Mastery Mindset- Achieving Academic Excellence: Through academic excellence and achievement, students will demonstrate and apply both general and specialized knowledge and skills within their specific discipline or field.

The Curiosity Catalyst: Inspiring a Love for Learning: Through connecting their learning across diverse disciplines to their long-term career goals, students will demonstrate a passion for inquiry and a desire to explore complex questions.

Transformative Learning- Real-World Applications of Project-Based Learning: Through Honors contracting, students will be challenged to engage in comprehensive project-based learning, that promotes the development of critical thinking and innovation through the creation and completion of significant academic or creative projects. Students will gain practical experience and applied skills through individualized research projects and real-world problem-solving activities.

Learning Without Limits- Embracing a Passion for Lifelong Learning: Through exposure to high impact activities that embraces exploration, students will reflect and articulate their goals for the future that include strategies for long term learning, demonstrating the ability to adapt, grow, and contribute meaningfully in an ever-changing world. 

 

Through participation in the STEM Honors Program students will have:

• Faculty and Staff Mentorship: Gain personalized guidance and support from experienced faculty and staff dedicated to your academic and personal development.

• Project-Based Learning through Honors Contracts: Engage in unique research projects tailored to your interests, boosting your expertise and critical thinking skills while earning valuable Honors credit on your transcript.

• Priority Registration: Benefit from priority registration, ensuring you have access to the courses you need to fulfill your academic goals.
  

• Scholarship Opportunities: Exclusive eligibility to apply for National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM Scholarships
  
• Student Organization Membership: Join an active student organization that fosters a strong sense of belonging and participate in various events and activities, building meaningful connections and contribute to a supportive and inclusive community.
• Personal and Professional Growth: Access personal and professional growth opportunities through activities and events designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in advanced studies and prepare you for the next steps in future career paths.

Criteria for continuing students:

• Maintain 2.8 cumulative GPA
• Attend Honors advising each semester
• Meet with assigned Faculty Mentor periodically throughout
  each semester
• Students who ern 40 points, including the completion of 4 Honors Contracts, will graduate with the Honors designation on their transcripts 

Criteria for first semester students:

• Declared a STEM program
• Enroll in Learning Framework-STEM course (PSYC 1100-1000)
• Meet with assigned faculty mentor periodically throughout each semester
• Meet with Honors Program Coordinator for Academic Coaching in the first semester 
• Attend Honors advising each semester
• Obtain 2.8 cumulative GPA or above at end of first semester
• Students who ern 40 points, including the completion of 4 Honors Contracts, will graduate with the Honors designation on their transcripts

Students are required to obtain 40 points to receive the STEM Honors designation on transcript and diploma. Students can earn points by participating in the following:

Honors Contract : 4 points per contract

Faculty Mentor Meetings: 3 points per semester

Honors Activities: 2 points per participation in activity

Outside Honors Activities: 1-2 points per participation in activity

Campus Resource Activities: 1 point per participation in activity

Students will be connected with a Faculty Mentor at the time of entry to the Honors Program. Building relationships between students and mentors will provide academic support, guidance, and encouragement to help students accomplish their academic goals and future endeavors. Students are required to meet with their mentor at least once per semester, however students can meet with mentors as often as desired.

Contracting for Honors credit enables motivated students to earn honors credit by incorporating an honors component within a regularly offered class. Honors Contracts involve a project or activity that allows students to go into greater depth than normally required in some aspect of the course. The contract is an agreement between the student and the instructor of the designed project and its unique course requirements that justify earning Honors credit for the course.

Honors Contracts provide an opportunity for both the student and the faculty member to be creative in their thinking, to explore related topics, and go deeper in examination of course material. Ideally, contract projects will add a new dimension to the class and not simply extend regular course assignments. Any course can be contracted, with professor approval, but we recommend the course be related to their transfer major and connected to their post-graduation goals.

