Are you looking to take your college experience to the next level? To think more broadly, explore more deeply, indulge your intellectual curiosity and truly challenge yourself to be your best? Then Oakton's Honors Program is for you.
Being part of the Honors Program, you'll have access to a variety of innovative Honors courses. These stimulating classes are filled with passionate students who are especially motivated and intellectually curious, just like you. In addition, you'll also take part in our special Learning Communities. These are unique learning experiences that integrate courses from two different disciplines around a common theme. Meeting twice a week with the professors from each course present, the Learning Communities present a high-impact learning experience where you explore topics in greater depth and enhance your critical thinking skills.
In addition to classes, as an Honors Program participant, you'll have access to opportunities for research and further study in regular classes and several scholarship and fellowship programs (see below for more). Special academic counseling, workshops and resources will help you make the most of your time at Oakton and transfer successfully to a four-year institution.
You'll also be able to join the Honors Student Organization or Phi Theta Kappa, an international honorary fraternity that offers scholarships and additional enrichment activities.
To apply to Oakton's Honors Program, you need at least one of the following:
If you are a current Oakton student, you may be eligible for Honors at Oakton by maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or above for at least 12 hours of college course work, or a 3.25 GPA with at least one instructor recommendation. If your GPA is slightly lower, you may request an interview to determine eligibility. If you have an associate or bachelor's degree, you may also be admitted.
In the Honors Program, you'll have access to a variety of unique and rewarding opportunities.
Honors Contracts
These offer you the chance to earn Honors credit for classes we are not currently offering as Honors sections. You'll work one-on-one with your professor outside of class on an Honors project designed by you and your professor.
Email your professor before registering or talk with them in the first weeks of the semester to see if this option will be right for you and the class.
The Honors Scholar Designation
When you complete the Honors Program, you can earn this special designation and have it added to your transcript. When you transfer or apply to other schools or for scholarships, the Honors Scholar Designation sets you apart from other students with high GPAs, and it is taken as a mark of serious academic achievement.
To earn the Honors Scholar Designation, you must maintain a 3.25 GPA and complete at least 18 credit hours in Honors classes. This includes at least six credits from an Honors Learning Community, and no more than six credits earned through Honors Contracts. After the Honors Program has verified your course record, the designation is added to your transcript.
Email honors@oakton.edu for more details.
Mellon Humanities Scholars and Fellows Program
If you plan on transferring to Lake Forest College, you are eligible to complete humanities research one-on-one with a Lake Forest College faculty member under the Mellon Humanities Scholars Program. The one-year award includes a $1,500 stipend (in addition to other financial aid and scholarships) and the opportunity to earn credit at Lake Forest College.
If you are not ready to transfer to a four-year college, you may still participate in other grant-related research projects, programs or organizational efforts through the Mellon Humanities Fellows Program. The renewable semester-long award requires students to complete a 35-hour project and includes a $500 stipend.
Contact Ryan Walters at rwalter@lakeforest.edu to learn more.
Honors Coordinator
Charles Townsend
847.635.1936
2146, Des Plaines
Email: honors@oakton.edu