The Honors Edge curriculum offers special honors courses to provide students with a strong grounding in primary texts and critical thinking. The credits required to earn an Honors diploma vary with the type of degree you intend to receive.

For an A.A. degree, you need 18 honors credits in a minimum of three different disciplines.

For an A.S. degree, you need 15 honors credits in a minimum of two disciplines.

For an A.A.S. degree, you need 12 honors credits in a minimum of two disciplines.

The Honors Edge program offers mentoring and help in transferring. Students will work closely with the RCTC Honors faculty who will serve as academic mentors, often with the help of a faculty member in the major field. In addition, to help take the mystique out of the transfer process, Honors Program students will be able to participate in "Bridging the Transfer Gap," a workshop designed specifically to address the transfer needs of highly motivated Honors Edge students. For more information on Bridging the Transfer Gap, contact Robert Sanborn at:

Robert.Sanborn @roch.edu or 529-6135

The RCTC Honors Edge offers camaraderie and activities meant to stimulate the intellect. Students will have the opportunity to attend state, regional, and national Honors Program conferences, the opportunity to work with GATE (gifted and talented) children in Rochester Public Schools, and to coordinate and/or attend special UCR activities such as the "Philosophy and Film" series, the "Poverty and Children" trio of panel discussion, or the F. Scott Fitzgerald birthday celebration -- all of which have been developed by students in the Honors Edge program. For more information on Honors Student Activities, contact Robert Sanborn at Robert.Sanborn @roch.edu or 529-6135.

Students with a 3.5 can also apply for membership in Phi Theta Kappa, an international two-year college academic honor society which provides educational and cultural programs as well as scholarships. For more information about Phi Theta Kappa you can visit our website link at: http://www.roch.edu/dept/honors/ptk.htm, contact the Phi Theta Kappa advisor, Dean Barb Mollberg, at Barb.Mollberg@.roch.edu or call (507) 285-7111.

Additional questions about the Honors Edge can also be answered by our coordinator, Robert.Sanborn @roch.edu or 529-6135. His office is PH319.

Students must fill out an application form and be accepted into the RCTC Honors Program. Grade point average, school and community activities, and other individual experiences will be among the criteria for selection. Post-Secondary Enrollment Option students are welcome and encouraged to apply.

Special qualifiers -- For the English Honors Sequence, students must achieve a score of 90 percent or above on the ASAP placement test. RCTC students can take Honors courses without being a member of the RCTC Honors Edge, but they can not participate in Honors Program activities. For PTK membership, students must have at least a 3.5 G.P.A. after 16 credit hours or a 3.4 G.P.A. After 29 credit hours.

Honors Edge Application