Academic Opportunities
"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." -- Aristotle
Admission to the Honors College
Membership in the Honors College is by invitation. Students automatically qualify with high scores on the SAT (1100 overall and 550 verbal), ACT (a score of 21 on the Reading and/or English portion), or FCC placement exams (Honors level reading and college level writing). Applicants with strong academic records or faculty recommendations may also qualify.
Contact the Counseling Department at 301-846-2471 or the Honors Coordinator at 301-846-2535 to determine eligibility.
Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA. Honors students in good standing have their own study lounge with access to a computer/printer and can enroll in Honors classes. Poor academic performance can forfeit these privileges.
Honors Courses
In Honors courses students are active learners. All classes have the same core learning outcomes as regular courses, but they are capped at 15 students. Most use a seminar format in which students read material and drive the class discussion. Writing assignments, class activities, co-curricular events, and research projects challenge students to engage the topic of study in a meaningful way.
Every semester, the Honors College at FCC schedules a variety of general education and elective courses.
You will notice that some courses are linked. These courses focus on the relationship between two subjects. FCC traditionally offers a combined English Composition and Speech Fundamentals course as well as an American Literature and U.S. History course. Other linked courses are offered periodically.
Be sure to also check out ID 200H (Honors Seminar: Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies). This general education course is designed specifically for Honors students and other qualified students with permission of instructor. Topics vary from year to year but always focus on issues of importance in today's world. Students synthesize work from at least two different academic content areas, which enhances their ability to think critically and draw conclusions based on multiple points of view.
Co-Curricular Activities
Co-curricular learning activities are another special feature of the Honors College at FCC. Each year the Honors Advisory Board selects a theme for the upcoming academic year. Honors faculty integrate the theme and co-curricular activities (e.g., speakers, field trips) into their courses as appropriate. This allows students to explore a topic across multiple disciplines and enhance their learning.
Honors Independent Study
Honors Independent Study (HIS) is a wonderful opportunity to explore a topic of interest. If, for example, you took a class in ecology and are considering it as a major, then you can do an HIS project on this topic, giving you hands-on experience to see if you like working in the field before ever declaring it as a major!
Steps:
1. Meet with a faculty mentor to discuss project ideas. Together you can design a project that includes primary research, and a written analysis with appropriate documentation. Film documentaries and artistic projects are also encouraged.
2. Complete the HIS Application and meet with the Honors Coordinator. Approval and signatures of both the Honors Coordinator and faculty mentor are required.
3. Register for your HIS project (IS 9XXH – 3 credit hours) and Honors Forum (IS 912H – 1 credit hour). In the Honors Forum students learn how to present a 10-12 minute executive summary of their projects. This is done at the end of the semester to the campus community.
HIS projects provide a unique learning experience and give you a competitive edge when applying for admission to four-year colleges as well as scholarships.
Presenting at Honors Conferences
Students who excel with their class papers and HIS projects are encouraged to apply to present at honors conferences.
The Honors College at FCC is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) as well as the Northeast Regional Honors Council (NRHC) and the Maryland State Honors Council (MSHC). We also participate in the Beacon Conference, which is an annual conference for community college students, and Phi Theta Kappa conferences.
Recent presenters include:
2007 MCHC – Kevin Brosius
2007 NRHC – Iman Azur & Shannon Showe
2008 MCHC – Alexandra Cobb, Sarah Dirndorfer, Laura Dochtermann, Jami Grey, & Anthony Ruopoli
2009 MCHC – Marley Pegler & Sara Atwood
2009 NRHC– 8 students attended the conference and participated in City As Text explorations of Annapolis, MD. The theme was Embracing Contradictions. You can view pictures on the Fcc Honors facebook page.
2009 Phi Theta Kappa national conference –Gabriela Holdcroft & Nicole Janney
Graduating from the Honors College
Students who complete 12 honors credits with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher are eligible to graduate from the Honors College. Graduates receive a notation on their transcripts recognizing this achievement. Further, at the graduation ceremony they wear an Honors College medallion and stand to be recognized. The transcript notation and color of the medallion are based on the student’s grade point average at the time of graduation:
| GPA | Transcript Notation |
Medallion |
3.0-3.49 |
Honors College |
Bronze |
3.5-3.749 |
Honors College – Honors |
Silver |
3.75-4.0 |
Honors College – High Honors |
Gold |