Aletheia Honors Program

The Aletheia Honors Program engages high-achieving, active learners in Socratic discourse toward aletheia, unveiled truth, enhancing academic engagement with prominent global scholars. Honors students follow a five-week, cohort-based model that promotes literary analysis, sharpens critical thinking skills, provides campus and community leadership opportunities, and culminates in an international service-learning trip along with a generous scholarship. Open to incoming freshmen, sophomores, and juniors of all majors.

SCHOLARSHIP

  • $1,000 to 50% of Tuition (renewable for up to 4 years)

COHORT MODEL

  • Aletheia Honors students will be taught in a collaborative learning community together with faculty mentors as support. The program design is intended to foster transformative learning and encourage excellence in students as developing scholars.

Next Steps 

New Launch – Fall 2020:
 • We are now accepting applications for Fall 2020

Application Process:
 • Interested applicants should send a 500-word essay on the value of obtaining a Christian education to aletheia@sdcc.edu. Students who pass the first round of the application process will be invited to a personal interview with the Program Chair.

Invitation Deadline:
 • Qualifying applicants from the first round will be notified in writing within one week of their essay submission and invited to the second round of program application.

Notification Deadline:
 • Qualifying applicants from the second round will be notified of their acceptance status within one week after the interview.

student testimonials

“I am blessed by the personal relationships I have created through the honors program which make the classroom experience and our interactions with each other meaningful.” – Sarah

“I enjoy the honors program because of the open, encouraging classroom atmosphere and flexible, supportive structure.” — Danny

 

Honors Program Course Numbers, Titles, and Meeting Times

Course Number/Title/Credits    
HON100   Science and Civic Engagement/2 (Fall)    
HON150   Science and Civic Engagement/2 (Spring)    
HON200   Literature and Leadership/2 (Fall)    
HON250   Literature and Leadership/2 (Spring)    
HON300   Arts and Theology/2 (Fall)    
HON350   Arts and Theology/2 (Spring)    
HON400   Truth, Purpose & Social Change/2 (Fall)    
HON495   Ethics, Worldview & Global Impact/3 (Spring)    

Honors Course Descriptions

HON100  

Fall: Freshman year Aletheia courses include Socratic seminars in the following topics: Biology and Scientific Origins of Life, Civic Engagement and Social Change, the Life and Works of C.S. Lewis, and Special Topics. Course length: one semester. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON150

Spring: Special topics in science, literature, and civic engagement. Course length: one semester. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON200

Fall: Sophomore year Aletheia courses include Socratic seminars in the following topics: History of the Christian Church, Strategic Leadership in the Nehemiah Model, Epic Genres in Global Literature, and Special Topics. Course length: one year. 2 credits per semester. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON250

Spring: Special topics in literature and leadership. Course length: one semester. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON300

Fall: Junior year Aletheia courses include Socratic seminars in the following topics: Theology and World Religions, Anthropology and Fine Arts, and Special Topics. Course length: one semester. 2 credits. Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON350

Spring: Special topics in humanities, fine arts, and anthropology. Course length: one semester. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Honors 300 and acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON400

Fall: Senior year Aletheia courses include Socratic seminars in Special Topics as designated by the individual cohort. Course length: one semester. 2 credits. Prerequisites: Honors 300, 350, and acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON400

Fall: Senior year Aletheia courses include Socratic seminars in Special Topics as designated by the individual cohort. Course length: one semester. 2 credits. Prerequisites: Honors 300, 350, and acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.

   

HON495

Spring: For the final course in the Aletheia Honors Program, seniors earn 2 credits for coursework in the Socratic seminar Ethics and Contemporary Thought and 1 credit for the global service-learning trip. Course length: one semester. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HON 300, 350, 400, and acceptance into the Aletheia Honors Program.