Stewart Honors Curriculum

Stewart Honors students will receive specialized instruction composed of a series of tailored and rigorous science courses with a focus on undergraduate research, problem solving and leadership development, featuring:

• Research Project
  An individual research project — beginning during the student’s freshman year — will be conducted in conjunction with close mentorship from a faculty member. An original, unanswered scientific question, based on advanced instrumentation, state-of-the-art techniques and original experiments will be continually pursued during a student’s time at Biola, including over $5,000 of additional scholarship support. Through a formal application process proposed and submitted in spring of a Stewart student’s junior year, students will work with Stewart faculty toward culminating their findings and formally writing up their results during their Senior Capstone. This work will result in a national conference presentation or submission to a peer-reviewed academic journal.
• Specialty and Strategic Coursework
  Specialty and Strategic Coursework will provide students with unparalleled coursework rarely offered in other science programs. Advanced courses in computer programming and data analysis, the history of science, scientific and technical communication, the philosophy of science, and scientific entrepreneurship and more will provide students with the tools and context to think broadly about how to use their skills and training to lead in the STEM fields.
• Stewart Science Seminar Series
  The Stewart Science Seminar Series will provide students with the opportunity to connect and collaborate with renowned leaders in science, technology and health. Over meals and meetings, these visiting scientists will be made readily available to students in the honors program, challenging Stewart Honors students to higher levels of scholarship and motivating them to prepare for leadership in their chosen careers. Some of these scholars will discuss the interface of faith and science, helping students to see paradigms for scientific inquiry that supersede a materialistic worldview.

The Stewart Honors Curriculum outlined above represents classes and experiences in addition to a student’s traditional Biola Core Curriculum and major courses. However, these experiences and courses do not add an additional credit burden to a student’s educational track. Stewart Science Honors students:

• Can expect to graduate in a timely fashion similar to traditional students.
• Should be prepared to spend up to two summers in residence, focused on their respective research projects with faculty.
• Will be engaged in courses and research during their junior and senior years that require a greater, more significant time commitment than most of their classmates.