About the program

BRCC STEM Division majors can join the Science Research Honors Program, a non-degree certificate program designed to immerse students in undergraduate research experiences as they earn their Associate of Science degrees.  Participating students gain exposure to research opportunities, build research skills, and receive support services to facilitate their progress towards graduation.

Program benefits

Science Research Honors Program students:

  • receive educational support, including tutoring
  • are paired with an academic advisor, who provides guidance in selecting each semester's courses to fulfill program, enrollment, and graduation requirements
  • receive research exposure by enrolling in reserved, research-focused course sections
  • explore careers in science through coursework, visits to local 4-year institutions, and events with guest speakers
  • engage in unique hands-on research experiences in the classroom and at research sites
  • participate in peer- and faculty-mentoring activities
  • may be selected for paid summer research internships and to present their projects at conferences

Graduation honors requirements

Participating students earn points towards graduation recognition by participating in research-related courses or internships, outreach activities, presentations, and peer mentoring, as detailed here.  These activities generally overlap with those described above.  Students who earn 40 points (with a minimum of 25 points and 4 points, respectively, from research skill-building courses/summer internships and outreach research activities) and a total institutional GPA of 2.8 will be recognized at graduation with a Science Research Program honor cord and certificate of completion.

Eligibility and application

Interested students in the majors below can join the Honors program at any point during their BRCC careers; early participation is recommended to allow time for participants to earn graduation honors.

  • Associate of Science General Science
  • Associate of Science Louisiana Transfer
  • Associate of Science in Computer Science
  • Associate of Science in Pre-Engineering
  • Associate of Science in Nursing

Funding

The Science Research Honors Program is funded by the BRCC Minorities in Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education.