Course contracts are at the discretion of professor of the course. Students should be prepared to complete an Honors contract in more than one course in such cases. 

Contracts do not need to be with faculty mentors. Contracts are tied to the course on the student's transcripts and should be agreed upon with the course instructor.  Contracts have no bearing on the actual grade of the course, so they do not impact student's course grade; but upon completion of a course contract, the Honors designation is added to the course on the transcript.                                                                                                     

PSYC-1100-1000: A study of the research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition, and motivation; factors that impact learning, and application of learning strategies. Theoretical models of strategic learning, cognition, and motivation serve as the conceptual basis for the introduction of college-level student academic strategies. Students use assessment instruments (e.g., learning inventories) to help them identify their own strengths and weaknesses as strategic learners. Students are ultimately expected to integrate and apply the learning skills discussed across their own academic programs and become effective and efficient learners. Students developing these skills should be able to continually draw from the theoretical models they have learned.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) scholarships are for students pursuing a degree in one of the NSF-recognized areas of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) fields. This excludes health sciences fields such as nursing or radiography. 

NSF STEM Transfer Scholarship. This scholarship is intended for STEM program students who have the goal of transfer to university and completing a bachelor’s degree in STEM. This scholarship requires involvement with the GC STEM Honors program It may be renewed for a maximum of five years and could be up to $2,500 per academic year at GC and up to $5,000 per academic year at your transfer university.
          Eligibility Requirements:

• Participation in the STEM Honors Program
• Demonstrated financial need (completed and current FAFSA required)
• Enrolled in 6 or more credit hours each full term at GC in a STEM degree program
• Pursuing an Associate of Science degree in one of the NSF-recognized STEM disciplines
• Student must be a U. S. Citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States 
• Completion of a transfer program map with the transfer university and bachelor program in STEM identified
• Student must complete an Associate of Science degree in order for scholarship to be applied at the university level
  _{*Any exceptions would be considered on an individual basis}
• Student must make consecutive progress toward their degree at both Galveston College and university levels to remain eligible  

NSF Technology Program Scholarship. This scholarship is intended for STEM Technology program students who have the goal of completing an Associate of Applied Science degree at GC in electrical/electronics, instrumentation, or computer networking. It may be renewed for a maximum of three years and could be up to $2,500 per academic year at GC.
           Eligibility Requirements:

• Participation in the STEM Honors Program
• Demonstrated financial need (completed and current FAFSA required)
• Enrolled in 6 or more credit hours each full term at GC in a NSF recognized
  technical A.A.S. program
• Pursuing an Applied Associate of Science (A.A.S.) degree in one of the
  NSF-recognized STEM disciplines
• Student must be a U. S. Citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States 

NSF Learning Frameworks – STEM Discovery Seminar Credit. This scholarship is intended for any GC student who chooses to take the NSF Learning Framework-STEM course (PSYC 1100-1000; 1-hour elective credit). It may be repeated each term for a maximum of 4 terms at GC. The NSF Learning Framework-STEM course (PSYC 1100-1000) is intended to introduce students to Learning Frameworks in the context of STEM disciplines/fields. It will include career exploration, best learning strategies in STEM, guest scientists, field and/or lab experiences, and inquiry immersion experiences. This course will expose students to research opportunities and will help students design and execute an Honors Contract and/or undergraduate research experiences. Students in the STEM Honors Program are strongly encouraged to take this course.

 To apply for a scholarship please contact us at [email protected]

To find out more about the program and to apply, please email us at [email protected]

 

Contact us: [email protected]

Come visit us in the STEM Student Center on the 3rd floor of the Mary Moody Northen wing in N-310

Receive help planning out your next steps for transferring to a STEM program at a university:

• FASFA help
• Program transfer map including what courses you need to take at Galveston College that will transfer to the university

STEM Transfer Student Success Specialist:

Lionel DeLuna

Schedule an Appointment

Contact: [email protected]