Honors Program
The Honors Program is looking for new qualified students to join our ranks! That could be you!
The Honors Program is designed for our community’s most ambitious and intellectually critical scholars seeking a deeper engagement in their college experience. Students in the San Bernardino Valley College Honors Program engage in enhanced experiences, faculty mentorships, and academic opportunities to earn an advantage in transferring to the four-year institution of their choice.
Though the Honors Program encourages all students wishing to take one of these courses to enroll in the Program, a student need not be in the Program to enroll in an Honors course. These courses have been IGETC-approved and are transferable to accredited 4-year colleges. These courses count toward completion of the SBVC Honors Program, and selected courses count for pre-major credit.
Carol Damgen Honors Program Chair-Faculty Lead
Monday and Thursday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
How We Can Help You
Honors courses offer greater depth and breadth coverage of subject material through project-based learning, formal research presentations, and elevated course experiences.
Enhanced course experience
Faculty mentorship with discipline experts
Opportunities to present research
Increased academic guidance from Honors Counselor
A community of intellectual and ambitious student
Priority or preferred admission to UC, CSU, and colleges nation-wide
Enhanced opportunities for scholarships
Notation on the transcript of successful completion of Honors Program
Honors Program gold seal on diploma
Current Student?
Students' experience in the San Bernardino Valley College Honors Program is as unique as their career and transfer goals, faculty mentors, research, and their pursuit of academic opportunities.
Students will work closely with the Honors Program counselor and faculty mentors to create a unique educational experience, while enjoying the community and resources facilitated by the Honors Program and Honors Advisory Committee. These experiences, expectations, and opportunities include many of the following:
To complete the Honors Program and receive Honors graduate certification and transfer benefits, students must satisfy each of the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 15 units in Honors courses
- Plan to enroll in 2 Honors courses each semester
- Up to 6 units may be earned through Honors contracts
- Honors classes must be completed with a grade of B or higher
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.50
- This includes having 3.50 at graduation
- Fulfill the presentation requirement through one of the following methods
- Public research presentation
- Public performance or art exhibition
- Participation in the speech or debate competition
- Complete the petition to graduate with Honors form with the Honors counselor
To help prepare students for academic leadership and model academic excellence, each student must publicly present their research, ideas, or artistic work. The following list of presentation opportunities have been pre-approved by the Honors committee:
- SBVC Research Conference
- SBVC Speech and Debate Tournaments
- UC Irvine Community College Research Conference
- Phineas Literary Magazine Publication and Presentation
Any other presentations will need approval by the Honors Advisory Committee. Please contact the Honors Program faculty lead or Honors Program counselor at least 30 days before the presentation is scheduled to request approval. Students will meet with the Honors faculty lead and at least one member of the Honors Advisory Committee to determine if the request meets the presentation requirement's standards. Students may request a faculty mentor or community member to join the meeting as an advocate.
Transfer agreements are arrangements between educational institutions that spell out the courses and other requirements that students must fulfill to be accepted smoothly into the target school.
Honors transfer agreements spell out the conditions for students to transfer to select institutions and often include special consideration in admission or accelerated admission into honors programs at the new school. For example:
- UC Irvine Honors-to-Honors Transfer Agreement
- UCLA Transfer Alliance Program
We have additional transfer agreements through the Honors Transfer Council of California covering dozens of other public and private 4-year institutions. To view these agreements, visit the Honors Transfer Council of California Transfer Partner page on their website.
The mission of this Alpha Gamma Sigma Honors Society is to foster, maintain, and recognize outstanding scholarship and promote cultural and social enrichment. AGS allows students to engage in community service activities and aims to award scholarships to its active members. AGS Members not only excel in academics but also attend and host social events and participate in community service activities.
While it is not a requirement for students in the Honors Program to join AGS, it is strongly recommended.
Honors Program Faculty are outstanding classroom instructors, researchers, and practitioners. Honors Faculty demonstrate a passion for their disciplines and an interest in mentoring students in the Honors Program. They enhance critical and creative thinking skills through innovative research challenges, project-based learning, and by seeking-out opportunities academic opportunities for students to explore.
The Honors Advisory Committee
The Honors Advisory Committee serves as an advisory committee to the Vice President
of Instruction relative to the college’s Honors Program including the admission of
students into the program, assessment of program effectiveness, the schedule rotation
of Honors courses, proposals for new Honors courses, and the evaluation of existing
Honors courses. Membership is comprised of the Vice President of Instruction or designee,
the Honors Faculty Lead, Honors Counselor, and interested administrators and faculty.
The Honors committee meets monthly, every 2nd Monday at 3:00 pm.
Get Started in the Honors Program
Use our online form to check your eligibility and make an appointment with our Honors
Counselor, Andrea Rodriguez.
We look forward to having you in the program!
Contact Us
Make an Appointment With a Counselor
Questions? Not sure if the Honors Program is right for you?
Contact us to learn more about our program and request info.