Honors Program

Meet both requirements:

• Cumulative college GPA of 3.0
• Completed 12 college units

Meet one of these requirements:

• High school GPA of 3.0
• Cumulative GED score of 3400 or higher
• Advanced Placement (AP) exam score of 3 or higher

The Honors Program planning contract and guidelines are available for download.

• Honors Program Planning Contract (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• Honors Program Guidelines (PDF) (opens in a new tab)

At the beginning of the academic term:

1. Fill out an Honors Program Planning Contract for each class in which you want to complete an Honors project.
2. Speak with your instructor about the project you wish to complete. Complete the contract, outlining your project, and get your instructor’s signature.
3. Submit the contract to the Honors Canvas shell. You will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your contract, signed by the Honors Director.

At the end of the academic term, complete your project and submit it to your instructor. Sign the “Completion” portion of the contract with your instructor and submit it to the Honors Coordinator.

Students who complete Honors work each semester are recognized for academic distinction by a notation on the semester grade report and transcript.

The Honors Program notation is typically added to your transcript three to four weeks after grades are posted. Check your unofficial transcript: an asterisk (*) will appear next to the Honors course(s). Although the text “Honors Program” does not appear on your unofficial transcript, the asterisk (*) indicates that it will appear on the official printed copy.

Having the “Honors Program” designation on your transcript for one or more classes will make your application more competitive for transfer to University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) campuses. If you complete 15 or more units in the Honors Program, you will also receive an Honors Program sash at a private Honors Program graduation.

No, an Honors designation has no bearing on your GPA.

Most commonly, students complete an additional research paper and/or class presentation for their Honors project. Depending on the course or topic, some instructors will allow a creative project (such as artwork or video). We recommend approaching your instructor with an idea for a project or topic already in mind.

You can complete contracts for as many or as few classes per semester as you like. If you do not submit a contract in a given semester, you are not removed from the program, but you also do not benefit from it that semester.

For 16-week courses, applications and planning contracts are due by the fifth week of classes. For all other courses (eight-, 10- and 12-week courses), applications and planning contracts are due by the second week of classes.

All Honors Contracts for STEM courses are due by the end of the sixth to eighth week of classes.

No, Honors planning contracts are not accepted for the summer or winter terms.

A class is transferable if it is accepted for transfer by the CSU and/or UC systems. Check the course information in the College Catalog for transferability. Look for the “Transfer Status” note under the course description.

• Join Phi Theta Kappa (a GPA of 3.5 or higher is required)
• Participate in the SJCC Honors Conference
• Take advantage of networking opportunities
• Participate in the private Honors Program graduation

If you submit a contract but are unable to complete the project, please notify the Honors Coordinator that you are withdrawing your contract. There is no penalty for withdrawing your contract.