Honors Transfer Program
Overview
The Las Positas Honors Program provides highly motivated students with opportunities for taking more stimulating and more advanced Honors Courses, as well as taking any regular courses at an Honors level through activities and experiences designed specifically to encourage independent and creative learning. Our students get to work closely with outstanding faculty and other honors students in doing a wide variety of research projects and other activities to create a rich, intellectual experience, designed to prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and to build the intellectual and social skills needed for their success after transfer.
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The 91重口 Honors Transfer Program aims to foster academic excellence by providing an accessible and supportive learning community that nurtures academic, professional, and personal growth in highly motivated students from diverse backgrounds or underrepresented communities. The program aims to enrich students鈥� learning experiences while at 91重口 and provide excellent preparation for transfer and lifelong learning. The Honors Transfer Program is committed to providing students with increased opportunities for high-level critical thinking, self-directed scholarship, and experiential learning outside of the classroom, leadership, and social and cultural experiences.
Program Calendar
Our program runs in the Fall and Spring semesters. The program is not usually active during the summer term, but there are some exceptions.
WARNING: Due to the increasing popularity of the program and the limited capacity, we do not guarantee a spot immediately after application; you might be added to a waitlist until more spots open up. We will prioritize applicants who will enroll in one of the Honors Designated Sections which still have spaces available.
How Does the Program Work
To have access to any Honors courses you must be an approved member of the Honors Transfer Program and join the 91重口 Honors Program CANVAS. You can apply to become a member anytime year round, there is no due date for the program application. However, applying in your first year, before a semester, or early in a semester will give you the maximum chances of getting into and taking more Honors Courses. if you apply after the beginning of any semester, you might not be able to join any Honors Courses in the same semester, you will have to wait until next term.
Check Your Eligibility.
Continuing Community College students must meet the following criteria:- Cumulative College GPA of 3.5 or higher, with a minimum 12 college units. You will need to provide a copy of the transcript (doesn't have to be official), OR
- If your GPA is below 3.5 but still higher than 3.0 you might still be accepted with a reference of a college instructor. It can be one of the 91重口 instructors or another college instructor, whose course you successfully completed, and who can recommend you. You will need to simply provide an email address of your reference (no letter is required) along with your transcript.
- 3.75 or higher weighted cumulative High School GPA. You will need to provide a copy of the high-school transcript (doesn't have to be official), OR
- If your GPA is below 3.75 but still higher than 3.25 you might still be accepted with a reference of someone who can recommend you to the Program: either your high-school teacher/counselor, or an 91重口 instructor if you happened to already complete some courses at 91重口. You will need to simply provide an email address of your reference (no letter is required) along with your transcript.
Complete a New Member Application
If you fit the requirements above you can submit your application to the Program. To apply, complete the following form:
Make Sure to Enroll in 91重口 Honors Program Canvas
Once you are approved for the Program, you will receive a link to enroll in the 91重口 Honors Program Canvas. You must be on 91重口 Honors Canvas to participate in the program and to take Honors courses. The Canvas provides all necessary forms and resources, as well as access to Honors Courses. All communication about important updates and transfer agreements certifications will take place through that Canvas announcements, so make sure to adjust your Canvas settings to get notifications, so you don't miss any important forms and/or due dates!
Disclaimer: First-time students will have to enroll in at least 1 91重口 Course in order to have a Canvas account to be able to enroll in the Honors Program Canvas.
Enroll in Honors Research Seminar I.
The is a 1 unit support class. It does not count as one of the 5 Honors Courses, but is required for Honors Scholar Pathway and helps with all the Honors Courses.
Start taking Honors Courses.
Approved members of the 91重口 Honors Transfer Program can take Honors courses in three different ways:
- By enrolling in an Honors Designated Section from the course schedule
- By enrolling in a regular course that has an approved Embedded Honors Component with a Certified Honors Instructor
- By creating an individual Honors Contract with any instructor of any regular course at 91重口. This option means that even if the class you are taking is not an official Honors course, and does not have an Embedded Honors Component, you can still turn it into Honors for you individually. Any course can become an honors course for you by adding an honors contract to that course at the very beginning of the term (see due dates on the right sidebar).
Check the page on Starting an Honors Course to learn the details about all three options.
