Exploring the Frederick Honors College: A Comprehensive Overview

The Frederick Honors College (FHC) offers students an enriched academic experience, fostering intellectual curiosity and leadership skills. Whether you're a prospective first-year student or a transfer student, the FHC provides opportunities to challenge yourself academically and contribute to your community and the world.

Admission to the Frederick Honors College

Eligibility and Application

Admission to the Frederick Honors College is competitive. As a prospective first-year student, you will apply as part of your regular application to Pitt. As a transfer student, you will apply as part of your regular application to Pitt. You must have a minimum 3.500 GPA and at least two semesters (24 credits). You will be required to complete one essay prompt and submit a letter of recommendation from an instructor or academic advisor. We enroll approximately 700 new first-year students into the Honors Degree program every fall. Factors for review include weighted grade point average, rigor and strength of high school curriculum, SAT/ACT scores (if applicable), class rank (if applicable), extra-curricular activities and quality of the Common Application essay or Pitt personal statement.

Priority Consideration

First-year applicants who indicate their interest in the Frederick Honors College and submit all required application materials by December 1 will receive priority consideration. First-year students applying after December 1 may still be considered for Frederick Honors College and admission will be based upon availability of remaining openings.

Academic Profile of Admitted Students

Although we don’t have minimum SAT/ACT requirements, our average student has a 1450-1500 SAT and/or 32-33 ACT as well as a 3.80 unweighted GPA.

Notification of Acceptance

Students meeting the December 1 priority consideration deadline will be notified of their Frederick Honors College admissions decision at any time following general acceptance to the University but no later than March 1. Please note, students applying after the December 1 Priority Consideration deadline will not be provided with a Frederick Honors College decision unless admitted.

Read also: The Legacy of Frederick Richards

Benefits of Admission

Students admitted to the Frederick Honors College receive several benefits, designed to enhance their academic and personal growth. These include:

Admission into the Honors Degree program.
A notation on your transcript as soon as you’re admitted and a jointly-conferred degree from the Frederick Honors College and your primary academic school upon completion of the Honors Degree requirements.
Priority course registration beginning with your first spring term of enrollment.
A personal Frederick Honors College advisor to help tailor the most advantageous path for your interests.
Priority access to the first-year Honors housing community (Honors LLC).

Honors Courses

Frederick Honors College courses are designed to be both more challenging and more interesting. In these courses, you will engage in the material with richer analysis, cutting-edge tools, and through the lens of culture and society. Frederick Honors College faculty fellows, specialists from across the University, design and teach our courses with the intellectual needs of our students in mind.

Enrolling in Honors Courses

Use PeopleSoft/Campus Experience (CX) to find the list of all Honors courses being offered. On the Class Search page, select Frederick Honors Course in the Course Attribute pull-down menu to get the list.

If you do not meet the enrollment requirements for an Honors course, you must contact the professor teaching the course to obtain their permission to enroll in it.

Honors Course Enhancement Contracts

Frederick Honors College students have the opportunity to earn course credit for Honors Degree or Honors Distinction program requirements in an undergraduate course that does not already fulfill an FHC requirement.

Examples of courses approved for FHC requirements that cannot have a course enhancement include:

Courses with the Frederick Honors Course attribute
Courses with the High Impact Attribute Values of Undergraduate Research, Undergraduate Internship, and Capstone Course
Courses with the Civic Learning and Civic Learning + Engagement attributes
Courses used to fulfill honors-approved certificates/programs
Courses that have an honors version of it available (e.g., introductory biology, chemistry, physics, etc.)

Additionally, undergraduate courses with the writing intensive course (w-course) attribute cannot have an honors course enhancement contract associated with them.

Instructors are not obligated to agree to a request from a student to create an honors course enhancement contract for their class.

The experience and subsequent product(s) must engage the student beyond a more passive requirement, such as adding one additional paper for the class, although a paper may be one component of the deliverable.

