Honors Program Requirements & Application

Honors Program Requirements

Incoming Students

Students are welcome to commence their academic program as a member of the college’s selective Honors Program. Students entering MWCC should meet the following criteria:

• A 3.3 or higher high school GPA for incoming students who graduated within three years of their admission to MWCC.

Currently Enrolled Students

Students should make an appointment to meet with the Honors Program Coordinator to discuss academic preparation and must meet the following requirements based on at least one semester of coursework of six credits or more:

• A 3.3 GPA or higher.
• A 3.0 GPA or higher with a strong MWCC professor recommendation and approval of the Honors Coordinator.

Program Requirements

• Must have a GPA of 3.3 or higher at the time of graduation to earn a Commonwealth Honors Scholar credential and should maintain that GPA throughout all semesters.
• Must maintain GPA: If a student’s GPA dips below a number that becomes unattainable to earn a 3.3 by the time of graduation, the student will be notified and removed from the program.
• Must have a declared degree program by the time of graduation.
• Must successfully complete four honors courses, by achieving a minimum grade of “B” in each course. These courses typically include:
  • Honors ENG 102 College Writing II, an honors-level version of College Writing II.
  • The Honors Research Seminar/Colloquium, HUM 283. The research seminar is an interdisciplinary thematic course, designed and team-taught by MWCC faculty.
  • The remaining two-course requirements may be satisfied by component courses or specifically designated honors courses. See more information below:
    • Honors-designation Courses
      • Each semester, the college will offer honors courses to students.
      • These courses will rotate, and honors students will have priority registration to enroll in these classes to fulfill their degree programs as well as their Commonwealth Honors requirements.
    • Component Courses
      • “Component” courses are courses already required by a student’s degree program. A component course requires an additional assignment of independent research, resulting in a tangible product such as a written paper, service learning, a special project, a speech presentation, a poster presentation, and/or a presentation at the UMASS, Amherst Undergraduate Honors Conference. Component courses result from a written agreement between a faculty member and the student, approval of the Honors Program Coordinator, and approval of the Division Dean.
  • Honors Program requirements may be substituted with the approval of the Honors Program Coordinator or the Division Dean.

Applications