Why Join the Honors Program?

Dominican University’s Honors Program provides the opportunity for our very best students to intensify and enrich their undergraduate education.

By selecting only those students whose previous academic success indicates both a strong preparation and heightened aptitude for learning, the Honors Program allows our most academically gifted students to challenge themselves in an enjoyable and rewarding way.

Benefits of Joining

  • Heightened Intellectual Challenge: Take courses with the especially gifted and motivated students.
  • Customize Your Education by completing an Honors Project that matches your special interests.
  • Send a favorable message to graduate schools, professional programs, and employers. The best schools and programs are extremely competitive and to be accepted into one of them a student typically needs more than just a high GPA.
  • Financial Support: Students who are granted entry into the program right from high school are awarded a $500 scholarship for the first year and a $1000 scholarship in each of their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Financial support is also provided for all honors students to present their honors project at an appropriate conference.
  • Belong to a community of like-minded students: Being in the Honors Program permits you to meet and develop friendships with a community of similarly motivated students..
  • Trips and Special Programs: Subject to the availability of or interest by honors students, there is room for honors social events as well, such as charitable activities or trips to New York City’s famous museums.
  • All students in the Honors Program are entitled to early registration and are guaranteed admission to the courses and sections of their choosing

Entering the Honors Program

  • All incoming freshmen with a high school GPA of at least 3.25, or transfer students who have completed a minimal of 4 semesters at Dominican University with a GPA of 3.4 are formally invited to join the Honors Program.
  • Invitations are also extended to freshmen who have a GPA over 3.4 after their fall semester at the university.
  • Finally, any student who has a GPA above 3.4 and is able to complete two honors designated courses as well as the six-credit honors project sequence is encouraged to apply to the Program Director for admission into the program.

"My Honors project exposed me to a much higher level of academia and I know that it will prove beneficial as I go onto grad school."

Kendra Alexandre '17 
Admitted to Boston University School of Public Health 

Honors Night

Honor Students present their projects at Honors Night, held late in the spring semester. It is one of the highlights of the year and a great opportunity to showcase your hard work.

Financial support is available for students to present their projects at appropriate academic conferences, too!

See the Pictures from the 2017 Honors Night

Program Director

AnnMarie DelliPizzi Citardi

B.S. – Manhattan College
M.S. – New York Medical College
PhD. – New York Medical College

Dr. AnnMarie DelliPizzi is a Pharmacologist who joined the faculty of Dominican University in Fall of 2004 after teaching as an adjunct in the Biology Department for one year prior. Courses taught include General Biology, Introduction to Biology, Microbiology, Pathophysiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Forensic Science, Cell Biology, Genetics and Histology. In addition to directing the Honors Program, Dr. DelliPizzi is also the Faculty Moderator of the Nu Psi Chapter of Beta Beta Beta, the National Honor Society for Biology and serves as the Health Professions Advisor. She recently co-authored two new lab manuals with Dr. Emma Sarro, Assistant Professor of Biology, "Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology Lab I" and "Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology Lab II", both of which are published by BVT Publishing.

Prior to starting at Dominican University, Dr. DelliPizzi was on the faculty at Manhattan College, where she taught Genetics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Anatomy and Physiology and General Biology and also served for several years as the Health Professions Advisor. She currently holds adjunct appointments in the Nursing Department at Lehman College and in the Pharmacology Department at New York Medical College.

Click here for Dr. DelliPizzi's full bio.

Phone: (845) 848-6009
Email: annmarie.dellipizzi@duny.edu or honors.program@duny.edu
Office: Prusmack Center 308

Meet the faculty

Real World Results

The Honors Program opens up many more doors for when you graduate. I am excited to show potential employers all of my hard work the Honors Program pushed me to achieve.

Shannon Truppi, '17

Apart from exploring a new city (Pittsburgh), I enjoyed presenting my honors research to my peers and receiving feedback.

Andrea Zuluaga, '17
Dominican University Physical Therapy

The Honors Program at Dominican University has definitely helped me reach my full potential. I enrolled with my fellow honors students in many unique courses that I would not have otherwise taken. These courses challenged my beliefs in a positive way and taught me things that I can use outside of the classroom.

Christopher Dahl, '17
Stony Brook Medical School

Dominican University made me feel significant; which instilled a sense of pride that gives me daily encouragement to be all that I aspire to be!

Kinikia Collier, '09