Honors Program
What is the Honors Program
at Columbia College?
The Columbia College Honors program is an elite
program allowing students to respond to the
significant challenges confronting the next
generation of scholars, via multidisciplinary and
collaborative coursework.
The honors courses both within the General
Education curriculum and beyond it are
consistent with students' academic abilities,
preparation and goals. The courses resonate with
any academic major or minor and provide
opportunities for students to discover their
intellectual curiosities, to engage in community
service, to develop critical thinking skills and to
excel in oral and written expression.
Why join the Honors Program?
In addition to the inherent academic benefits that
arise from taking classes with high-performing peers,
members of the Honors Program also enjoy a number
of additional benefits.
- You will be able to register for classes before other
students, allowing you the pick of the class schedules
in each semester.
- You will have the opportunity to live with other
Honors Program students in a section of the
residence halls designated as an Honors Program
Living Learning Community.
- You will also be able to take an unlimited number of
credit hours each semester without incurring a
course overload fee. In addition to potentially saving
you money, this could also allow you to complete
your degree more quickly.
- If you plan to participate in a Study Abroad program,
any academic credit earned will count toward the
required hours for maintenance of your Columbia
College scholarships.
- Automatic membership in the Honors Student Association (HSA), a student club. HSA is an official partner with the Schiffman Ethics in Society Lecture Series, the college's most prestigious public event.
What do current Honors students enjoy about the program?
"I like the opportunity to do different things in class. We are making a documentary in history class rather than it being lecture based."
"Being able to go over 18 credit hours so I can take classes that interest me as well as the ones I need."
"Creating relationships with others who value their education as much as I do."
"I love the student-led nature of it."
"Working with equally ambitious people."
Are you Honors
Program material?
The Honors Program is designed for
high-achieving students who approach the
liberal arts and sciences with excitement
and an appetite for engagement. Honors
students will conduct genuine inquiry and
collaborative learning, often across disciplines,
and will engage their worlds meaningfully.
Criteria for admission
To be considered for admission to the
Columbia College Honors Program, you
must meet the following criteria:
Freshmen students
- 3.6 high school GPA
- 26 ACT or 1200 SAT or 2800 GED
Transfer students
- 30 transferrable credit hours with a 3.6 GPA
How to apply to the Honors
Program
- Complete the application for admission
- Send your official high school transcripts,
college transcripts (if applicable) and ACT
or SAT scores to the Office of the Registrar
at 1001 Rogers St., Columbia, MO 65216.
- Once admitted to Columbia College, you
will be sent an application for admission to
the Honors Program. It will ask you to write a short essay and, on receipt of your essay, we will notify you about your admission to the program within ten days.
Questions?
For more information about the Honors Program at
Columbia College, please contact the admissions
office using the information listed below.
Office of Admissions
1001 Rogers St.
Columbia, MO 65216
Phone: (573) 875-7352
Email: admissions@ccis.edu
Honors Program Coursework
To graduate with honors, you must complete at least
18 academic hours in the Honors Program. A one
semester hour community service project for Honors
310 must be completed prior to graduation.
Required coursework: 6 semester hours
- COLL 133H: General Education Foundations Seminar 3 hours
- HNRS 310: Honors Service 1 hour
- PHIL 330H: Ethics (special section for Honors students) 3 hours
Elective coursework: 12 semester hours
- Honors General Education: 0-6 hours
- HNRS 340 Schiffman Lecture 3 hours
- Honors Topics: 0-6 hours
- Study Abroad: 1-3 hours
- Guided Research, including Bachelor's with Distinction: 3-6 hours
Bachelor’s degree with Distinction
If you choose to pursue a Bachelor’s degree with Distinction, you can receive academic credit for successful completion of your Distinction project.