Instructors and students are encouraged to be creative in their approach by considering:

Presentations
Individual research projects or assistance with instructor research
Using innovative technologies
Producing creative works
Community engagement or service-learning projects
Preparing and presenting class lectures or designing and testing lab projects
Reflecting on intellectual development opportunities related to the course, such as visiting museums, galleries, archives, or attending guest lectures or seminars

An honors course enhancement may be designed for an individual student, or several students may work together under one contract.

A contract form (PDF) is submitted to David Hornyak no later than the end of the add/drop period of the semester in which the course is being taught. The contract form includes details of how the course enhancement provides greater depth to the course and a description of the deliverable product(s). The contract form is signed by the student and the course instructor. If several students are working on the same enhancement project together, separate contract forms must be completed for each student, although the details about the enhancement project can be the same for all students involved.

At the end of the semester, David Hornyak will provide the instructor with an evaluation form through Qualtrics to assess the student’s performance and success in meeting the requirements of the contract. The evaluation is due when course grades are submitted.

The evaluation of the honors course enhancement contract is separate from the grading for the course.

Graduate-Level Course Opportunities

Do you want to challenge yourself by taking a graduate-level course? The course introduces students to evidence-based communication tools, frameworks, and strategies necessary for crafting persuasive policy narratives for diverse audiences targeted by policy professionals. In addition to writing skills, students will develop proficiency in various forms of communication, including oral presentation, visual communication, and digital media. Students will engage in hands-on activities and receive comprehensive feedback on their written and oral communication to enhance clarity, conciseness, and persuasiveness in conveying public policy messages. They will be able to identify and examine the ways in which moral and ideological values come into play in the policy process, including in how social problems are defined or framed, in the design of potential policy solutions, and in the policy analysis process. Topics include the tensions between ethics and politics, efficiency and equity, the common good and political feasibility. This course examines the nature and validity of vexing moral issues in policy, including the role of democracy. Students examine basic moral controversies in public life, focusing on different frameworks for policy as the means to an equitable end. How do businesses manage political risks and navigate crises like trade wars, sanctions, and wars? Why do they lobby governments, and how do their strategies influence-and get influenced by-global policymaking? In this course, students will explore the dynamic intersection between global business and international policy. Through compelling real-world cases and scholarly work, we'll investigate how businesses shape policy decisions, respond to cross-border challenges, and adapt to changing geopolitical environments. Students will gain practical insights into government regulation of international trade, corporate strategies for dealing with policy challenges, and the dynamic relationship between economic power and political influence. We'll start by tracing the historical evolution of multinational corporations and their influence on global politics. Then we'll dive into current issues, including international trade negotiations, financial crises, foreign direct investment, and the complexities of regulating digital technologies and cross-border data flows. Designed specifically for students with little or no prior knowledge of international business or policy, this course offers an accessible yet rigorous introduction. If you're curious about how global markets function, why international policies matter for businesses, and how multinational corporations become significant political players, this class is for you. How do governments decide who gets to cross borders? What are the economic and political impacts of labor migration on countries of origin and receiving countries? This course takes a global look at labor migration, exploring why workers migrate, what happens when they do, and how policies shape these movements. Students will dive into debates around immigration's impact on jobs, how money sent home (remittances) affects development, and how countries manage labor through guest worker programs, visa schemes, and even investment-based citizenship. First introduced in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development, it emerged in response to a critical realization: development must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Despite decades of international attention, significant challenges to sustainable development remain. Why has progress been so limited? What factors continue to hinder transformative change? This course examines these questions by exploring the intersection of sustainability, environmental issues, and development policy from a global perspective. It offers a foundational understanding of core development concepts, their historical trajectories, and the major environmental challenges shaping our world today. You will engage with key policy frameworks and international debates, analyzing how economic, social, and environmental priorities often compete or align. The course also explores the roles of international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other key actors, in advancing sustainable development. What makes this course unique is its integration of theory and practice. Within the academy, it is a meeting place or community of inquiry for scholars interested in topics that spill beyond temporal, political, disciplinary, ecological, geographical, and cultural boundaries. This seminar will hone graduate students' abilities to analyze issues and events through global and transnational research frameworks that incorporate various disciplinary perspectives, and to investigate linkages between global processes, social justice, and human well-being. The course is designed to complement each student's own disciplinary background and interests, and to foster preparedness for collaborative and inter-disciplinary global work. It will stimulate student abilities to think critically about a broad range of theoretical and methodological issues involved in global research, including ethics, the co-production of the global and local, the nature of "global" research questions, and research designs from different disciplinary perspectives. In addition to providing a framework for global thinking and learning, the seminar also intends to create a "community of junior global studies scholars" and thus places strong emphasis on attending regularly, participating actively, and presenting critical analyses in a scholarly manner. We discuss a variety of environmental challenges (e.g., stratospheric ozone depletion, e-waste management, plastic pollution, waste exports); attempted solutions with varying success (e.g., the Montreal Protocol and current efforts to draft an international plastics treaty); and the roots of these problems and barriers to solutions. Environmental issues are often borne from governance structures that enable the undervaluation of sustainable practices and their benefits while externalizing pollution costs. Religious exercise and practice, for example, can clash with those seeking accommodation of LBGTQIA+ rights, while law and policy struggles to strike a balance.

