HONORS PROGRAM
Admission and Completion
All students are welcome in any Honors course. After the priority registration of Honors Program students is complete, anyone may register in any open Honors course. All students will receive the "H" designation on their transcripts that identifies the course as Honors. However, course completion does not make students eligible for other Honors benefits.
If you complete two Honors courses without submitting an application you will lose your eligibility for admission. You should submit an application even if you do not meet the G.P.A. and/or English requirement; acceptance can be provisional or pending fulfillment of some specified condition.
Former Saddleback College President Richard McCullough wore his "Honorary" Honors Program Medal at the 2008 Commencement. Dr. McCullough, as a professor of Biology, was one of the faculty members who designed and guided the program in 1989. Over his Saddleback career he was also Dean of Math, Science, & Engineering and Vice President for Instruction.
Application Process
Application materials include an Application Form,a personal Statement of Purpose, two letters of recommendation, and all relevant grade records. Further information is provided along with the Applicant Information Sheet.
To be admitted to the Honors Program you must, in addition to having a favorably evaluated application, have a grade point average of at least 3.25 in your relevant coursework and be eligible to enroll in English 1A (Fundamentals of Composition).
For students with fewer than 12 college units completed, the high school GPA is used. For students with 12 or more college units completed, the college GPA is used, and the high school GPA need not be considered. If your current GPA is lower than 3.25, please describe any extenuating circumstances in your Statement of Purpose.
English 1A is the first transfer-level writing course at the college level. Determination of English 1A-eligibility is made by the Matriculation Office.
Good Standing
To remain in "good standing" in the Honors Program, which is required for priority admission, transfer alliance participation and other benefits, you must- maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.25;
- maintain an Honors course GPA of at least 3.20;
- consult every semester with an Honors counselor at the Transfer Center;
- make reasonable progress toward completing the Honors Program over the course of at least two semesters;
- make reasonable progress toward completing your academic goals, including preparation for transfer;
- participate in the area of community service, school service, or leadership activities, unless because of extenuating circumstances you are exempted from this requirement;
- keep your file, contact information, and portfolio of work in the Honors Program Office complete and up-to-date;
- and abide by the Student Code of Conduct, especially with respect to strict observance of all rules of academic honor and honesty.
Completion
To complete the Honors Program, you must be in good standing at time of completion, and have completed at least 15 units (normally five courses) in Honors classes, including at least one Honors English composition course (1A or 1B) and both Honors Humanities courses (10A and 10B).
We encourage you to complete English 1A and 1B as soon as possible. You may take both 1A and 1B as Honors courses. If your AP English scores exempt you from English 1A, then you must take English 1B as an Honors course. If you have completed English 1B or its equivalent on a non-Honors basis before your first Honors class at Saddleback, you must contact the Honors Program Office to petition for alternative coursework; this is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Humanities 10A and 10B need not be taken in order. It is possible, but not advised, to take both simultaneously. If you have not completed at least English 1A, you are strongly discouraged from attempting Humanities 10.
Humanities 10 is a cross-disciplinary, team-taught course. The content Humanities 10A and 10B offerings varies by the interests and expertise of the instructor team. This means that even in a single semester, different sections of the "same" course will be covering very different topics. In general, 10A will cover earlier periods than 10B, but you may wish to contact faculty beforehand to get further information on what their course will cover.
To participate in Honors Program transfer agreements, you must complete the Honors Program. However, completion is not sufficient for transfer certification. Each of our transfer partners has unique conditions for transfer. Students must work with an Honors counselor on a regular basis in order to remain in good standing, and should inquire as to specific details for transfer schools they are considering.
To be eligible for the transfer benefits of being in good standing as an Honors Program student, you must submit a completed application by September 30 of the year before you plan to transfer.
