Greenville Technical College Honors Program

IS HONORS RIGHT FOR YOU?

If you are highly motivated, you’ll have the opportunity to take on a rewarding learning experience.

In small classes, you’ll interact more closely with faculty and a community of learners who welcome the level of challenge that you have sought.
You will participate in a program which goes beyond career training, which challenges your critical thinking and considers the whole person as a member of the community.
Honors students continually test their intellectual limits, working creatively and seriously to reach their highest potentials as scholars and leaders. These students demonstrate initiative and experience a depth of study beyond the conventional expectations of the traditional classroom as they engage in a learning process that encourages participation, creativity, and imagination.

If you meet the requirements, you’ll be able to graduate with honors, a designation that will be noted on your transcript and diploma.

BENEFITS

Enhanced educational opportunities within the two-year college experience
Qualify for the "Margaret Rice Endowed Scholarship" - only available to current Honors Program Students. Available through the General GTC Scholarship Application portal.
Small, challenging, seminar-based courses taught by Honors faculty
Opportunities to present scholarly work in professional academic settings
Better transfer reception by other institutions
Honors course notation on transcripts
Competitive edge in scholarship applications at other institutions
Community-based service learning opportunities
Cultural engagement opportunities
Leadership development opportunities
Additional extracurricular opportunities
Comprehensive academic advising and mentoring
Letters of recommendation by Honors Program director
Recognition of Honors Program completion at commencement ceremony

CLASSES

Honors classes are modeled after graduate seminars. They are small, allowing maximum interaction between students and instructors. Lecturing is minimal. Instead, students are expected to be well prepared for class to encourage a highly participatory process.

SERVICE AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT

The intended outcome of the Honors Program is not only to develop students academically but to also enrich students' understanding and appreciation of a diverse local community via service learning and cultural engagement activities. Thus, the service and cultural engagement requirements of the program help to foster students' commitment to the betterment of their community and are equally as important as the classroom component of the Honors Program.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The Honors Program is currently open to all students seeking Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees and most Associate in Applied Science degrees including nursing, visual and performing arts, and engineering transfer students. Please contact the Honors office for a full list of programs. If your degree is not part of the Honors Program, you may be able to take honors courses with special permission.

Greenville Technical College students and students transferring to GTC from other colleges are eligible to apply for acceptance into the Honors Program if they have a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher and at least nine transferable credit hours.
High school students entering Greenville Technical College should have an unweighted high school GPA of at least 3.5 or a score of 1150 or above on the SAT or 26 on the ACT.

Apply for the Honors Program »

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

To complete the Honors Program and graduate with the Honors designation, students must

Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
Take the required number of Honors courses/credits.
Complete required number of community service hours each semester.
Attend at least one cultural engagement event per semester.

MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING

Our program has developed a variety of Honors-to-Honors pathways for students who are interested in continuing Honors level work at four-year institutions after they have successfully completed the Honors Program at GTC.

Our program currently has formal agreements with

USC Upstate
Converse College
Lander University
Coker College
Coastal Carolina

We also have working relationships with many other transfer institutions including

Furman University
University of South Carolina
Clemson University
Winthrop University
Limestone College
Southern Wesleyan University
East Tennessee State University

For more information about these pathways, please contact the Honors Program office.

GOVERNANCE AND ACCREDITATION

Governance

The Honors Program is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council and its affiliate the Southern Regional Honors Council, follows the guidelines established by the NCHC, and has continually received favorable external reviews by that organization. The Honors Program director serves as a member on two national committees: the NCHC Two-year College Committee and the NCHC Research Committee.

The Honors Program Advisory Council meets biannually to help guide the program's pursuit of its organizational mission.

Accreditation

Greenville Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Greenville Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

PROGRAM COURSES AND DETAILS

Honors courses are currently offered on the Barton Campus in the Fall and Spring Semesters with selective Summer Semester offerings. Every attempt is made to offer enough course selections for new and continuing students. Honors course offerings change each semester; the courses listed below are subject to change as necessary. For a current list, please go to our course schedules page and select Honors Courses.

Typical Honors Semester Course Offerings

The following Honors courses are typically offered during Fall semesters: