Excellence — Inquiry — Insight: The HCC Honors Program

The HCC Honors program is a special interdisciplinary academic sequence consisting of four courses. It provides an opportunity for our college's strongest students to work closely with individual faculty in a specific field of interest, to develop academic leadership skills with other honors program students, and to pursue a semester-length independent study project in a specific disciplinary field.

Benefits of the Program: Why Honors Students Commit to Extra Work

Students who complete all four requirements of the program earn HCC degrees with the specific designation "Housatonic Scholars." This designation is marked on official college transcripts, and each class completed in the program is designated as a special "Honors Course." Honors students are especially attractive to four-year institutions; they are sought after by admissions committees and transfer counselors because they have a proven academic track record. Moreover, honors students have been especially successful in obtaining grants, funding awards, and a wide array of scholarships to further their studies. If you plan to continue your studies towards bachelor’s level work (and beyond!), participating in the honors program puts you at a distinct advantage in terms of admission and potential scholarships.

The 4-requirements to complete the Honors Program

To complete the honors program, students must take the following four classes:

1. 2 In-Class Honors Projects (extra work in any 2 classes in your course of study)
2. HONORS SEMINAR HN 200 (an annual interdisciplinary seminar offered every fall--for honors students only)
3. INDEPENDENT STUDY HN 225 (a semester length study project negotiated with a faculty member you choose)
4. Community Service (one or more semester on-campus or off-campus)

The first two In-Class Honors classes give students opportunities to work closely with faculty in your chosen field. The Honors Seminar HN 200 introduces a range of research and academic presentation skills in order to prepare students to take on the challenge of designing their own semester-length project of study in HN 225.

GOT 3.5? If so, PLEASE APPLY

To qualify for the Honors program students need to have completed 12.0 credit hours, earned 3.50 g.p.a. or higher and selected a major (like General Studies, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, … etc.). An official Honors Program application consists of a faculty recommendation form, a brief info. sheet, a copy of your transcript and a brief interview with the Honors Program Coordinator, Kirk T. Hughes, PhD Your next step: E-mail Honors Coordinator-- Kirk T. Hughes. Include "HCC Honors Program" and your full name in the subject line, and we'll e-mail application forms to you right away.