Welcome, Students!
Students in the Berkshire Honors Scholar Program contribute to a diverse community
of learning at BCC. The program provides a creative and challenging student-driven
experience, designed for highly-motivated students who want to realize their full
potential pursuing the highest level of academic achievement possible at BCC.
Students in the program work together both in and out of the classroom. There are
opportunities to get together as a group several times each semester. Enjoy lunches,
coffees, and informal gab sessions; discuss career choice, college transfer options,
and how to navigate the College. Students can meet, rest, or study in the dedicated
Honors Center on campus.
Above all, the program offers a chance to take intellectually engaging courses, with
smaller class sizes, in the company of other students who care deeply about learning.
To graduate as an Honors Scholar you will take 9 credits of honors courses. These
courses also count toward your general education and program requirements so you do
not have to take "extra" courses. See Courses and Components for more.
The Commonwealth Honors Program
We are also a member of the Commonwealth Honors Program. Members include all four
University of Massachusetts campuses, seven State University campuses, and fourteen
community colleges.
Students who fulfill the Berkshire Honors Scholar graduation requirements and are
accepted to any Commonwealth Honors Program member institution are guaranteed admission
to the honors program at that school. This includes the Commonwealth College at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Honors Program Diversity Statement
The Honors Program values diversity and seeks to create a warm and inclusive space
for all students. We believe in the value and dignity of Black lives, Indigenous lives,
and the lives of people of color. We believe that we must fight to be anti-racist
and to dismantle the structures that undermine the cause of equality between all people.
We are welcoming to all students, whether they are citizens of this country or whether
they have come to our shores to seek opportunity, education, or new life experiences,
and support and encourage course content that considers global perspectives. We proudly
support members of the LGBTQ community and will fight to ensure that their voices
and experiences are not undermined, silenced, or erased. We also stand against sexism
and for the equal treatment of women. As a program, we strive to support both the
neuro and physically diverse and work hard to create accessible programming and classroom
materials for all kinds of learners regardless of ability. We believe in providing
courses where opportunities for discussion foster inclusive, collaborative dialogue
across differences to create positive societal change.
Learn More
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Berkshire Honors Scholars have transferred to a wide variety of four-year institutions,
including:
- Amherst College
- The Commonwealth College at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Cornell University
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
- Marlborough College
- Mount Holyoke College
- The New School
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- Smith College
- Westfield State University Honors Program
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Our courses are the heart of the program. They are small and student centered. Most
are seminar style courses that take a broader perspective on a topic. They provide
you with crucial knowledge that will connect to and support many other courses you
take, as well as helping you to think more analytically and critically.
In these courses you might write your own graphic novel, or compare monsters and things
that scare us now and in the past.
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Out-of-classroom learning is important. Therefore, we like to take students off campus
for dynamic learning experiences whenever possible.
Past honors scholars have visited venues that were relevant to their coursework, such
as the Graphics Arts Museum in New York City, the 9/11 Museum, various branches of
the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC, the Environmental Center in Cape Cod, and
multiple museums around the county.
There are also opportunities to attend and present at regional and national honors
conferences. Students have attended the Northeast Regional Honors Council Conference
and other out-of-state conferences. Additionally, many students have presented at
the BCC Undergraduate Scholars Conference as well as the annual UMass Undergraduate
Research Conference.