Honors Program Frequently Asked Questions

To take an Honors course, a student must complete eight (8) hours or more of college-level coursework and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.2/4.0 or higher. Students who have not completed eight (8) hours of college-level coursework must meet one of the following criteria: high school cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 or a composite SAT score of 1200 or a composite ACT score of 25.

Students who are eligible for the Honors Program should be able to automatically register for Honors courses online via myACCESS or in person at the Student Registration Services Office, Student Services Center, (SSC), Room 2221, (630) 942-2377. If you are an eligible student but can't register, contact Registration or Counseling to have them check your eligibility and enter you into the computer system.

If a student is not eligible by GPA, the professor has the option to submit an e-permit for a student the professor believes can do the work of the class. Students need to appeal to the professor directly.

Learn more about registering.

Take an Honors class. Once you register and meet the cumulative GPA requirements, you should automatically be able to enroll in Honors sections. If you can't enroll, you will need to contact someone to check your eligibility.

• If you are a new COD student: contact the Office of Admissions and Outreach, Students Services Center, SSC 2207, (630) 942-2626.
• If you are a current COD student: contact the Counseling, Advising and Transfer Services Students Services Center, SSC 3200, (630) 942-2259.
• If a student is not eligible by GPA, the professor has the option to submit an e-permit for a student the professor believes can do the work of the class. Students need to appeal to the professor directly. 

Honors students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. If your cumulative GPA falls below 3.2 at the end of any term, your Honors eligibility will be temporarily suspended. It can be reactivated, upon request, once your cumulative GPA again reaches the required minimum of 3.2.

All Honors sections look great on a transcript, but for students who fulfill the following requirements, a special Honors Scholar designation will be put on the transcript at graduation. For this, you must:

• Complete 15 credits of Honors course work (through Honors Courses and Honors Contracts)
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher
• Graduate with a COD degree or certificate

College of DuPage recognizes graduating Honors Scholars every spring at the Celebration of Academic Excellence. At this ceremony, we also congratulate students who completed the Presidential, Board of Trustees or Deans Scholarships; STEM Scholarship completers; Outstanding Students in specific disciplines; and recipients of post-COD honors transfer scholarships. In order to participate in the Celebration, it is important that you petition to graduate by the college's deadline (usually in March) so we can compile our list.

The majority of Honors courses are core curriculum courses that fulfill the general education requirements of any major. Some Honors courses are electives that provide the credit hours needed to complete an associate's degree or certificate program.

Honors courses are offered as individual courses or as linked courses in an Honors Learning Community Seminar.

Honors Independent Study is available to students who wish to explore an academic topic of personal interest in depth under the guidance of a professor in that field.

All courses at COD are designed for students in their first two years of college. Honors courses, however, are enhanced by innovative teaching and depth of course content. Honors classes encourage interactive, cooperative learning and provide a challenging experience. We like to say that these courses are enriched, not more difficult. 

Students who are eligible for the Honors Program should be able to automatically register for Honors courses online, or in person at the Student Registration Services Office. If you are an eligible student but can't register, contact Registration or Counseling to have them check your eligibility and enter you into the computer system. 

If a student is not eligible by GPA, the professor has the option to submit an e-permit for a student the professor believes can do the work of the class. Students need to appeal to the professor directly.

The same tuition applies to both Honors and non-Honors courses. For more information on scholarships, visit the Office of Student Financial Assistance, Student Services Center, (SSC), Room 2220, (630) 942-2251.

Membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society requires the completion of at least 12 credits at COD and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. You may elect to join the College of DuPage chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, which is the Phi Beta Chapter.

For information about Phi Theta Kappa membership, visit the Phi Theta Kappa office, SSC 1204, (630) 942-3053 or the Office of Student Life, SSC 1200, (630) 942-2243.

• For more information about the Phi Theta Chapter at COD
• For more information about the National PTK Honor Society

The Honors notation on your transcript tells the baccalaureate colleges/universities to which you apply that you are willing and prepared to accept rigorous academic challenges, especially if you are considering transferring to selective schools. Honors students may also enjoy a significant advantage when competing for transfer scholarships, undergraduate research grants, internships, and employment opportunities. 

All interested students are encouraged to visit the Honors Program Office in the Berg Instructional Center, (BIC), Room 3418, (630) 942-3318, or email us at honorsprogram@cod.edu. The Office of Academic Affairs, Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 3400, (630) 942-3249 is another resource available to you.

There is an organization called “Honor Society” that emails COD students, but it is not affiliated in any way with COD. The national honors society that COD is affiliated with is called Phi Theta Kappa (PTK). If you don’t want to continue receiving emails from the non-COD “Honor Society,” we suggest you block them.

Maybe. In order to understand this, you need to understand the difference between an "Official Term GPA" and a cumulative GPA (also called an "Official GPA").

Academic Standing is based on your most recent Official Term GPA, which is your GPA for one semester.

The cumulative GPA is an average based on all your college-level credits. The cumulative GPA is listed on your official transcript and is often called the Official GPA. In order to take Honors classes at COD, students need a cumulative GPA of 3.2/4.0 after completing 8 college-level credits.

Academic Standing basically lets you know how you did academically for one semester. It takes some other factors into account like how many credit hours you took and whether your cumulative GPA is a 2.0 or higher. Academic Standing can be such things as: "HONR - Academic Honors," GOOD – In Good Standing," or "PROB - Academic Probation."

Students can see their most recent Official Term GPA in the Grades or Unofficial Transcript sections of myACCESS.

The Official Term GPA for each semester is listed on the official transcript. An Academic Standing of "Honors" will be printed next to that semester's Official Term GPA. The other Academic Standings are not printed on the official transcript.

Note to Faculty: In myACCESS, faculty can only see a student's cumulative or Official GPA and Academic Standing. Faculty cannot see the student's Official Term GPA. Therefore, there is sometimes a confusing mismatch between what faculty see as the student's cumulative GPA and the Academic Standing.

At COD, there are four ways to get “Honors” on your official transcript:

• Honors courses
• Honors Program designations of “Honors Scholar Candidate” or “Honors Scholar”
• Academic Honors for the Official Term GPA
• Graduation Honors based on cumulative GPA at time of degree or certificate completion 

Students who complete 9 or more Honors course credits and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 have the designation of “Honors Scholar Candidate” on their transcript.

The answer from our Honors students is: "No! They are much better!"

While we don't know what your AP experience was like, we can tell you that COD Honors courses emphasize critical thinking, discussion, community building, leadership, interdisciplinarity, curiosity and creativity. The professors are passionate and innovative. The classes are usually small and full of highly motivated students. Some students even call them "fun!" 

College of DuPage recognizes graduating Honors Scholars every spring at the Celebration of Academic Excellence. At this ceremony, we also congratulate students who completed the Presidential, Board of Trustees or Deans Scholarships; STEM Scholarship completers; Outstanding Students in specific disciplines; and recipients of post-COD honors transfer scholarships. In order to participate in the Celebration, it is important that you petition to graduate by the college's deadline (usually in March) so we can compile our list.