Honors Program

"The Honors Program has been the most important part of my education at Wesleyan. Support and encouragement from others in the Program make working seem more worthwhile and learning more interesting. The most 'mind-opening' courses I have taken, and those which have influenced me the most, have been Honors Program courses."--Lindy Hux, Class of 1995

The immediate benefits of the NCWC Honors Program are that students take unique courses with other students who are academically motivated and study with outstanding professors. Students who participate in the Honors Program show that they take a special interest in their education and receive special recognition and treatment from the College. Future employers and graduate schools will notice this on the student's transcript.

The program involves a sequence of courses. For answers to questions about this program, please contact the Honors Program Director, Fred A. Grissom: fgrissom@ncwc.edu.

Who is eligible to be an Honors Program student?

Selected students with at least a 1100 SAT score and high school GPA of 3.25 will be asked to submit a written application and two letters of recommendation. In each freshman class, no more than 15 students are accepted into the Honors Program. Other recommended students can enter the Program after enrolling at Wesleyan.

"It's an extremely professor-student oriented program in which all the participants are allowed to voice opinions and thus, facilitate a higher degree of learning. Someone who likes an intellectual challenge should be a part of the Honors Program."--Greg Boykin, Class of 1995

How does the program work?

Freshmen enroll in special Honors sections of English 112, College 101, and Humanities 101 (freshman seminars) which carry a total of 8 semester hours (s.h.) of credit. Transfer students or students entering the program late can waive these courses.
During their sophomore and junior years, honors students take one honors course each semester (a total of 12 s.h.) from a variety of the four divisions of the College:
- Business
- Education and Social Sciences
- Math/Science
- Humanities
Instructors usually design these unique courses for the students in the Program. Many of the courses also satisfy general education requirements.
During the senior year, Honors Program students design and complete a supervised project in their major field (or other determined subject), which receives 6 s.h. of credit.

"I particularly enjoyed my freshman Humanities class, in which we discussed books, art, movies, and even rock-and-roll."--Kelie Williams, Class of 1996

How does the College recognize Honor Students?

Every honors course students take is marked as such on their transcript. For example, English Composition Honors.
Students completing 12 s.h. of honors courses from level 2, with a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in those courses, receive special recognition on their transcript:
Graduated as a Member of
North Carolina Wesleyan College's
Honors Program .
Students who complete the entire program with a 3.0 GPA in honors courses receive special recognition on their degree, at graduation, and on their transcript where they are designated:
A North Carolina Wesleyan College
Honors Program Graduate.

"My Honors Program classes have been the best part of my education at NCWC. The classes are very interactive and personal, and, therefore, more open to individual thought and expression."--Jennifer Weinel, Class of 1996

What courses are offered in the Honors Program?

In addition to the special first-year and Honors Project courses, offered each year, recent honors course offerings include:

Spring 2003:: East African Wildlife and Ecotourism Erica Kosal
Fall 2002:: Religion and Southern Literature Fred Grissom
Film as Social Construct Vivenne Anderson
Spring 2002: Film and Politics Richard Watson
Informed Environmental Activism Marshall Brooks
Fall 2001: Rock and Roll as Cultural History Steve Ferebee
Religion and Popular Culture Fred Grissom
Spring 2001: War: Poetry and Prose Paul deGategno
Earlier courses included:: Religion & Science
When the Private Sector Takes on Public Responsibilities
Utopia in Historical Perspective
Freedom and Its Enemies
But Is It Art?

For More Information:

For more information about the Honors Program at North Carolina Wesleyan, please contact the Honors Program Director, Fred Grissom: fgrissom@ncwc.edu

For information about Honors Programs in general, see the Nationwide Programs List.

For general information about admission to the College, please contact the Admissions Office.