As applications for admission are received by the College,
exceptional applicants are identified and invited to submit a separate Dana application.
Invitees typically are near the top of their high school class, score 1350 (Critical
Reading and Math) or greater on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and, equally important,
exhibit distinctive creativity, versatility, and intellectual curiosity.
The
GPA requirement for Dana Scholars, beginning from the class of 2009, is 3.33. Dana Scholars, starting with the class of 2009, must establish a cumulative GPA of 3.33 by the end of their first academic year, assuming full-time student status of at least 3.0 courses per semester. Should a Dana Scholar's cumulative GPA fall below 3.33 by the end of the first academic year or any subsequent semester, the student must petition the Dana Faculty Committee prior to the internship. The petitions must be written to Dr. Mohsin Hashim (
mhashim@muhlenberg.edu) within a week of receiving final grades. No internship registered in other departments will be accepted retroactively. The GPA requirement for the classes of 2006, 2007 and 2008 remains 3.2.
The Dana Program emphasizes creativity and independence of thought through independent study and research. After completing the
Dana First Year Seminar, Dana students complete 3.0 course units. It is recommended that Dana Scholars complete 1.0 unit of
Dana Directed Studies, a
Dana Internship for 1.0 unit, and the
Dana Forum for a total of 1.0 unit. Although students may substitute between Dana Directed Studies and Dana Internships and so choose to complete 2.0 units of mentorship or 2.0 units of internship, all Dana students must complete the Dana Forum – a capstone experience in their Senior year.
955. Dana Forum - 0.5 units/semester
The Dana Forum is designed as a senior year capstone experience to deepen a greater sense of community among DANA scholars and to enrich the intellectual climate on campus. Students register for the Forum in the Fall and Spring semesters of their Senior year. Each year the Forum helps Dana seniors develop and execute collaborative research projects that are tied to the Center for Ethic’s annual theme. In the Fall semester, under the supervision of the Director of the Dana Forum, students engage academic questions related to the annual theme chosen by the Center for Ethics. They also form groups of two or three to research a topic of their choice and identify a faculty mentor for the project. The research component of the Dana Forum is completed during the spring semester of the Dana Scholar’s senior year. The specific nature of each team’s project depends on the students’ background, interests, and goals. Because of the goals of the DANA program, projects that also serve the community are strongly encouraged.
960. Dana Associates Internship - 0.5 or 1.0 course units
Dana Internship must meet Muhlenberg College internship criteria. An internship is work experience undertaken for the purpose of applying knowledge from the classroom to a practical work environment and actively reflecting on that activity.
975. Dana Associates Directed Studies - 0.5 or 1.0 course units
Students will develop their Dana Associates Directed Study with a faculty member of their choice. Students are encouraged to develop projects that emphasize creativity or original thought rather than producing summaries of previous work. Dana Associates Directed Studies can take any form as long as it is agreeable to the student and the mentoring faculty member. The Study may culminate in a paper, performance, presentation, or any other final product deemed appropriate. Open only to Dana Associates.