Honors Program

Motivated and high-achieving students are invited to apply for Coker University’s Honors Program. Focused on three pillars that predict success after college, Innovative Scholarship, Cultural Interaction and Civic Engagement, our Honors students find enhanced personal and intellectual growth through a specialized track of coursework, study abroad, individual research, and service projects.

As an Honors student at Coker, you will be part of a select group of student leaders who are involved and invested in their education. Our flexible program is customized to your interests and academic goals, so you can get the most out of your college experience.

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Being in the Honors Program here has been an extremely rewarding experience. I have gotten the opportunity to challenge myself academically and reach new heights with my formal writing. I have met so many wonderful peers through the program, and I will get the chance to experience new cultures with them via study abroad. I am thankful for this program and my newfound resilience, determination, and work ethic.

Carmyn Quick, ’21
Camryn Quick Portrait

Programs and Benefits

  1. Honors thesis:

    Each Honors student engages with a faculty member in a discovery‐based research project or on an original creative work involving inquiry, investigation, and creative expression. Students have the opportunity to expand a project originally developed within their major program or to choose a project unrelated to their major course of study. Multidisciplinary projects are encouraged. Honors Students then create written accounts of their scholarly activity. Students who complete an honors project earn the privilege of presenting that project to the campus community in a venue, such as the annual Celebration of Academics, approved by the Honors Project Review Committee.

  2. Honors courses

    Honors students complete at least 24 semester hours of honors-designated courses, which are qualitatively and quantitatively more challenging than non-honors courses.

  1. Honors Seminar courses

    Co-taught by our faculty, these specialized courses incorporate a multidisciplinary discovery of issues relevant to a central theme. Past topics have ranged from “Who Says It’s Wrong,” an exploration of ethics and value systems, to a seminar on environmental policy and politics. Individual course topics vary by year, but in each case students benefit from activities and ideas that broaden their cultural backgrounds.

  2. Foreign language skills

    Honors Students earn nine credit hours in a single non-native language, rather than the usual six. This added attention to language skills allows participants in the Honors Program to engage as students of the world in more extensive ways.

  3. Study abroad

    Honors students meet the Coker University study away requirement by studying abroad at a variety of institutions. Upon returning to Coker, Honors Students share their experiences with the campus community in ways that reflect their expanded knowledge of the world.

  1. Coker University 101H

    Introduction to Leadership and Life at Coker University: In this course, students engage in challenging dialogue and hold one another accountable for learning and input. Students leave this course better prepared for the challenges of leadership in corporate, institutional and public life and better able to analyze their responsibilities and commitments as leaders working for the common good and for purposeful change.

  2. Honors Student Council

    The Honors Student Council provides a forum for student feedback into the Honors Program and, under the guidance of the Director of the Honors Program, organizes community service and leadership activities for Honors Students.

  3. Mentorship program

    To build leadership skills, continuing Honors Students serve as mentors to entering Honors Students. Beginning in the second year, each Honors Student is assigned a mentee. The mentor introduces the new Honors Student to the program and helps the mentee become involved in the College as a whole.

  1. Other Benefits

    • An Honors Program scholarship for $1,000
    • Enhanced academic experience
    • Individual leadership training
    • Priority course registration
    • Up to $2500 to apply toward a study abroad experience
    • Attractive resume addition for both job and graduate school applications

Program Requirements

A student who enters the Honors Program after his or her first semester at Coker University may petition the Honors Program Committee to have another CC101 meet this requirement.

These courses will be marked with the suffix “H” on the student’s academic record. For example, HIS210H will designate Western Civilization I for honors credit. Requirements for “H” courses will be quantitatively and qualitatively greater than non-honors courses.

A minimum of twelve semester hours of the prescribed 24 shall be taken as part of the student’s Liberal Arts Studies Program (LASP) curriculum as honors contract courses. The Director of the Honors Program will have a list of appropriate contract currently available to students.

In addition, students may request honors contracts for specific classes from professors who, if they choose to offer the class for honors credit, are then responsible for obtaining approval from the Honors Program Committee.

Each seminar will treat a subject area identified by the Honors Program Committee as key to a modern education.

HON291 is a one-credit hour introduction to developing an honors thesis project.

  • These classes involve planning and completion of the student’s Honors Thesis project. Honors students will partner with a faculty member in a discovery-based project or an original work involving inquiry, investigation and creative expression. Each student will develop a thesis that provides a written account of the scholarship activity. The specific format and guidelines for the thesis component will be developed by the honors student and faculty mentor in consultation with the Honors Program Committee.
  • HON490 involves planning and execution of the student’s research project. It may be worth one to three semester hours and may be repeated for credit up to a total of no more than three semester hours.
  • HON491 involves the writing and public presentation of the final research project and may also be worth one to three semester hours, but may not be repeated. A final project evaluation by the Project Review Committee will occur prior to the meeting of the Faculty Senate at which the student’s graduation with honors will be approved. Honors students will present their projects to the campus community in a suitable venue (such as the Celebration of Academics Week held each spring semester) approved by the Honors Program Committee.

Must be approved by the Honors Program Committee. For more information studying abroad, click here.