Honors Program

The Merced College Honors Program is designed to provide an enriched educational environment to inspire and enable students to achieve their maximum potential.  While one goal of the program is to better prepare students for the academic demands of a four-year college or university, enrollment in honors classes and seminars is not limited to students who plan to transfer.  Any incoming or continuing student who meets the minimum qualifications can enroll in honors classes, and students who do not meet the minimum qualifications can enroll by completing the challenge process.

Instructors in the Honors Program are dedicated to academic excellence, but they are also aware that genuine education is linked to creative expression and personal growth.  They are firmly committed to providing an educational environment in which such expression and growth can be nurtured.

Benefits of the Honors Program

The Honors Program at Merced College offers these benefits:

• Honors sections of several general education honors courses
• Interdisciplinary seminars that are accepted as elective credit by both CSU’s and UC’s
• Smaller classes that provide the opportunity for more individualized instruction and more stimulating discussion
• Honors recognition on transcripts to underscore achievement
• Special academic advising
• Opportunities to attend a variety of seminars, cultural events, and conferences
• Eligibility to apply for McConnell Honors Scholarships

Qualifications

Any new student with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5, or any continuing student with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25, may enroll in any open Honors Program class for which they have met the necessary pre-requisites.  Students who do not meet the above qualifications may be allowed to enroll in an honors class by successfully completing the challenge process.  To begin the challenge process, please contact Dr. Max Hallman, Honors Program Coordinator, at (209) 384-6327 or at hallman.m@mccd.edu.

Enrollment Information

Honors classes have a restriction on enrollment and cannot be added through the online enrollment process.  Permission to add must be obtained in one of the following ways:

1. Getting the signature of a counselor, the instructor of the class, or the Honors Program Coordinator on a Schedule Request Form.  The signed form must then be submitted to the Registration Desk in the Lesher Building.
2. E-mailing the Honors Program Coordinator and providing your student ID number (if known), as well as  the name of the class or classes in which you wish to enroll.  If seats are available, the Honors Program Coordinator will send an e-mail to the Admissions Office granting permission to enroll.  The Admissions Office will then contact you about how to complete the process.