Pike Honors

The Kenneth L. Pike Honors Program invites exceptional students with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher to design a unique academic program that creatively compliments or extends Gordon College majors or minors in pursuit of their learning goal.

Pike Scholars can take advantage of diverse opportunities at Gordon, internationally or at other institutions in this country to enrich existing majors in unique ways. Scholars design a creative, rigorous program with a depth and breadth that would not ordinarily be available to them at Gordon.

Approved programs are usually in one of two forms:

• an individualized contract major in a field not available at Gordon; this could be either a) a recognized academic discipline, or b)  an interdisciplinary field that draws on course offerings from various departments while achieving a definite conceptual focus
• a traditional major offered at Gordon which is fulfilled with a unique concentration, utilizing alternate Gordon courses plus the possibility of study abroad and/or courses at other institutions

Note: It is also possible to formulate a contract minor based on the above criteria, as a supplement to a traditional academic major.

A Pike Scholar's curriculum must be individually approved by the Pike Honors Committee and the Academic Programs Committee of the faculty. Examples of past programs include:

• African, Middle East, Contemporary Europe or other regional studies
• Classical Studies; Ancient History and Languages
• Community Development (Urban or International) 
• English  with concentrations in Creative Writing, Literary Criticism, or Photojournalism
• Environmental Studies; Sustainable Development 
• Fine Arts Management or Art History with Museum Studies Concentration
• History with an Archeology concentration
• Psychology or Biology with a Medical Ethics, Neuropsychology or Genetic Counseling concentration
• Public Health and Nutrition
• Theology

Application Procedure:
Application to the program is a two-step process, involving a Preliminary Application and, if this first step is approved, a Final Application. The Pike Committee reviews applications throughout the fall and spring terms on a rolling basis. However, for timely consideration preliminary applications must be submitted either by October 1 in the fall or by the first Tuesday following Spring Break. See resources to the right under "Downloads."

For more information, contact the Registrar's Office:

p: 978.867.4243
e: registrargordon.edu