Kuyper Honors Program Minor

• An ACT composite score of 28 or higher (or the SAT equivalent)
• A high school GPA of at least 3.5
• A Kuyper Honors Program high school level application
• Two letters of recommendation
• An entrance essay
• Application form for incoming freshmen
• History majors are eligible for an additional scholarship sponsored by Rockne and Joan McCarthy. Indicate on the Kuyper Honors Program application form that history is your intended major.

* Students who do not meet one of these criteria, but who can demonstrate substantial merit or capacity for success in this program are still encouraged to submit an application.

• At least one semester of full-time college experience, and ordinarily no more than four semesters.
• A minimum college level GPA of 3.25
• A Kuyper Honors Program college level application
• Two letters of recommendation from college faculty
• An entrance essay

* Students who do not meet one of these criteria, but who can demonstrate substantial merit or capacity for success in this program are still encouraged to submit an application.

The Kuyper Honors Program is designed to fit with every major at Dordt. You’ll take courses in rhetoric and Christian scholarship, biblical foundations, and Christian philosophy. You will also:

• Understand integral Christian scholarship

• Develop a Kuyperian sense of scholarly work as calling to a particular kind of Kingdom service

• Articulate a sense of broader calling in this world rooted in a Biblical historical imagination

• Demonstrate an ability to question and challenge the deforming spirits of the age from an individual and collective perspective

• Develop proficiency in interdisciplinary, theoretical, and collaborative scholarly work

• Engage in active public scholarship and community service

• Demonstrate the traits of a life-long Christian learner

• Demonstrate proficiency in the development, communication, and consideration of ideas necessary for Christian scholarship

Students who wish to add the Kuyper honors minor will take a variety of Kuyper honors courses that are designed to replace or supplement various core program requirements. Additionally, students will be required to finish nine credits worth of shared learning contracts which involve organizing a project to help other students learn in a way that mirrors how learning occurs outside of academia.

The following courses substitute for courses required in the CORE Curriculum and represent an engagement and equipping for the calling to service as Christians with scholarly gifts.

• Rhetoric and Christian Scholarship: The course introduces you to the ways in which we seek to communicate in the public square in order to create, maintain, and change culture. Emphasis is placed on research, listening, and rhetorical analysis applied to oral and written communication. You will also engage the question of the concept of Christian scholarship, worldview and the impact of a Christian perspective in our scholarly calling.
• Biblical Foundations, Theology, and Imagination: In this course, we will survey biblical revelation in its progressive unfolding of key ideas and institutions against their cultural-historical background and within their covenant setting. We emphasize the normativity of Scripture that reaches its fullness and fulfillment in Christ for all academic work. You will also engage the question of how to root your identity in the metanarrative of Scripture as well as some emphasis on Biblical theology.
• Christian Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanity: Using figures from the history of Western philosophy as our guide, this class will challenge you to examine your own life, see why you do what you do, and evaluate how your actions are shaped by certain religious commitments. It will demonstrate the need for wisdom and discernment and will begin to equip you with the tools you will need (critical thinking, self-reflection, clear communication) to discern how we are called to live as Christian disciples in today’s day and age. You will further engage the question of how practice shapes your identity, how we understand our identity as image-bearers, and how we can discern deformative spirits of our age and respond to them as Christian disciples.
• Engaging Culture as Christian Scholars: This is an inter-disciplinary, capstone course that helps you reflect upon issues you encounter in your life, evaluate them from a Christian perspective, and practically engage what it means to live out your biblical perspective as a disciple of Christ. You will develop detailed reflections on your personal commitment to your Christian calling as well as a summative engagement with your education in the Core program

Students must complete a total of 9 credits (3 credits of each category) of the following. These courses can be completed in 1-3 credit pieces and may be completed over the summer.

• Scholarly Service Contracts: A key aspect of the calling to Christian scholarship is the need to put your gifts to work in service to your community, be that within the institution or broader society. As Kuyper Scholars, you will actively contribute to the community through practical, meaningful service. These opportunities may take the form of working with a Dordt University faculty member on their research projects or working with a campus department or community nonprofit on a project to advance the mission of the organization.
• Scholarship Contracts: The core of the calling to Christian scholarship is learning to join the broader scholarly conversation taking place in society. As Kuyper Scholars, you will work with a Dordt University faculty member in contracted learning experiences, typically as a supplement to a course you are enrolled in within your discipline. You will be able to guide your individual learning and scholarship on academic topics of your choosing. You will be encouraged and expected to submit your works of scholarship for publication or presentation in appropriate scholarly venues.
• Shared Learning Contracts: The core of the calling to Christian scholarship is learning to join the broader scholarly conversation taking place in society. As Kuyper Scholars, you will work with a Dordt University faculty member in contracted learning experiences, typically as a supplement to a course you are enrolled in within your discipline. You will be able to guide your individual learning and scholarship on academic topics of your choosing. You will be encouraged and expected to submit your works of scholarship for publication or presentation in appropriate scholarly venues.