Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in the Honors Project at College of San Mateo!

Whether you are a prospective or current student, we encourage you to use this Canvas page as a resource for learning more about the program. To navigate through the course, use the links in the left-hand sidebar.

If you are interested in the Honors Project, scrolling through this page is a great way to learn more. Here, you can find our:

Honors Project Overview
Mission Statement
Eligibility Requirements
Completion
Good Standing and Active Status

Honors Project Overview

Students accepted into this unique interdisciplinary community will join a dedicated group of faculty and students working together to create a rich intellectual experience at CSM.

Students will earn honors credit in selected transfer courses by developing and successfully completing advanced research projects. Students are required to concurrently enroll in an Honors Project research seminar.

College of San Mateo welcomes eligible transfer-bound students to participate in the Honors Project. Applications are accepted year round. For the best chance at admission, and to ensure a smooth enrollment process, we recommend students apply at least two to four weeks before the semester in which they plan to begin honors coursework.

A professor and student discuss an Honors Project at HonorsCon.

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Mission Statement

The mission of the Honors Project is to open academic pathways to our diverse student body.

We believe in academic excellence, and we believe all our students are capable of academic excellence. We welcome students of all backgrounds who possess the drive and desire to dig deeper into their coursework. We provide them with the means to grow intellectually, and to make intellectual connections across a range of disciplines. With broad institutional support and participation from faculty, administrators and staff, we seek to create a lively community of scholars, reflecting a diverse range of academic preparations and perspectives.

Our program is dedicated to:

supporting the individual academic aspirations of our students;
cultivating the ability of students to collaborate with one another;
developing our students into intellectually adventurous and confident thinkers.

Students who participate in the program — and especially those who complete the full program — will gain:

enhanced transfer prospects;
research, communication and critical inquiry skills vital to upper division and graduate school success;
a bolstered passion for ideas that will lift them, wherever they may go in their lives.

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Eligibility

Program Requirements

All CSM students interested in our unique honors coursework experience are encouraged to apply. Once accepted into the Honors Project, students need to meet with the faculty coordinator, for a brief orientation and advising session.

Any student accepted into the Honors Project receives priority registration.

Eligibility for Acceptance

Students must either have successfully completed ENGL C1000 or C1000E: Academic Reading and Writing, or must be concurrently enrolled in either course.

To apply, students must complete the Honors Project Application with:

Documentation demonstrating completion of ENGL C1000/C1000E or the equivalent;
An unofficial college transcript (or, for entering freshmen without college credits, a high school transcript);
An instructor reference (the name and phone number of a college or high school teacher)
A 300-400 word personal statement

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Completion

Program Completion

In order to complete the Honors Project program, including for UCLA TAP certification, students need to complete at least two Honors Project seminars, and a minimum of 15 units of transferable honors coursework, with an overall GPA of at least 3.2.

Note: the seminars do not automatically transfer to UC as GE, and do not count toward the 60 unit minimum required for transfer.

Students can achieve honors credit units through any combination of the following:

Completing honors seminars paired with transferable foundation courses;
Completing Independent Honors Contracts for transferable courses (note: students can begin completing independent honors contracts only after completing one Honors Project seminar);
Completing one designated honors course at one of our two sister colleges, Skyline or Cañada.

In other words, students must complete item 1 and may satisfy the remaining honors credit requirement through either item 2 or item 3.

Expectations:

All students who complete the program receive special transcript recognition as a "CSM Honors Project Scholar."

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An Honors Project student celebrates at HonorsCon

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Good Standing and Active Status

Honors Project students need to maintain a 3.0 GPA in all honors course work.

To remain on active status, students need to be enrolled in a seminar, or a designated honors course, or engaged in an independent honors contract each semester. One semester without honors work is permitted, but a second consecutive semester of non-participation will result in removal from active status. A student who has been removed from active status must re-submit an application to the program.

Students in good standing and active status receive all program correspondences. In addition, continuing students with updated student educational plans (SEPs) in DegreeWorks get access to a higher registration priority. With earlier registration, students have a better chance of getting the classes and the schedule they need.

In order to develop an SEP, students must meet with a counseling faculty member. Two Honors Project counselors, Melissa Ehm Manuofetoa and Michael Vargas, work with students in the program. Honors students are strongly advised to meet periodically with our counselors for guidance, assistance and valuable feedback on academic and career planning.

To schedule an appointment, please stop by the Counseling Support Center in Building 10, Room 340 (3rd Floor), or call (650) 574-6400.

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