University Honors

Mission Statement

Honors at Coastal Carolina University provides a dynamic learning environment that fosters the intellectual curiosity and creativity of highly motivated, academically-gifted students by creating a framework in which they can pursue self-determined personal and professional aspirations. Honors students are given the foundation to become thoughtful leaders able to solve problems of contemporary life, building upon historical and global perspectives. Honors provides a challenging and well-structured curriculum that incorporates interdisciplinary collaboration among members of the university community who serve as models for successful lifelong learning. Honors also promotes active involvement in the life of the University and service to the community. Community engagement and mentored, collaborative research assists students in developing the skills necessary to become professional and academic leaders.

Honors Program Admission

Admission to the honors program of the HTC Honors College is by invitation of the director of the program in consultation with the Office of Admissions and Merit Awards. Honors program invitations are extended to entering first-year students whose standardized test scores and work in high school predict outstanding college-level achievement. Applicants can identify during the application process if they wish to be considered for admission into the honors program.

For freshmen, the primary criteria used to determine invitation into the honors program are grade point average and standardized test scores; however, a comprehensive review of the following factors may be considered in the review:

Cumulative high school grade point averages – both weighted and unweighted, as applicable
Standardized test scores – SAT (combined math and evidenced based reading and writing scores) or ACT (composite score)
Institutionally calculated “core” grade point average (see Freshman Admission Requirements for more information)
Rigor of high school coursework (i.e., honors, advanced placement, international baccalaureate, dual enrollment)
Rank within graduating class
Academic recommendations
Writing samples
Resumes, including leadership and work experience, as well as extracurricular involvement and activities

For continuing or transfer students, the minimum admission criteria for invitation into the honors program are:

A cumulative collegiate GPA of 3.7 or higher;
The completion of 30 academic credit hours;
Two letters of recommendations from college instructors;
Completion of an honors program application form.

For international students who are not from countries where English is the native official language, the minimum admission criteria for invitation into the honors program are:

TOEFL or IELTS exam results taken in the last three years with a TOEFL score of 575 on the paper-based test (PBT), or TOEFL of 89 on the internet-based test (iBT), or an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 with no subscore lower than 5, or successful completion of ELS Language Centers Academic English Program level 112.
Submission of an application to the honors program that will include an essay and a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher.

For international students who are from countries where English is the native official language, the minimum admission criteria for invitation into the honors program are:

Submission of an application to the honors program that will include an essay and a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher.
SAT score of 1270 or higher (evidence-based reading and writing plus math), or an ACT score of 26 or higher.

Continuing students or transfer students who are interested in joining the honors program should contact the director of the program for further information.

Academics

Honors program students complete an enhanced academic curriculum including smaller honors sections of core curriculum courses, enriched courses within majors, and advanced interdisciplinary courses and seminars for juniors and seniors. Reflecting the college’s emphasis on original research and creative expression, honors students complete a senior thesis project and present this work in a public forum.

Honors courses are designated as either ‘honors-only’ (with the HONR prefix or selected honors-only classes from other academic departments) or ‘honors by special arrangement,’ which are regular courses in which the student completes honors level coursework through the ‘honors by special arrangement’ process. Only honors courses in which students receive a grade of ‘B’ or better will count toward the completion of the program’s total credit hours of honors coursework requirement. Restrictions and exemptions apply; please contact the director of the program for additional information.

Students in the honors program have the option to graduate with honors or honors with distinction. The requirements are as follows:

Graduating with honors requires 18 credit hours of honors coursework, including six credit hours of honors-only courses, at least three credit hours of which will be at the 300-level. Students may choose to enter the honors track after completing 60 credit hours.
For first-time first-year students or transfer students who matriculate with fewer than 60 credits, honors with distinction requires 24 credit hours of honors coursework, including nine credit hours of honors-only courses, at least three credit hours of which will be at the 300-level. All students will complete a mathematics course at the statistics or calculus level or above, as well as a foreign language course at the intermediate level or above. All students will also complete an honors thesis or equivalent project and present the work in a public forum.
For transfer students who matriculate at CCU with 60+ credits, honors with distinction requires 18 credit hours of honors coursework, including six credit hours of honors-only courses, at least three credit hours of which will be at the 300-level. All students will also complete an honors thesis or equivalent project and present the work in a public forum.

Students who are exempt from having to meet core curriculum requirements are required to complete only three credit hours of honors-only courses as part of their total credit hours of honors coursework.

Honors students are required to demonstrate regular progress toward the successful completion of their program. To remain in good academic standing within the honors program, students must maintain the following standards:

After completing 30 credit hours, a student must have a minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA and have completed at least 3 honors credit hours.
After completing 60 credit hours, a student must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and have completed at least 9 honors credit hours.
After completing 90 credit hours, a student must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and have completed at least 15 honors credit hours.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the honors program should be able to:

Critically examine their identity and beliefs and take responsibility for the intentional construction of their personal value system and relationships.
Analyze cultural assumptions in the context of the world’s diverse values, traditions, and belief systems.
Develop and share ideas logically and effectively in order to effectively communicate with diverse individuals and groups.
Analyze new problems and situations to formulate informed arguments, conclusions and solutions.
Analyze ideas, issues and creative works from a variety of perspectives and recognize how alternative approaches influence one another.
Integrate knowledge through disciplinary or multidisciplinary methodologies culminating in a research-based, scholarly or creative capstone work.
Address real-world problems and find and participate in ethical solutions for individuals and society.

Recognition

All graduating students who successfully complete the requirements of the honors program are recognized during honors convocation and at commencement. The designation of honors graduate is placed on their official transcripts by the registrar. Additionally, honors with distinction students have the seal of the program affixed to their diploma.