Intellectual challenge is at the heart of an Augustana education, as we help students become well-rounded, passionate learners. For students who desire an even more academically rigorous experience, our honors program, Civitas, bridges disciplines with an exploration of the values associated with leading a responsible life.

Through foundational courses, an individual learning experience and a capstone project, Civitas students go beyond contemplation of the meaning of citizenship to develop their experiences into action locally, nationally and globally, exemplifying Augustana’s motto: Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve.

Applying to Civitas

The Civitas class is limited to 40 participants and is open to students from all disciplines. Priority will be given to entering students who possess a minimum ACT score of 27 and a 3.5 high school grade point average. Students meeting these requirements are invited to respond to the prompt below via a written essay, video project, artwork, or PowerPoint presentation.

Prompt:
The emphasis of Augustana’s honors program is the exploration of the values involved in leading a responsible life. The name Civitas was selected because one of the primary translations of this Latin term is “citizenship,” which we believe encompasses more than just membership in a particular community. Many writers on the subject see citizenship as entailing both rights and responsibilities. What do you see as the fundamental rights and responsibilities of citizenship? You may find it helpful in responding to this prompt to identify a real-life example of a good citizen, and to highlight the virtues of that person. He/she could be from any walk of life—famous or unsung, farmer or musician, adult or child.

Send your response to: civitas@augie.edu. Please include a cover sheet with your name, high school and extracurricular interests.

Notifications will be made to students accepted to the program beginning in the last week of March.