Business Honors Program

The Business Honors Program is designed exclusively for business majors enrolled in Rider’s Norm Brodsky College of Business. The program differs from the Baccalaureate Honors Program (BHP) which is open to all qualifying undergraduate students in the University community. Although the core benefits of both programs are essentially the same - smaller class sizes with a group of highly motivated and intelligent peers - the requirements and structure of each program vary.

Program Highlights

Rider’s Business Honors Program features cohort learning, which teaches the framework of successful business environments by encouraging teamwork and critical thinking. You’ll participate in classes as a cohort with the same group of students for all four years. Your cohort will help you to acquire invaluable team-building skills as your group learns to utilize each person's strengths to grow together as a unit.

The cohort creates a powerful learning environment where you’ll gain crucial business skills:

• the ability to communicate and collaborate
• problem-solve 
• analyze various perspectives 
• initiate discussions 
• network
• delegate

Your group will develop invaluable team-building skills while learning to use each person’s strengths to build a strong community. 

As a Business Honors student, you’ll receive:

• special advising
• the opportunity to live in a residential learning community in your freshman year
• priority in course registration 
• invitations to attend co-curricular events (e.g., art exhibits, film screenings, poetry slams, theater previews) which are planned by the faculty team

Program Requirements

An invitation to participate in the Business Honors Program is extended to approximately the top 50 students in each entering class, based on their academic record and SAT scores. 

To complete the Business Honors Program at Rider University, you must meet the following requirements:

• Complete the required number of honors business core classes
• Complete a capstone course in their senior year
• A minimum overall GPA of 3.4
• Complete one non-core business honors class
• Complete a thesis

Graduation as a Business Honors Scholar requires a minimum overall University GPA of 3.4 and a minimum GPA of 3.4 in all business Honors courses. 

Entering students are automatically considered for this program based on their academic record. Continuing students are invited to join by the director of the Business Honors Program. 

The priority deadline to apply to Rider for Fall 2025 enrollment to be considered for Honors is January 15, 2025.

Note: It is possible for Business Honors students to simultaneously participate in the Baccalaureate Honors Program.