Stewart Science Honors Program

Mission

The Stewart Science Honors Program is a highly selective, academically rigorous, research-intensive, technology-driven interdisciplinary program built on an intimate and collaborative community of exceptional students, original research projects, and close mentorship and advising from professors and national STEM leaders, aimed at producing innovative leaders in the sciences who understand and articulate the harmony of a Christian worldview and the sciences.

Open to a small group (20) of incoming School of Science, Technology and Health students each fall, the four-year program prepares students to become highly skilled, transformational Christian leaders, with a strong competitive advantage as they move on to top graduate schools or pursue professional opportunities.

Program Plan

The Stewart Science Honors Program admits students prior to their first year (15 credits or fewer) of matriculating to Biola. All majors in the School of Science, Technology and Health are eligible.

Students’ work and participation in the program fall under four integrated areas of focus:

  1. Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

    • Students must complete a minimum 200-hour summer research experience after their first year at Biola. This is typically a full-time, 10-week on-campus research residency during which students work closely with a faculty mentor on a research project.

  2. Specialized Coursework

    • Students complete the Stewart Honors (SHNR) course series, which includes SHNR 120, SHNR 220, SHNR 280, SHNR 320, and SHNR 420 (see Program Requirements for full descriptions).

    • Students must also complete the Stewart-specific section of BBST 465, BBST 4659: Faith, Philosophy and Science.

    • Students must complete major-specific honors lab courses as required by each student’s degree plan (see footnote 8 in Program Requirements).

    • Students must complete at least 2 credits of Directed Research (BIOS 490, CHEM 490, PHSC 490, ENGR 490, or ROBO 490) within their major.

  3. SHNR 440: Science Honors Advanced Topics

    • All students are required to complete SHNR 440 (3 credits), an advanced seminar-style course focused on exploring complex interdisciplinary STEM topics in depth.

  4. Stewart Seminar Speaker Series

    • Students attend monthly Stewart Seminar speaker events each semester of enrollment. These seminars feature guest speakers—often national or international leaders in STEM fields—and offer students the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research and faith-science dialogue.

  5. Senior Capstone Project

    • All Stewart Scholars complete a senior capstone project as part of SHNR 420.

    • This culminating project, developed with a faculty mentor, includes a written final report and a public oral presentation. Students prepare for this experience by completing a formal capstone proposal during SHNR 320.

    • Capstone projects are intended to reflect the type of sustained, original work expected of professional scientists in their discipline.

Advanced Placement Credit

Advanced placement (AP) and college credit earned during high school may transfer toward Biola’s Core Curriculum requirements. Science AP courses usually do not transfer; students should consult Stewart faculty for academic advising. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Stewart Science Honors Program, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate the ability to retrieve and summarize knowledge on a complex scientific problem, design and propose in written and oral form a well-thought out series of novel scientific experiments, and collect, summarize, and communicate key scientific findings to broad audiences.
  2. Summarize the key issues in science and faith while recognizing and articulating the harmony possible while studying God's creation.

Admissions Requirements

The Stewart Science Honors Program is highly selective. The minimum requirement towards application into the program is a high school GPA of > 3.6 and, if taken, an SAT score of >1320 or ACT score >29. The average GPA and SAT scores of the first two cohorts of the Stewart program were 3.9 GPA and 1440 SAT. In addition, students are admitted based on a series of essays and interviews with the Co-Directors of the program and the program’s faculty fellows. The Stewart Science Honors Program aims to recruit a diverse set of students from varied backgrounds and experiences, and highly values students who are creative problem solvers, great communicators, and entrepreneurial thinkers.

Curriculum Requirements

Program Courses & Co-Curricular Requirements
SHNR 120Foundations for Stewart Science Honors Students0.5
SHNR 220Career and Research Preparation0.5
SHNR 280Innovation and Impact in the Sciences 11.5
SHNR 320Capstone Proposal0.5
SHNR 420Stewart Science Capstone 21
SHNR 440Stewart Science Honors Advanced Topics 33
BBST 4659Integration Seminar: Faith, Philosophy and Science 43
Summer Research Experience (minimum 200 hours) 5
Directed Research 62
Senior Capstone Written and Oral Presentation 7
Monthly Stewart Seminar Series Attendance
Stewart Major-Specific Honors Courses 80-4
Total Credits12-16
1

Engineering Physics majors are required to complete 1 credit of SHNR 280.

2

Engineering Physics majors are required to complete are 0.5 credit of SHNR 420.

3

Engineering Physics majors are exempt from SHNR 440.

4

Engineering Physics majors may substitute BBST 4653 for BBST 4659.

5

Students must complete a required summer research experience of at least 200 hours, on campus, after successfully completing their first year at Biola.

6

Students must complete 2 credits (at least one semester) of Directed Research within their major when offered: BIOS 490, CHEM 490, ENGR 490, PHSC 490, or ROBO 490.

7

The senior capstone written and oral presentation is the culminating requirement within SHNR 420.

8

Stewart-specific honors-level lab courses are required only when required by the student’s major, replacing the traditional undergraduate lab courses. Students should consult their degree requirement sheet and Stewart faculty for guidance.

For example, a Biochemistry major is required to take BIOS 113, CHEM 115, and CHEM 116. A Stewart Biochemistry major would then be required to take BIOS 1135, CHEM 1155, and CHEM 1165 (the honors versions), and would be exempt from BIOS 1145 because it is not required for the major.

Current examples of Stewart-specific honors courses include: 

  • BIOS 1135 - Honors Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory
  • BIOS 1145 - Honors Fundamentals of Organismal Biology Laboratory
  • CHEM 1155 - Honors General Chemistry I Lab
  • CHEM 1165 - Honors General Chemistry II Lab

Program Expectations

All Stewart Science Honors students are expected to:

  1. Complete all SHNR and other required courses outlined in this catalog.
  2. Attend all monthly Stewart Seminar events.
  3. Complete all major-specific honors courses as determined by footnote 8.
  4. Participate in Stewart program events, including banquets and community-building activities.
  5. Receive regular academic and professional advising from Stewart co-directors or faculty for the duration of their time at Biola. Advising is mandatory during the first year and expected to be pursued by students in subsequent years.

Academic Standing

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and remain in good academic standing and in compliance with the Biola Community Standards to retain their place in the Stewart Science Honors Program. Failure to meet these standards may result in removal from the program.

Students who un-enroll from Biola University and later return must interview with the Stewart co-director(s) to be considered for readmission to the program.