Join the CCAC Honors Program
Honors at CCAC provides an academically challenging and enriching learning experience for highly motivated, academically prepared and intellectually curious students. The program attempts to nurture the development of global citizens through the following practices:
- Collaborative, active learning
- Independent investigation
- Cultural enrichment and sensitivity
- Creative and critical thought
- Leadership development
- Service to others
Rather than doing "more work," students in Honors engage in academic enrichments that provide depth and breadth of understanding and application of knowledge. An Honors education fosters excellence, encouraging students to provide direction to their own learning. Honors courses and Honors contract projects undertaken with mentoring faculty provide enriched, personal learning experiences.
″Honors at CCAC made a significant and lasting difference in my education. By starting off my college education with CCAC honors, my leadership abilities, team building skills, and commitment to excellence truly allowed me to excel. I view CCAC Honors as the thing that gave me the drive to pursue my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.″
Eligibility Requirements
Students who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply to the CCAC Honors Program:
- Current CCAC and postsecondary transfer students with six credits of college-level courses, eligibility for ENG 101 and MAT 090, and a minimum 3.25 GPA.
- High school graduates with a high school GPA of 3.25 or greater and eligibility for ENG 101 and MAT 090.
- Must attach a copy of high school transcripts with completed application.
- Students must be enrolled in an associate degree program, either full time or part time. Students in certificate programs are not eligible.
- Students must be 18 years of age or older to be accepted into the Honors Program.
Eligible? Fill out the Honors Program application!
Honors Study Abroad Program
Honors Program students can earn Honors credits while participating in study abroad. Every other January, CCAC Honors offers an 11-day study abroad experience in India. Three Honors courses prepare students for the excursion abroad: Comparative Cultures & Politics of India and United States; Honoring the Community through Service; and Art, Architecture and Material Artifacts. Apart from appreciating the art and architecture of various historical sites and monuments, students engage in close interactions with local people through service with local NGOs, and partake in religious ceremonies and local celebrations.
Give Honors a Try
The Give Honors a Try program allows non-Honors students who meet certain criteria to take Honors courses and participate in a variety of opportunities for academic and personal enrichment.
Honors courses are open to CCAC students currently not in the Honors Program if they meet the following criteria:
- CCAC institutional GPA of 3.0 or better
- Eligible for or have taken ENG 101 & MAT 090
- 18 years of age or older
- Enrolled in a degree-seeking program
Honors at CCAC—Grow Academically
The Honors Program offers engaging and unique courses for Honors students, including both face-to-face and hybrid offerings. Honors courses typically include unique enrichment experiences. Some examples include an overnight trip to the Gettysburg or Antietam battlefields, Fallingwater, Heinz History Center, Andy Warhol Museum, Stephen Foster Memorial, Meadowcroft Village, performances, lectures, outside speakers, etc.
Honors students can also earn Honors credit by working with their Honors Campus Coordinators in selecting one of their non-Honors courses in which to complete an Honors enrichment or Honors contract. Students will create contracts by collaborating with their professors in the creation of Honors projects that spark students' interests and provide academic enrichment and challenge to existing courses. With the approval of Honors Council, professors and students complete Honors contracts, which detail the specifications and scope of Honors projects. After successfully fulfilling the Honors contract, students earn Honors designation and Honors credit(s) for the courses. Selected students are invited to present their Honors contract projects at the Northeast Regional Honors Council Annual Conference and/or the annual Honors Forum.
Honors Leadership Seminar
Honors Services & Activities
Outside of the classroom, the Honors Program provides cultural and educational enrichment. Honors students have traveled to India with Comparative Cultures & Politics of India and United States; Gettysburg with U.S. History I; and Philadelphia, Annapolis and Portland with the NRHC conference. They have toured the Heinz History Center, Fallingwater, the Andy Warhol Museum and PNC Park. They have attended performances of the Pittsburgh Opera, the Pittsburgh Broadway Series at the Benedum Center, and the Literary Evening Lecture Series at Carnegie Music Hall.
Each year, Honors engages in service to the college and community. Featured service projects include the Homeless Children's Fund, CCAC Student Emergency GAP Fund, voter registration, Pink Feet Race for the Cure, and Out of the Darkness: American Suicide Prevention Fund.
Read more about Honors Program activities and service in the Word of Honor newsletter.
Why Honors?
- Build an academic resume for transfer and scholarships
- Enrich your academics with increased opportunity: field trips, local & international travel
- Develop your leadership potential through the Honors Leadership seminar
- Collaborate with faculty on self-directed, independent learning projects
- Opportunity to attend cultural and social activities with Honors colleagues
- Opportunity to attend regional and national Honors conferences and to present Honors research
- Honors designation on transcript and Honors cords and medallion at graduation (if earned)
- Honors Program and degree recognition in commencement program
- Honors Hubs on each campus for student study and socializing
- Priority registration for Honors students
Contact the Honors Program