Honors Classes & Honor Societies at MassBay
BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF SCHOLARS
MassBay Community College’s Honors classes provide you with opportunities to challenge yourself and to engage with your peers, professors and the community in new ways. In our Honors classes, you will explore challenging topics through inquiry, writing, critical thinking and oral presentation. MassBay also participates in the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society, Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honor Society, Psi Beta Psychology National Honor Society, and Delta Alpha Pi International Honors Scoiety for High Achieving Students with Disabilities.
Commonwealth Honors Program Information
Commonwealth Honors Program Information
MassBay Commonwealth Honors Program Admissions Application
The Commonwealth Honors Program at MassBay offers an exciting opportunity for students to learn at a deeper level. The Honors Program provides a place for you to work with dedicated faculty where you participate in seminar style classes, exchange insights and ideas with students and professors, participate in extra-curricular activities, and master research and in-class presentations.
Honors sections are identified as Honors level courses on your outgoing transcript, and enhance your transfer applications. Honors sections offer unique opportunities to work with faculty and other students in an especially motivated and rewarding environment.
What are the ADVANTAGES of honors classes?
- Smaller classes
- Transcript notation designating Honors level course
- Intellectually challenging curricula
- Networking with other undergraduate scholars
- Original research opportunities
- Colloquia opportunities
- Membership in a larger community of scholars across the Commonwealth
How do I FIND OUT MORE about an honors level class?
Anyone may apply to take an honors course. Enrollment criteria for admission to individual honors courses vary according to the discretion of the faculty and department offering the course.
Fall 2023 Honors Courses
If a student has a B+ or higher GPA, anyone in the Advising Office may enroll that student, with no additional contacts or permissions, in the Honors sections that follow:
English Composition I ~ EN-101-002H [8314]
MWF 9:00-9:50am
Wellesley Campus
American Literature I ~ LI-203-004H [8295]
MW 11:00am-12:15pm
Wellesley Campus
U.S. History To 1877 ~ HS-105-004H [8647]
TuTh 11:00am-12:15pm
Wellesley Campus
Principles of Management ~ MG-101-012H [8143]
TuTh 11:00am-12:15pm
Wellesley Campus
Introduction to Sociology ~ SO-101-013H [8079]
TuTh 12:30pm-1:45pm
Wellesley Campus
Commonwealth Honors Program Graduation Requirements
- Earn a minimum 3.2 GPA at the time of graduation.
- Complete a minimum of three honors courses (9 credits) with a grade B or better, and the Honors Colloquium course (3 credits) with a grade of B or better. Beyond the minimum requirements, you can take as many honors courses as you would like.
Honors By Contract Option
Once a student is accepted into the Honors program, the student can choose to do an Honors contract for no more than one (1) course, which goes toward fulfilling the requirements for completing the Commonwealth Honors Program. After securing your course instructor’s permission to “honorize” the course, download and print the Honors contract, carefully read the contract’s instructions, review the contract with the instructor, and agree on the required additional project with your course instructor. Once completed, return the form to an Honors co-coordinator for final approval. Contact info is below.
Honors Contract →
How to Apply for the Commonwealth Honors Program
Anyone may apply to take an honors course. Enrollment criteria for admission to individual honors courses vary according to the discretion of the faculty and department offering the course.
Students are encouraged to email honors co-coordinators, Perry Beardsley (pbeardsley@massbay.edu) and Jason Mazaik (jmazaik@massbay.edu ) with any questions.
Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society
Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is a national honor society for students at two-year colleges who exhibit an outstanding academic performance throughout each semester. PTK eligible students will be sent a membership invitation early in the semester.
To learn more about PTK:
https://www.ptk.org →
The purpose of Phi Theta Kappa shall be to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year college students. To achieve this purpose, Phi Theta Kappa shall provide opportunity for the development of leadership and service, for an intellectual climate for exchange of ideas and ideals, for lively fellowship for scholars, and for stimulation of interest in continuing academic excellence.
PTK scholarships & aid:
http://www.ptk.org/scholarships →
The PTK Induction Ceremony takes place as part of MassBay Community College’s Evening of Excellence event.
Questions?
Contact Honors Coordinators:
Perry Beardsley pbeardsley@massbay.edu
Jason Mazaik jmazaik@massbay.edu.
Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honors Society
Alpha Beta Gamma is a national business honor society established in 1970 to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year college students in business programs. Alpha Beta Gamma provides leadership opportunities and a forum for the exchange of ideas, as well as promoting continuing academic excellence. Membership requires that students be enrolled in a business division program with at least 15 credits completed and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. MassBay’s Chapter name is Kappa Epsilon.
Questions?
Contact Professor of Business:
Tom Niemi tniemi@massbay.edu
Psi Beta Psychology Honor Society
Psi Beta is the national honor society in psychology for community colleges. The purpose of the society is to promote professional development of psychology students through recognition of excellence in scholarship, leadership, research, and community service. Students who have completed at least twelve (12) semester hours, taken a minimum of three (3) courses in psychology and have earned a grade of “B+” or better in each course, with an overall grade point average of 3.5 or higher are eligible for membership in Psi Beta.
Questions?
Contact Professors of Psychology:
Joan Alegi-Feeney jalegifeeney@massbay.edu
Ruma Mishrarmishra@massbay.edu
Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society
Purpose: Because of the negative stereotyping associated with disability, students have been reluctant to identify themselves publicly. Delta Alpha Pi presents an opportunity to change that perception by recognizing students with disabilities for their academic accomplishments. By their open acknowledgement of their disability, Delta Alpha Pi members serve as role models for other students with disabilities and advance the goals of Delta Alpha Pi on their campuses and in the community. Membership in Delta Alpha Pi facilitates development of leadership, advocacy, and education for participating students.
To learn more about more than 170 institutions that have established a chapter and to uncover scholarship opportunities, please visit the Delta Alpha Pi international webpage: https://deltaalphapihonorsociety.org/
Questions?
Contact Professors of Psychology:
Please reach out to the Advisor, Lisa Armstrong Smith: larmstrongsmith@massbay.edu or call 781-239-2234.