Frederick Community College (FCC) Honors Program

The Honors College is an academic program at Frederick Community College (FCC) that is open to students who want more out of their learning and demonstrate the potential to produce high-quality academic work. Honors learning is designed to go deeper, broader, or more complex, and FCC Honors strives to develop emerging scholars and leaders. Through applied learning, honors students become producers of new knowledge, or understanding and practitioners of leadership.

Admission and Good Standing

To apply, complete the Honors College application. To remain in good standing in the Honors College program, students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Any student whose grade point average drops below 3.0 will be placed on probationary status and must meet with the Honors Coordinator for honors advising.

Program Goals and Learning Experiences

FCC Honors is all about striving for excellence. We are not satisfied with simply “meeting standards” or asking our students to sit passively through classes. To this end, the Honors College at FCC provides “next-level” learning experiences for students in order to help them grow. Our honors classes pique students’ intellectual curiosity through active learning techniques, and class discussion is expected. Our classes also introduce students to the exciting realm of scholarly research, which serves as the anchor to the overall honors experience. By learning to interpret, generate, or apply knowledge, FCC honors students gain a deeper, broader, and more complex understanding of issues and develop the skills needed to contribute in today’s world. To earn honors credit at FCC - whether by an honors class, honors contract, or honors independent study - a student must complete an honors project (contextualized within the scholarship), write a project abstract, and present the project findings at an Honors Forum.

Honors Courses at FCC

Honors courses engage in active learning beyond the honors project. Capped at 15 students, honors courses rely on student-student and student-faculty interaction and participation. Learning activities vary, but can include class discussion, role-playing, speakers, field trips, workshops, and so forth. HONR 101 is highly recommended because the course provides a great foundation for college and builds skills for success. We also have Honors Peer Mentors (2nd year students) who are available to assist new students and welcome you to the honors community.

Honors Contracts at FCC

Honors Contracts can be arranged for courses not in the honors schedule (e.g., MATH 185 Calculus I). The required honors project is additional work to the course requirements and does not affect the course grade. The honors project can be creative work, research, or applied learning and must produce a final deliverable (e.g., artwork, research paper), abstract, and an Honors Forum presentation. Remember to contextualize your project within the scholarly literature on the topic. The faculty mentor will use the honors project rubric to assess whether the project meets honors standards and merits honors credit.

Honors Independent Study

Students can conduct scholarly research or produce creative works through Honors Independent Study projects under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

Honors Forum

The Forum is styled as a mini-conference, and is open to the public. Student presenters should dress and conduct themselves professionally. Using an executive summary approach based on the project abstract, students may opt for an individual or panel oral presentation (8-10 minutes preferably with slides) or a poster presentation. Honors faculty members serve as session moderators and collect each presenter's project abstract.