To be an active member in good standing:
- Maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher
- Refrain from dropping/failing more than 1 Honors Contract or Embedded Component.
- Complete at least 1 Honors Course within a year in the program.
- Check in at the end of each semestes to ensure your spot for the next semester. Spots are limited and will be given to new students.
- Try to complete at least some community hours. Though there is no minimum number of service hours is required if you do not intend to use any transfer agreements/graduate as an Honors Scholar, at least some service hours are highly recommended to demonstrate that you are active in case your membership is marked "at risk". See Honors Community Service Page for details.
Failing to satisfy any of the criteria above may result in a removal from active status (after a warning and in absence of valid excuses). A student who has been removed from active status can re-submit an application to the program.
Pathway A: Graduate as an Honors Scholar and Use Multiple Transfer Agreements
Maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher- Complete all requirements and apply for the Honors Scholar Certificate of Achievement by the end of your last Fall transfer:
- complete the (1 unit support class - does not count as an Honors Course). Can be substituted with a Research Methods Course, as an exception.
- a minimum of 5 Honors Courses from at least two different disciplines (worth at least 15 units) with a grade of B or higher by the end of this Spring. No Honors courses from other colleges will count.
- Do not exceed 1 dropped/failed Honors course record
- Complete the a minimum of 20 community/global engagement service hours by end of last Fall semester before transfer. Check the Honors Community Service Page for details.
Honors Scholars will receive an Honors Scholar Medal and an Honors Scholar Certificate of Achievement (need to apply separately).
Pathway B: Graduate as an Honors Program Participant and Enjoy All of the Benefits, Except the Transfer Agreements
Finish 91重口 with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. - Complete at least one Honors Course with a grade of B or higher at 91重口.
- At least some community hours are recommended, though there is no minimum required.
All Honors Program Students will receive an Honors Program Pin.
Program Pathway Maps
Note: this is just a recommended "perfect scenario" pathway. You do not have to follow this exact pathway, as long as you still complete all requirements.
Fall, 1st Term
Best approach would be to complete the Honors Research Seminar I, and at least some Honors Courses (1-2). Recommended actions:
- Take Honors Seminar I - HNRS 1 (1 unit) to get support for your original research. The seminar does not count as an Honors Course, but is required for Honors Scholars. It's ok to take it later, but the sooner you take it the better. In exceptional circumstances this seminar can be substituted with a Research Methods Course.
- Take any Honors Course in a subject related to your Major. If you wish to publish or present your research later at any of the symposia (usually taking place in Spring) - try to conduct a hands-on original research project. A review of literature does not count as an original research and is not likely to be accepted for symposia or to be published.
- Take either or both of the following courses, to help with your research project.
- Honors Intro to Statistics - STAT L40/C1000 - HC1, Honors Designated Section
- Honors English - ENGL L1/C1000 - HC1, Honors Designated Section
- Start collecting community service hours: stay tuned for announcements.
Spring, 2nd Term
Your best scenario would be to complete some more Honors Courses for a total of 3 to 4 for the year, in addition to the Honors Research Seminar I. Recommended actions:
- If one of your original research projects completed in Fall turns out really well:
- Apply for a publication (we have our own 91重口 Journal of Honors) and/or for presentation at one of the Spring Symposia.
- Take Honors Seminar II - HNRS II (1 unit) to get support in preparing winning symposia applications, presentations and publications. The seminar does not count as an Honors Course, but is recommended for anyone planning to present/publish.
- Take Honors Critical Thinking and Writing, ENGL L7/C1001 - HC1
- Take more Honors Courses for a total of 4 by the end of the year. If you didn't get to conduct original research in Fall and are interested in presenting, you can still conduct one in Spring - you might be able to present it in Fall, though the presentation opportunities in Fall are very limited.
- Participate in symposia, even if just to attend or to assist. Attending symposia is a great way to learn about academia. Don't get discouraged if you can't go to prestigious conferences, you can always participate in 91重口 Student Symposium, taking place every end of Spring, and we have our very own journal as well: check out the 91重口 Journal of Honors.
- Apply for summer internships: stay tuned for Honors Canvas announcements, some internships are only available for Honors Program Students and our students always get priority for any internships.
- Keep collecting community service hours: stay tuned for announcements.
