Honors Studies

Honors is for Everyone

There is no application, no required GPA, and no tests involved in joining honors. With every class you take, you'll demonstrate your new skills and knowledge through projects and presentations. Participate in small classes where you'll learn through discussion and engage in self-reflection exercises that help you chart your growth as a student.

Members of Student Corporation sit around a table, making decisions about life at FLCC.

Enrolling in Honors Studies

When you're ready to explore your studies from a new perspective, you can add an honors course to your class schedule and participate in the events!

It's easy to earn the honors distinction without taking extra classes or risk falling behind in your area of study. Academic programs either offer honors courses that count toward your degree requirements or have faculty ready to help you set up a contract to earn honors points for essential courses.

Advantages of Becoming an Honors Studies Student

Honors students enjoy numerous benefits from their time in the program.

Explore your passion through a new lens — connect academic work to your personal experiences to enhance your education.
Earn an honors distinction at graduation — show employers and transfer colleges your commitment to self-improvement.
Join an established mentorship network — you'll have a dedicated honors advisor and librarian to guide and support your growth.
Build strong peer connections — the relationships you form through the honors program can last a lifetime.

Earning Honors Studies Points

FLCC uses a points system to track your progress in the honors program. You need to accumulate 15 honors points to earn an honors distinction at graduation. Earn points by taking honors courses, completing honors contracts, and participating in honors events.

Your honors experience can be as brief or extensive as you wish. Enroll in a single honors course and attend an event or two, as time and interest allows, or fill your schedule with several seminars, contracts, and events to earn honors points.

What Our Students Say

Honors courses offer a deep connection to real-life experiences and make the material easily relatable. The reflection writing helped me process what's going on in my mind and how that connects to the course content. It opened doors for me to experience life differently and to see how what I was learning affected how I live my life. Honors changed how I responded to things by creating a more positive mindset.

Alicia Nolan '22

Participate in Student-Led Discussions, Project-Based Learning, and Dynamic Groupwork

Browse our current honors courses while creating your class schedule to enroll in the program. You'll see a range of course options that fulfill a variety of academic requirements. With many interesting course topics, you're sure to find a class that piques your curiosity and dovetails with your area of study.

Many honors courses count toward general elective requirements for all programs. Take this opportunity to explore fascinating topics, such as Modern Horror, Women Who Kill, Literature and Film, Harry Potter, Presidential Greatness, and more. Other honors courses are discipline-specific and count toward requirements in your degree program in addition to earning you honors points.

Building these classes into your schedule gives you the chance to dive into topics of interest to you while engaging with a diverse student population. You'll have the opportunity to bring expertise from your area of study into the classroom while benefiting from the perspectives of others.

Note: A minimum of nine points must be earned through honors classes to earn an honors distinction at graduation. The remaining points can be earned through additional honors courses as well as honors contracts and events.
Complete an Honors Contract by Adding Reflection Exercises to a Traditional Class

Earn honors points without adding additional courses to your class schedule by taking advantage of the honors contract option. An honors contract is an agreement between you, a course instructor, and the Director of Honors Studies to add a set of reflection and writing exercises to a traditional, non-honors course. This provides an opportunity to not only learn the subject matter but also think about how you learn and consider why what you learn matters in your life.

To complete an honors contract, you'll document and reflect on your class experience in weekly journals. You'll write about your personal learning journey by considering three core questions: Where have I come from? Where am I now? and Where am I going?

You will also have at least one meeting with the Director of Honors Studies during your contract, providing additional mentorship and guidance during your college experience. Honors contracts earn points equal to the number of credits attributed to the course.

Note: To complete an honors contract, you must either be currently enrolled in your first honors studies course or have already completed one. This requirement ensures that you are familiar with the honors studies teaching and learning framework, including critical reflection exercises.
Earn Honors Points Without Overloading Your Course Schedule

Co-curricular activities provide many benefits for you, especially when designated as honors events. Honors events are approved by the Director of Honors Studies, signifying that a particular activity can broaden your perspective and help you grow as a student.

Attending an honors event and completing the associated reflection exercise is typically worth one honors point. To earn points for your event participation, you'll document and analyze your experience through a journal entry and reflective essay that connects the event to your life experiences and personal goals.

Note: To earn points from an honors event, you must either be currently enrolled in your first honors studies course or have already completed one. This requirement ensures that you are familiar with the honors studies teaching and learning framework, including critical reflection exercises.

Honors Scholarships and Awards

If you earn enough honors studies points, you'll open up scholarship and award opportunities. To be eligible for honors awards and scholarship, you must:

Be a part-time or full-time FLCC student
Complete at least six credits of honors studies coursework

Each year, FLCC awards a $1,000 scholarship to one honors studies student. Applicants must maintain a 3.25 GPA and write a 400 word essay that explores an exciting idea or recent life experience that spurred your imagination or challenged your intellect.
FLCC recognizes honors student achievements with three different awards each year:
- The Honors Studies Distinction Award is given to students who are selected to speak at the honors convocation.
- The Dr. Barbara A. Etzel Spirit Award is given to a student who has shown passion, dedication, and commitment to learning throughout the honors studies experience.
- The Honors Studies Student Leadership Award is given to a student whose honors studies work extends beyond the classroom and benefits the surrounding community.
All part-time and full-time FLCC students in any program of study are eligible to earn the honors studies scholar designation. Earning this special recognition prepares you for a successful college transfer and improves your career prospects upon graduation.

To earn the Honors Studies Scholar Distinction, you must:
- Earn 15 honors studies points. At least 9 honors studies points must be earned by completing honors courses. The remaining points can be earned through additional honors courses as well as honors contracts and events.
- Hold a 3.25 GPA at the time of graduation.