HONORS PROGRAM AND HONORS COURSES
The Honors Transfer Program at Santa Ana College welcomes students who want to challenge themselves and offers honors sections of transferable general education courses, combined “stacked” classes, and contracts. The honors experience is characterized by close interaction with Honors Transfer Program faculty, small class size, and special projects and activities. The major benefits for members of the program include:
Honors transfer agreements with several four-year institutions that offer minimally “priority consideration for admission,” and in some instances guaranteed admission with additional GPA requirements. These Honors Transfer Program institutions include, among others: California State University Fullerton, Chapman University, Concordia University, Gonzaga University, La Sierra University, Mills College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Occidental College, Tufts University, UCI, UCLA, and Whittier College. Changes are noted on the honorstransfercouncil.org website.
Recognition of program completion on the Santa Ana College or the Santiago Canyon College transcript and diploma.
Designation as a President’s Scholar (for those students who qualify).
Recommendation by the Coordinator or Counselor of the Honors Program.
Library privileges at some of the transfer institutions.
Access to a counselor specializing in honors transfer requirements.
NOTE: No association/affiliation with outside honor societies will be posted to the academic transcript or diploma. Any student wishing to become a member of the Honors Transfer Program must submit a completed application packet (available online at the SAC website). The following are considered minimum for acceptance into the program:
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (in 6 transferable units for students already in college) or a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 for entering freshmen.
Two academic references to be listed on the application. The philosophy of honors studies at Santa Ana College is that honors courses are not more work than non-honors courses. Instead, honors courses are enriched and creative. Students may take honors courses without being in the Honors Transfer Program, as long as they meet the following guidelines:
Students have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, and
Students meet the prerequisites of an honors course as stated in the schedule of classes.
All honors courses taught at either college within the Rancho Santiago Community College District are to be taken for a letter grade only, not P/NP.
Note: For the purposes of articulation, course repeatability, and academic renewal, honors courses are equated with their non-honors counterparts. For example, English 101 and English 101H are equated courses, so if a student received a passing grade of “C” or better, they cannot take English 101H just to get “H” credit. Likewise, if a student received a non-passing grade in English 101H, they could take English 101 and, if the student receives a passing grade in that course, petition to have the English 101H non-satisfactory grade replaced through academic renewal with course repetition.
Honors Transfer Program members who are enrolled in the HTP and who have gone through an Honors Orientation may also earn up to twelve units and no more than three contracts through honors project contracts. Contracts will earn honors credit only when both the work for the contract and the regular coursework in the UC-transferable course tied to the contract have been completed and have earned an average grade of “B” or better. Contracts require the approval of the instructor of record for the course, the area division dean, and the HTP Coordinator. In the case of the STEM Honors Contract Addendum, more documentation will be required depending upon the activities involved. More information is available at the offices of the HTP and MESA Coordinators. Contract forms are available at the HTP
Coordinator’s office. For more information, contact the Honors Transfer Program Coordinator, Christina Axtell (axtell_christina@sac.edu) at Santa Ana College.
