Overview
Honors courses offer students the opportunity to learn independently while collaborating with their classmates and instructors to explore topics in-depth through innovative and engaging learning experiences. In addition to research and special-topics courses, Santa Fe College offers Honors versions of many courses required for general education and university transfer.
Students are expected to enroll in at least one Honors course each semester to maintain their status in the program. Students who are unable to enroll in an Honors course may maintain their Honors status by earning an equivalent number of Honors Points through academic or extracurricular activities. For more information and specific guidelines, please contact the Honors Program.
Honors courses are characterized by their small class sizes:
- We cap enrollment at 15 students.
Honors courses encourage active learning and enrichment through:
- Discussion-based classes in which students play a major role in facilitating knowledge.
- Collaborative learning and group projects.
- Field trips and experiences outside the classroom.
- Individualized student-faculty collaboration.
- Innovative, experiential learning opportunities.
The Honors Program emphasizes these learning outcomes:
- Communications: Demonstrate effective reading, writing, speaking, listening and non-verbal communications skills
- Information Literacy: Collect, verify, document, and organize information from a variety of sources
- Quantitative Reasoning: Understand and apply mathematical concepts and reasoning and analyze and interpret various types of data
- Global Socio-Cultural Responsibility: Demonstrate an understanding of diversity/pluralism in the world community, and an awareness of civic and social participation and ethical and informed decision-making
- Critical Thinking: Demonstrate the skills necessary for analysis, synthesis, evaluation, decision-making, critical and creative thinking, and the creative process
- Civic Engagement: Engage in reflective civic action
- Teamwork: Engage in behaviors that contribute to group outcomes
- Lifelong Learning: Pursue educational interests outside of the classroom. Analyzes and interprets the impact of learning experiences on knowledge, personal growth and development, and/or future plans
Honors courses offered regularly include:
- ENC1101 College Composition 1
- ENC1102 College Composition 2
- ENC2210 Technical Communications
- AMH2020 American History since 1877
- POS2041 American National Government
- STA2023 Statistics
- MAC2311 Calculus 1 with Lab
- MAC2312 Calculus 2 with Lab
- MAC2313 Calculus 3 with Lab
- MAP2302 Differential Equations
- ART1001C Art Fundamentals
- MUH2019 American Popular Music
- PSY2012 General Psychology
- DEP2004 Developmental Psychology
- SOP2002 Social Psychology
- SPC2608 Public Speaking
- HUM2020 Introduction to Humanities
- MMC2004 Mass Media Studies
- SYG2430 Marriage and Family
Other courses in English, Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences are also offered on a rotating basis. See the Course Schedule for more details.