Honors program

Earn the NEW 3R’s:  Recognition • Respect • Reputation

The Parkland College Honors Program offers unique educational opportunities and scholarships each semester to students motivated to challenge themselves academically; find an outlet for a special academic interest or talent; or simply continue their commitment to scholastic achievement.

Recognition

  • Educational scholarships
  • Annual Honors Program awards
  • Leadership roles in the Parkland Scholars Student Organization
  • Recognition on your transcript and diploma for high achievement
  • Transfer directly into Honors Programs at other colleges and universities

Respect

  • Access to National Collegiate Honors Council scholarships/activities
  • Honors Program members may also join Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society of two-year colleges

Reputation

  • Advanced preparation for college transfer and post-graduate work

Eligibility. Students with a cumulative 3.0 GPA are eligible to join the Honors Program. Applications are available on my.parkland.edu. There is no fee required to join the Honors Program. In order to graduate from the Honors Program, students must have a cumulative 3.5 GPA.

Honors students will use SPARK (Parkland’s online academic repository) to create, preserve and showcase their Honors Portfolios. The Honors Portfolios will contain A with Honors Projects, essays or journals referencing Honors Seminars students have attended, overviews and outcomes of service learning, and Honors Projects they have completed as well as recognition and accomplishments within the college and community. Students must submit an Honors Project Proposal Form for all projects and activities they wish to enter into their portfolio; the deadline for Honors Project Proposals will be one week after semester midterm. Completed projects and activities that students wish to enter into their portfolios by the end of a semester must be approved by the Honors Director; a Portfolio Project Completion Form will be available for student submission. 

Graduation/Honors Scholarships. Student Honors Projects and SPARK portfolio submissions will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Those who have completed at least one satisfactory portfolio project will be eligible for a $100 scholarship (if funds are available). Students may earn up to $200 in scholarship funds each academic year.

In the semester that they will graduate, students will participate in an Honors Symposium where they will highlight their honors achievements. To graduate from the Honors Program, students must have a cumulative 3.5 GPA, have three acceptable portfolio projects, participate in the Honors Symposium, and participate in the Honors Convocation. The three acceptable portfolio projects must include two A with Honors Projects and one service-learning project (one of their A with Honors Projects can be their service-learning project). Those graduates whose work is of high academic caliber will receive Honors scholarships; the amount of these will be determined by the number of graduates and availability of funds, but it is hoped that students could receive up to $500 each.

Parkland Scholars Student Organization. In conjunction with the further improvement of the Honors Program, a Parkland Scholars Student Organization has been formed. This club is be available to all students who are in the Honors Program, members of Phi Theta Kappa, on the Parkland Deans List, or are interested in Honors at Parkland. The club will help facilitate a community of honors students, allow students to participate in service learning, and sponsor college wide events.

QUESTIONS? Please don’t hesitate to contact Marsh Jones at honors@parkland.edu.