Honors Program

• Helps students reach their potential
• Offers unique learning experiences
• Enhances the strength of academic transcripts
• Improves transfer and scholarship opportunities
• Provides a great resume enhancement
• Grants priority registration

1. Formal admission to MCC.
2. Submission of the MCC Honors Program Application for Admission; also available from Dr. Danielle Kness, Honors Program Coordinator. Submit your completed application to Dr. Kness.
3. Students with less than 12 college credits can be admitted with a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher and an ACT composite score of 26 or higher (or equivalent SAT composite).
4. Students with 12 or more college credits can be admitted with a college (transfer or MCC) GPA of 3.3 or higher.

• To graduate with a Degree in Honors (designated on a student’s transcript), a student must meet these criteria:
• Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 12 semester hours in Honors.
  • Satisfactorily complete at least 3 Honors Courses.
  • Satisfactorily complete at least 3 Honors Seminars.
• Graduate with at least a 3.3 cumulative MCC grade point average.
• Submit a final Honors Program log and graduation checklist for approval by both the Registrar and the Honors Committee.
• Additional information can be found in the MCC Honors Program Handbook.

Students will complete additional coursework in each course for which they wish to receive Honors credit. The purpose of the Honors coursework is to engage students in the course in a meaningful way. The coursework serves a pedagogical purpose of expanding the Honors Program students’ knowledge and application of course material, rather than just for the sake of being extra work. Students will sign an Honors Contract with each instructor for each of these courses; Honors Committee approval is required. Students must earn at least a “B” on the Honors coursework for it to be considered “successfully completed” at an Honors level. Students must earn at least a “B” on both the Honors coursework and the standard coursework to earn Honors credit for the course. Additional expectations for Honors credit may include but are not limited to, a research paper, synthesis/analysis paper, website design, service learning, activism, and/or unique lab procedures.

The purpose of Honors Seminars is to challenge students intellectually through small-group engagement. These seminars will consist of discussion, directed readings or presentations, and formal oral and/or written student presentations. A vital component of Honors Seminars is student involvement. Students are key contributors within the learning and teaching process. Students will sign an Honors Contract with each instructor for each of these courses. Students must earn at least a “B” in the course to earn Honors credit towards the Honors Program requirements. Honors Seminars are 1 credit each.

Content topics vary widely based on instructor and societal relevance. Past seminars include Escaping North Korea, Tattoos & Piercings, Ghosts & Monsters U.S., Mythbuster Math, Reasoning, Art in the Environment, The Leaf in the Pen, and The Hunger Games.

An Honors Project, worth up to 3 credits, may be completed in lieu of an Honors Seminar or Honors Course if circumstances prevent enrollment in these Honors requirements. Examples of circumstances include institutional scheduling conflicts, seminars canceled, etc. This is subject to approval by instructors and the Honors Committee.