Honors College offices are located in the Jerry Falwell Library Scholars Commons. For more information, call (434) 592-3304.