Graduation with Honors

Students who complete 12 honors credits with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.250 or higher are eligible to graduate from the Honors College. Graduates receive a notation on their transcripts recognizing this achievement. Further, at the graduation ceremony they wear an Honors College medallion.

Opportunities for Recognition

The Maryland Collegiate Honors Council (MCHC) annually sponsors the John & Edythe Portz Award for the outstanding honors student in the State. Held in early April, the Northeast Regional Honors Council (NRHC) conference includes students from two- and four-year colleges from Maryland to Maine. Participation is even more competitive and prestigious. The proposal deadline is usually from early to mid-November.

Peer Mentoring

Being a peer mentor is a great way to practice student leadership. Students enrolled in HONR 201 qualify for both the leadership certificate and the service certificate.

Honors Student Association (HSA)

The Honors Student Association (HSA) is a recognized student club at FCC and is open to all students. There is a constitution on file with the Student Government Association and an officer with the club serves as liaison with SGA and attends the scheduled meetings. As required, HSA completes a budget request, submits meeting minutes, and completes a service project for each semester. At a minimum, one Honors Student Association (HSA) officer and one student at-large will serve annually on the Board. The FCC Honors Coordinator will nominate students for these positions.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)

By completing 12 credits with a 3.50 cumulative grade point average at Frederick Community College, students are eligible to join the Alpha Delta Sigma chapter of PTK. EDGE training, leadership, and research can bolster chances to earn scholarships through PTK.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) recognizes the academic achievement of two-year college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders. Established in 1918, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) has a presence on almost 1,300 community college campuses in 11 nations.

Membership in PTK

To join, you must receive an invitation from your college's Phi Theta Kappa chapter.

PTK EDGE Programs

PTK EDGE PROGRAMS are professional development and leadership courses that are taken at your own pace. The PTK Edge programs were specifically developed to create an accessible way for members to get specialized, in-depth skills and knowledge in a range of areas to help with academic success, transfer readiness, and workforce preparation - Healthcare Edge, Transfer Edge, Research Edge, Competitive Edge, and Employment Edge.

PTK Connect

PTK CONNECT is a tool for college transfer and scholarship searches. PTK Connect allows you to search for thousands of colleges and universities, especially those that offer scholarships just for being a PTK member. These can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Phi Theta Kappa also offers twice-yearly competitive scholarships based on your academic goals.

Giving Back Through PTK

GIVING BACK through the College Project, a collaborative leadership program that engages students in service and leadership to support the college's mission and establish a positive relationship with the administration. Students work with college leaders to pick the project and implement it. THE HONORS IN ACTION PROJECT allows students to tackle a real-world challenge that has been established by PTK. Students explore the complex, interdisciplinary topic and develop an understanding of it. Then they implement an action-oriented project that creates an in-depth solution to the challenge. HIA projects allow students to demonstrate real-world problem-solving skills, students demonstrate critical thinking skills and make a lasting impact on society. NETWORKING AND HAVING FUN. PTK members are a community of scholars and leaders who make connections that strengthen their personal and professional networks.

Leadership and Vision

Dr. serves as the Dean of the David C. Frederick Honors College, the newest degree-granting academic unit at the University of Pittsburgh. The Honors College was dedicated in 1987 as part of the University’s Bicentennial with G. Alec Stewart installed as the first dean. In the summer of 2022, the University of Pittsburgh received a transformational gift from renowned attorney David C. Frederick and his wife Sophie Lynn, leading to the official renaming in September as the David C.

Faculty and Staff Support

Our faculty fellows make significant contributions to the life of the Frederick Honors College. Additionally, our team of academic advisors offers complementary support to the guidance honors students receive through their home units, by connecting them to the people and resources best positioned to further their goals. Our Office of National Scholarships and Post-Graduation Success, run by the team of scholar mentors, helps to prepare all students at the University in applying to prestigious national scholarships; they guide students through each step of the process, from identifying faculty sponsors to preparing for final interviews.

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