The Honors Program
The PVCC Honors Program seeks to engage a diverse cohort of students in learning experiences which promote their intellectual curiosity and growth. Smaller and more interactive classes, student-driven inquiry and research, and extra-curricular learning activities result in engaging and advanced course work for motivated students. The Honors Program can help you gain a competitive advantage in future college, scholarship, and employment applications.
Several PVCC Honors students have been recognized nationally by being named to the All-USA Community College Academic First Team and at the state level as New Century Scholars. Other PVCC Honors students have received scholarships and academic awards at PVCC and have played prominent roles in the College’s Student Government Association and other clubs. Our students have transferred successfully to the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, the College of William and Mary, James Madison University, Mary Baldwin College, Georgetown University and Smith College among others.
Honors courses are for everyone. The smaller seminar-style classes provide you with skills useful in the upper division courses you will take at your transfer university. If you are the kind of curious student who wants to reach for more from your college experience, sign up for an honors course. As part of an effort to make the benefits of honors courses available for everyone, there are no prerequisites or GPA requirements for taking an honors course. You may enroll in an Honors class just as you would other classes in SIS. Honors classes are designated by the section number 77, as in ENG 111-77
Student Comments
“Taking honor courses at Piedmont Virginia Community College was an extremely pivotal moment for me. Through these courses I was able to learn insightful skills that helped me improve not only my study skills but simply become a better well-rounded student in general. These classes push individuals to think outside of the box and in return students are able to grasp some of the most challenging fields of study. I am a firm believer in pushing one’s limits and going beyond boundaries that one never could have thought possible to achieve. Taking honor courses helped me go beyond my comfort zone; Ultimately connecting me with students who only move in the direction of success and thus allowed me to find a positive environment. Despite the fact that honor courses are quite rigorous, the insight, friends, and connections one gets from them is worth the time and effort.” Danielle Faul
“Honors… was way more discussion based, which made classes seem more like a conversation than a lecture. Everybody in those classes wants to do really well so you don’t have to worry about being the only person that does group work... Studying together outside of class was also really cool and helped me a lot, it is very hard to learn all the information by yourself which is why study groups are important!” Malcolm O'Malley
“I am glad that I discovered the Honors Program at PVCC. Through this program, I have had meaningful connections with professors and other students in small, discussion-based classes. My Honors Classes gave me the chance to make more out of my time at PVCC, as I had opportunities to do extra projects, including writing a paper that would be published in Insights: PVCC's Student Journal of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. In my Honors Classes I found myself surrounded by other engaged, hardworking students. I highly recommend the Honors Program at PVCC!” Heidi Zmick