ChattState Honors Program
The Honors Program, Chattanooga State’s academic honors program, will provide you an opportunity to gain a global perspective and awareness through a deeper and more complex, connected, and contextualized college experience. The honors faculty at Chattanooga State will challenge you to unlock your personal strengths so that you can leverage them to make a difference in the world.
As a student in the Honors Program, you will be part of a community of students from all majors who share your intellectual curiosity and academic achievement. You will take classes together, participate in co-curricular activities together, and engage in service learning projects to make the community and the world a better place in which to live.
If you have a passion for learning and want to chart your own path, the Honors Program can offer you an outstanding education.
"The Honors Program provides an opportunity to be surrounded by intelligent, hardworking students who make classes more engaging. Smaller classes allow for group discussions, which opens the door for the sharing of ideas and debates. The program goes beyond the classroom, from creating special events to making it possible to attend concerts, workshops, and travel abroad. I am forever grateful to the Honors Program for the opportunities provided to me that have made my two years at ChattState more enjoyable"
— Cintly Guzman, class of 2016, transferred to UTC’s Innovations In Honors program
Program Details
Small Class Sizes
Professors from every discipline apply to teach in the Honors Program and develop special course sections to include alternative modes of inquiry, exploration, discovery, tolerance of ambiguity, and enduring questions. Coursework often requires integrative teaching and learning with connections across time, genre, and disciplines…and not always in classroom situations. Honors classes incorporate a comprehensive view of the world and human civilization from an interdisciplinary perspective. Class sizes are small (12-15 students), which allows for in-depth discussion with professors and other honors students.
Oxford & Cambridge Tutorial Method
In the 1600s, Oxford and Cambridge Universities designed a pedagogical method that they still use today…and so does the Chattanooga State Honors Program. Separate from the regular class meetings, professors meet with smaller groups (usually around four students) for tutorial sessions. You will have the opportunity to defend, analyze, critique ideas of others, receive direct feedback on your research, and receive individual academic guidance. This will foster strong connections between you, your classmates, and your professors.
Study Abroad
As an Honors student you will receive support to take part in a true learning adventure through our study abroad program. These international experiences allow you to explore the world and also understand your place in it while earning college credits.
Low Tuition
In addition to TN Promise, TN HOPE Scholarship, and Pell Grants, you will have access to a variety of scholarship opportunities through the Chattanooga State Foundation. These scholarships can help you offset the costs of books, transportation, study abroad, and other expenses associated with being a college student. Out-of-State and international students may receive in-state tuition as part of the Honors Program, making these prestigious educational opportunities affordable to students throughout the region and beyond.
Program Requirements
The Honors Program is open to students who meet at least one of the following minimum criteria:
- ACT composite score of 25*
- SAT score of 1130
- High school GPA of 3.50*
- GPA of 3.50 or higher based on a minimum of 12 hours of college level courses
* Candidates must meet all college-readiness benchmarks in math, reading, and writing.
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative college GPA of 3.25 to maintain good standing in the Honors Program. This requirement will be based solely on grades earned at Chattanooga State, will apply to all students admitted to the program, and cannot be waived.
In order to graduate with recognition as an Honors student, you must be continuously enrolled for at least 12 credit hours each term and must also accumulate 15 honors credit hours.