The designation "Honors Graduate" carries weight with graduate schools and employers, who recognize the outstanding scholastic achievement that comes with the term. Honors Graduates have an advantage on resumes and cover letters, as the designation opens doors in the working world which otherwise remain closed.

Honors classes are not like any other classes at Southwestern. The interdisciplinary courses foster critical thinking skills, which benefit you no matter what your career goal. These courses do not entail more work but they do take a different approach than other general education courses. Further, the Honors Thesis prepares you for the kind of challenging research and writing tasks you might find in graduate and professional schools or on the job. If you want to be your best, challenge yourself. If you are eligible for the Honors Program, settle for nothing less.

Each summer, honors students have the option of traveling to other countries for academic credit. In 2009, students traveled to Italy, and in 2010, they visited Greece. In May, 2011, honors students traveled with English professor Judy Myers Laue to Paris to study "American Writers in Paris."

The 2012 trip will be to Italy. The class is entitled "The Roman Empire and Early Christianity," and will feature visits to Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Ravenna, Venice and Milan.

Find out more about it here.