The Montgomery Scholars Program has been extremely successful in creating its desired educational effect, even though it is restricted to 25 students per class. This small size is intended to make the program more intimate and to allow the professors to pay greater attention towards the students, building bonds more deeply than in the typical classroom. The program is intended to prepare its students to view the world with a broad perspective and to train them, within a nurturing, stimulating environment, to implement this skill academically and professionally. While being exposed as freshmen to an holistic learning process by means of an intensive set of core classes, students are then provided the opportunity to undertake a study-abroad trip to the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. On returning to Montgomery College for their sophomore year, they are then taught how to use their developed capabilities, experience and research on a cross-disciplinary topic; finally, they write a thesis, and present their work formally to a general audience.
Core classes (first year)
The core curriculum for the first year of the program includes World History, World Literature, Art History (since 2005, World Music) and Philosophy. The four classes are taught within the same classroom, with all four professors present. Complementing the core classes are honors module classes in English and Anthropology, along with Biology for non-science majors.
Study abroad
The trip to England lasts for approximately one month; however, most students travel elsewhere after their Cambridge University studies and before returning home for the new fall semester. The Scholars Program participates within Cambridge's International Summer School, and students are required by the Scholars Program to complete several papers and to keep a scholarly journal. They are also allowed the option to take the classes for evaluation for Cambridge credit if they wish, and some (although not most) do take on the rigor of both programs.
Capstone (second year)
The second year of the program is intended to allow the scholars to put what they have gained from their first year and their overseas trip into practical use. They base their research on the main Capstone topic "Globalization and Migration" and the International Relations class. The scholars write a paper of about twenty pages, assisted throughout their research by a mentor. A Speech course in fall semester helps the students to learn to communicate effectively, which in turn assists with their presentation of their papers in the "Capstone Colloquium" towards the end of February. The scholars are also encouraged to submit their papers to the annual "Beacon Conference", a competition amongst two-year colleges of the east coast of the United States from Virginia up to New England. A large number of scholars have become finalists within the Beacon Conference competition.