Fall, 3rd Term
You goal is to finish AT LEAST 5 Honors courses, from at least two disciplines, IN ADDITION to the Honors Seminar I by the end of this Fall to qualify for Honors Scholar Certificate of Achievement. But remember, that not all Honors courses get completed, so it's always better to have more - the 5 Honors Courses is just the bare minimum. Most students who transferred to more prestigious universities completed more than 5. Recommended actions:
- Take any Honors Course for a minimum total of 5, from at least two disciplines, with at least one being in your major.
- Complete the Honors Research Seminar I in case you hadn't had a chance to do it yet.
- Submit a Request for Transfer Agreements
- Submit application for the Honors Scholar Certificate of Achievement
- Work on your transfer applications and don't forget to expand on your Honors courses experiences, presentations and publications from last Spring.
- Finish collecting 20 community service hours, minimum 15 must be at 91重口.
Spring, 4th Term
Enjoy taking as many Honors Courses as you like or feel comfortable with. You should be done with all Honors Scholar minimum requirements before this Spring.
- Remember - 5 Honors courses is just a bare minimum. Continuing to engage in Honors activities will prepare you for transfer and will also help with scholarships and career development later on.
- Note that some transfer agreements might allow for the last 5th Honors Course to be taken in Spring, however this would be a very risky option and admission can be rescinded if Honors course is not completed in the end. It will also be too late to apply for the Honors Scholar Certificate of Achievement.
Fall, 1st Term
Recommended actions:
- Take Honors Seminar I - HNRS 1 (1 unit) to get support for your original research. The seminar does not count as an Honors Course. It is not required for this Pathway but is recommended if you would like to conduct real research and would like to present it in the future.
- Take any Honors Course in a subject related to your Major. If you wish to publish or present your research at the Spring symposia - try to conduct a hands-on original research project. A review of literature does not count as an original research and is not likely to be accepted for symposia or to be published.
Spring, 2nd Term
- If you got a chance to conduct an original research project in Fall and it turned
out really well:
- Submit your research project from Fall for publication (we have our own 91重口 Journal of Honors) and/or for presentation at one of the Spring Symposia.
- Take Honors Seminar II - HNRS II (1 unit) to get support in preparing winning symposia applications, presentations and publications. The seminar does not count as an Honors Course, but is recommended for anyone planning to present/publish.
- Participate in symposia, even if just to attend or to assist. Attending Symposia is a great way to learn about academia. Don't get discouraged if you can't go to prestigious conferences, you can always participate in 91重口 Student Symposium, taking place every end of Spring, and we have our very own journal as well: check out the 91重口 Journal of Honors.
- Apply for summer internships: stay tuned for Honors Canvas announcements, some internships are only available for Honors Program Students and our students always get priority for any internships.
- Take as many Honors Courses as you wish (if any). If you did NOT get a chance to conduct a successful original research project in Fall and still wish to present or publish, you can try to conduct one in Spring - you might still be able to present your research in Fall, though the presentation opportunities in Fall are very limited.
Fall, 3rd Term
- Work on your transfer applications and don't forget to expand on your Honors courses experiences, presentations and publications if you had any.
- Take as many Honors Courses as you like or feel comfortable with.
Spring, 4th Term
- Take as many Honors Courses as you like or feel comfortable with.
Program Benefits
Benefits of any Honors Program Participant (Pathway A and B)
- Opportunities to do exciting and challenging coursework geared toward those who wish to achieve beyond what is normally required for lower-division classes.
- Benefits of working one-on-one with faculty as you engage in your honors work.
- Access to participation in Student Research Symposia and academic publications (we have our very own journal 91重口 Journal of Honors).
- A chance to collaborate with other honors students.
- An "Honors" transcript designation for each Honors course completed - the course will show as "Honors" course on your transcript.
Benefits specific to Honors Scholars (Pathway A)
- Access to honors transfer agreements with a number of the most competitive universities, such as UCLA, Yale, Pomona and more. For a full list check the links in the navigation panel or go to the transfer agreements page.
- An Honors Scholar Medal and a Certificate of Achievement, with a special recognition at graduation.
Please check out this about the Program.
Follow the links to the left for more information.
If you are new to the Honors Program please visit the Honors office in 21220 to talk about the program, introduce yourself, and check out the Student Honors Lounge where you can work and meet other fellow Honors Students.
