Mission Statement

Durham Tech's Honors Program promotes an intellectually engaged, vibrant, and diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. The program fosters participation that challenges students to develop in-depth, critical, and creative thought as they endeavor to contribute to intellectual research centered on their community, self, and professional objectives.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Honors Program, students must:

  • Have an overall GPA of 3.2.

  • Have completed all developmental coursework prior to the semester in which they attempt an Honors option.

  • Not have been reported for academic dishonesty during any of their academic work.

  • Submit a project proposal (approved by instructor) to the directors of the Honors Program by the end of the third week of the semester via the Honors Program web page.

  • Submit two academic recommendation forms to the directors of the Honors Program via the Honors Program web page: one form needs to be completed by a former instructor, and the second form needs to be completed by the Honors Options instructor.
     

Honors Designations

Students that successfully complete an honors project receive an honors designation on their transcript. Those who complete 12 credits (4 courses) of honors work receive designations, distinction of Honors Scholar, and a medal for graduation. The top nine scholars will receive a check for $100.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting both the project proposal contract and the reference form for Spring Semester 2024 is Friday, January 26. All proposals will be reviewed and approved by the Honors Program directors and a committee of faculty.

Please review the Honors Program application and recommendation form. You may also wish to review sample Honors Project Proposals (pdf) as a guide.

How to Participate

To participate, students must:

  • Contact an instructor offering Honors Options by the first week of the semester; if there is no Honors Option course on the student’s list, the student should approach any one of his/her instructors and request if he/she can commit to an Honors project; the final decision is up to the instructor.

  • Submit a recommendation form from an instructor/teacher who can vouch for the student’s academic excellence; the form must be submitted via the Honors website by the third week of the semester.

  • Request that the Honors Options instructor also submit a recommendation form on student’s behalf.

  • Collaborate with the instructor to design an Honors proposal; proposals are due three weeks into the semester, along with the two recommendation forms.

  • Present Honors project either as an oral presentation or as a poster presentation before administration, faculty, staff, and students.

  • Earn a final grade of A or B in the course in order to receive an Honors designation, which will be determined by the instructor.
     

Benefits of Participation

  • Opportunity to do in-depth research

  • Presentation of research at the Honors Symposium

  • "Honors” indication on transcript

  • Special recognition at graduation

  • Enhanced transfer opportunities

  • Participation in Honors Program functions

  • Competitive edge on applications for transfer

  • Personalized letter of recommendation by the Director of the program (upon request)

Violations and Restrictions

  • Students accused of plagiarism will be removed from the program and will not be able to apply again for an Honors course. This is non-negotiable

  • Students who do not complete at least one activity per semester will be under review by the directors and the instructor

  • Students who attempt but do not complete an Honors project/section will be under review by the directors and the instructor

  • Students who do not maintain the required GPA of 3.2 will be put on under review by the directors and the instructor; if they do not meet the required GPA of 3.2 by the following semester they will be removed from the program

Partnerships

Since 2015, scholars have been invited to UNC-Greensboro’s Undergraduate Honors Symposium. Students have the opportunity to compete by presenting their research with and in front of peers and faculty from across the state of North Carolina.

Currently, this program has four Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with several four-year colleges and universities. These partnerships allow Durham Tech students to transfer their honors credits and continue in that college’s Honors Program.

These four-year institutions are:

  • UNC Asheville
  • UNC Wilmington
  • Appalachian State University
  • UNC Greensboro