Students accepted in the program may enroll for the Honors Diploma Sequence in the curriculum of their choice. A total of six courses, four interdisciplinary honors seminars and two supplementary courses, satisfy the electives and diverse requirements in conjunction with the student’s curriculum. Alternatively, qualified students may enroll in the Honors Recognition Sequence, taking two interdisciplinary courses and two supplementary courses or an additional interdisciplinary course.

Grounded in the traditions of the liberal arts, the Honors Program stresses the connections among various disciplines and the tools of artistic and intellectual creativity. Honors course offerings differ from campus to campus, but on each campus the program centers on four interdisciplinary honors seminars in philosophy, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences or mathematics. Each of these seminars examines major historical events, cultural developments and turning points, and the current status of its subject in the context of the broader evolution of society. Within this focus, special attention is given to a particular historical period, issue, body of literature, or other topic subsumed under the general curriculum area using primary sources of information.

Part-time and full-time students in all curriculums are eligible. Special efforts are made to accommodate the needs of evening students. Minimum requirements for admission to the program include high school average of B+ and a review of ACT, SAT, and/or placement test scores. Candidates for the program are welcome to submit alternative evidence of academic talent including letters of reference from employers and/or special projects, which are either employer or school related. In addition, candidates must submit a satisfactory writing sample, a favorable letter of recommendation and be interviewed by a member of the Honors Program Advisory Committee. The Suffolk County Community College Foundation commits $45,000 in scholarship funds for entering freshman each year. An Honors Convocation ceremony is held in May to recognizes, not only those who are graduating with either the Honors Diploma Sequence or the Honors Recognition Sequence, but also winners of an essay competition, and the winners of the SUNY/Utica Rome Medal of Academic Excellence.

The Honors program needs to grow beyond its majority population of continuing students through stronger more focused recruitment efforts, both through the central coordinating office and at the campus level. Also there should be greater vigilance to the maintenance of common program standards and policies across the College, where the program is campus specific in its operations and policy driven and coordinated through the central Office of Academic Affairs. However, efforts in this area are presently alleviating concerns surrounding this issue. In 1996-97 plans to create an Honors College were approved to enhance the opportunity for Honors students to feel greater sense of identity with their peers and for faculty to be able to better integrate Honors courses and activities.