ANNENBERG HONORS PROGRAM
PROVIDES CHALLENGING OPPORTUNITIES

Fillable Application Forms (pdf): Continuing Students | Freshmen
What Students Are Saying About Anneberg | Annenberg Honors Student Council Officers

The Annenberg Honors Program in the John H. Johnson School of Communications was established in 1989. The late Walter H. Annenberg, publishing magnate and philanthropist, donated $2 million, the single largest endowment, at that time, to Howard University. This gift, matched by the University, provides assistance for more than one hundred students in the program, as well as, administrative and faculty support.

Dr. Audrey Byrd, director of the program, purports that The Annenberg Honors Program provides academically successful and talented students with opportunities to explore depth and meaning to the lived-experience while broadening their worldview.

The program also provides students the forum to work with distinguished communicators. The late Mr. Ossie Davis, distinguished playwright, actor and producer, served as the Annenberg Visiting Professor for the 2003–2004 academic year. (Davis’ Charter Day 2004 address).

Students entering the program are required to have an SAT score of 1200 or higher. To qualify as Annenberg Honors Graduates, students maintain a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, take several honors seminars and courses and complete a thesis or senior research project.

Dr. Rochelle Ford, a ’93 graduate and a public relations assistant professor at Howard University, remembers the Honors Program as rigorous: “It had a tremendous impact on me; it equipped me for graduate studies. The theory and research emphasis, particularly writing the senior thesis, gave me an edge over my colleagues during my master’s level study. Many of them had never done original empirical research such as that required by the Annenberg program.”

In addition to the academic challenge, students in the honors program provide community and university service. Past activities have included assisting at a homeless shelter, tutoring DC Public School students, working at Martha’s Table, and participating in the “Help the Homeless” walk-a-thon.

Previous directors of the program are Dr. Richard Wright, the first director of the Annenberg Honors Program, Dr. Paula Matabane, Dr. Barbara Hines, Dr. Debyii Thomas, and Dr. Lyndrey Niles. In addition to the late Dr. Ossie Davis, other notable Annenberg Visiting professors were Mr. William Worthy, former CBS News Correspondent, the first Annenberg Visiting Professor, followed by Dr. Molefi Asante, noted author and former chair of the African-American Studies Department at Temple University.

The Dean of the School of Communications, Dr. Jannette L. Dates, is excited about the Honors Program: “The Honors Program extends the boundaries of academic achievement for our undergraduate students from any department. The exercise of writing a thesis better prepares students for graduate study and their professional careers.”