The Honors Program is comprised of six advanced, academic courses taught in seminar style emphasizing give-and-take and student interaction.
HON 1: Greco-Roman period. Readings may include Homer, Plato, Sophocles, the philosophy of the Epicureans or the Stoics. (Transfers to CSU/UC as 3 Humanities units)
HON 2: Medieval period. Readings may include Dante, Chaucer, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius. (Transfers to CSU/UC as 3 Art units)
HON 3: The Renaissance. Readings may include a Shakespeare play, Paradise Lost, Galileo's Treatise on the Two Chief World Systems, Utopia, Machiavelli's The Prince. (Transfers to CSU/UC as 3 History units)
HON 4: The Enlightenment through the 19th century. Readings may include Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Voltaire, Rousseau, Dostoyevsky, Dickens, Freud, Kafka. (Transfers to CSU/UC as 3 Social & Behavioral Science units)
HON 6: Modern Non-Western Cultures. Readings include many women and people of color, primarily in the 20th century and from a non-Western point of view. (Transfers to CSU/UC as 3 Humanities units)
HON 7: Human Evolution from an Anthropology Perspective. Readings include Darwin's Origin of Species and Descent of Man, and secondary sources. (Transfers to CSU/UC as 4 Biological Sciences/lab units)
NOTE: Honors classes may be taken in any order, and students may take as many or as few each semester as desired.
HON 1, 2, and 6 are taught in fall semesters.
HON 3, 4, and 7 are taught in spring semesters.
Why Enroll in the Honors Program?
The Honors Program is designed to challenge and help you in a number of ways.
• classes transfer directly to four-year colleges and universities in specific subject areas-not just as General Education credits
• fosters a close-knit camaraderie among participants, relieving anxiety about college and providing support network
• prepares you for immersion in a four-year college or university environment, increasing the likelihood of academic success after transfer
• gives you the foundation for graduating With Honors from the university you transfer to
• develops and polishes reading and writing skills
• introduces classical learning
• encourages the free exchange of ideas and respect for academic rigor
• looks good on your resume
While most Honors graduates transfer to CSUC, many have gone on to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country, many with impressive scholarships.
How to Qualify for Admission
• Reading and writing skills reflected in passage of ENGL 2 with a "B" or higher
• GPA of 3.3 or higher preferred (but we're more interested in future potential than past performance)
• completed Honors Program application
• Letter of recommendation from an instructor who knows you or someone else who can talk about your academic potential
• Brief personal essay
Submit the completed application to:
Secretary to the Honors Program, LRC 320
Butte College
3536 Butte Campus Dr.
Oroville, CA 95965
If you have any questions or concerns or need further information at any point in the application process, feel free to contact the Coordinator of the Honors Program, Dr. Tracy Johnson, at 530.895.2291.
Certificate Requirements
Students who complete the 16-unit Honors sequence with a 3.0 GPA are awarded a Certificate of Completion in Honors Studies. Those who also complete all A.A. or A.S. degree requirements are awarded an Honors degree.
To earn the Certificate in Honors Studies at Butte, you must earn a "B" or higher in
• any five Honors classes including HON 7
• five Honors classes (HON 1-4 and HON 6) plus any transferable lab science (4 units)
Phi Theta Kappa
Completely separate from the Honors Program is Phi Theta Kappa, the national Honor Society for two-year college students. Any student who has completed a minimum of 12 degree-applicable units (numbered 1-199), with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 is eligible. For details, call Dr. Roger Ekins at 530.895.2941.
For further information about the Honors Program, visit or call
Dr. Tracy Johnson
Coordinator, Honors Program
530.895.2291, LRC 335
