Why choose the Honors Program?

Students in the Honors Program benefit from more challenging classes, which help engage high performing students and prepare them to transfer to four-year programs. 

The Honors Program welcomes

  • Current NCC students with a Grade Point Average of 3.2 or higher
  • New applicants and Early College Students who enter the program with a higher level of competency (placement scores, test scores, transcript, faculty recommendation)

There is no extra cost to join the NCC Honors Program and you will gain:

  • Small class sizes in Honors courses (15 students or less)
  • Discussion-based, active learning approach with minimum lectures
  • Supportive intellectual environment of motivated students and dedicated faculty
  • Curriculum designed to enhance both critical and creative thinking
  • Honors Program achievement highlighted on NCC transcript & at graduation
  • Enhanced prospects for acceptance to next college or university
  • Alternative Honors courses for General Education course requirements in program
  • Less emphasis on more assignments; more opportunities to explore varied techniques

Complete an application form available from: Honors Program Coordinator, Stephanie Roper, Honors Program Office Gregg Hall 177 or [email protected] or from Admissions Office or Advising Center.

To graduate with the Honors Program Graduate designation on the NCC transcript, you must have:

  •  Applied and been accepted into the Honors Program
  • Successfully completed a minimum of 2 Honors courses earning a minimum grade of B- in each Honors course.
  • Achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20 in the degree program.
  • Submitted the required Honors Program Learning E-Portfolio accepted to the Honors Program Coordinator by the second Monday in April of their graduating year.
  • The Learning E-portfolio will include academic assignments and projects completed in the NCC Honors and NCC Degree program courses that demonstrate successful achievement of the Honors Program competencies.

To graduate with the designation of NCC Honors Program Scholar on their diploma and transcript, in addition to the above stipulations, you must have

  • Successfully completed one additional Honors course (3 total) with a grade of B- or above Or have included in their Learning E-Portfolio, with reflection on achieved learning, at least
  • One independent research project on a concept introduced in a course
  • One Capstone project completed in an NCC degree program
  • One Community Service project successfully completed and documented
  • One internship successfully completed and documented
  • Two cultural experiences (play, art exhibit, concert, lecture, film) documented

In completing 2 or more Honors courses, you will be able to:

  • Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing, with a rhetorical style, depth of analysis, and voice appropriate to the complexity of the intellectual discourse.
  • Demonstrate comprehension and critical evaluation skills of scholarly research and multiple genres of writing.
  • Logically apply knowledge for problem solving and toward the advancement of new interpretations and developed arguments within a variety of academic and professional contexts.
  • Demonstrate a facility with contemporary information technology and the essential skills required by various academic and professional communities
As a member of the NCC Honors Program you may elect the following Honors Seminars as part of your General Education Course Requirements in Your Academic Program:

Former NCC Honors
Program Students’
Feedback:

“Personally, I loved the NCC Honors Program. It prepares the students for a 4-year university experience. The added rigor of the NCC Honors Program was especially important for my learning experience as I believe that the added challenge actually made my 4-year university seem easy in comparison.”

“It was an incredible educational experience to be a part of NCC's Honors Program. I felt I received the mentorship I needed, classes that challenged me and were at my level. The opportunity for classes on unique and important topics and being a part of the NCC Honors Program helped when applying to my 4-year university.”

“If it weren't for the skills which I learned during my time spent in the NCC Honors Program, I genuinely think my transition into a four-year college would have been much less positive. The years I spent as a student at NCC, and especially as a member of the Honors Program, were some of the best years of my education.”

NCC Honors Program Graduates have transitioned as juniors at:

  • Columbia University
  • Worcester Polytechnical Institute
  • Boston University
  • UMass Lowell Honors College
  • Northeastern University
  • Regis College
  • Emmanuel College
  • University of Tampa
  • American University
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Gordon College
  • St. Anselm
  • Rivier University
  • University of New Hampshire SNHU
  • Plymouth State University
  • Granite State University
  • Mary Mount College

Research on the human brain has shown we all learn at different rates and in different ways. If you never have taken an Honors course before, don’t allow your past to determine your future. Accept this invitation toward actively exploring your full potential!