About Us
The Seneff Honors College helps students develop knowledge, mindsets, and skills needed to thrive in the 21st century through in-class and co-curricular opportunities. Broader, deeper, and more complex than the College’s standard curriculum, honors experiences engage students in addressing societal needs and challenges, often through practices such as service learning, undergraduate research, and study abroad. The Seneff Honors College seeks academically motivated learners representing a variety of backgrounds and identities, and those whose talents and demonstrated excellence may not have been previously recognized by traditional measures of academic aptitude. Honors students are invested in their personal growth and development, are committed to making a difference in their local community, and are looking to get more out of their college experience.
Successful honors students have these characteristics in common:
- Possess a passion for life-long learning
- Seek opportunities to engage in critical and analytical thinking
- Enjoy collaborating and communicating with others from different social, political, and cultural backgrounds
- Embrace ambiguity and complex challenges as sources of growth
Students enrolled in the Seneff Honors College have access to:
- Honors-specific, smaller classes
- Dedicated Honors Student Success Coaches
- Engagement opportunities in Service Learning, Study Abroad, and Undergraduate Research initiatives
- Recognition at graduation
- Honors-only scholarship opportunities
- Professional development opportunities, including conference travel
- Transfer opportunities to university honors programs, including the Burnett Honors College at UCF
Co-curricular Opportunities
Each fall and spring semester, honors students engage in a robust schedule of activities that promote learning outside of the classroom through academic enrichment, community service, exposure to the arts, career development, and social networking. The co-curricular experience is an integral part of the honors experience and is required as part of our graduation distinction criteria.
Honors Co-curricular Principles:
- The activity must provide a unique engagement opportunity.
- The activity has a substantive learning component that supports an Honors class or program outcome.
- The activity adheres to Valencia College’s Policies and Procedures and the Seneff Honors College Honor Code
We encourage participation in any activity that sparks a student’s interest. However, our graduation distinction criteria require students to attend pre-approved events in their entirety and submit Co-curricular Reflection Forms by the deadline.
Honors Courses
Honors courses at Valencia College are interdisciplinary, prepare students to become 21st-century learners, and integrate research-driven engaged practices. Faculty work with the Honors College to identify one or more of the practices below to integrate into their curriculum: Undergraduate Research, Service Learning, Internationalizing the Curriculum, and Authentic Inquiry-based Learning. Additionally, each course includes two honors-designated learning outcomes:
Students will apply problem-solving skills creatively to address societal needs and challenges.
Students will integrate interdisciplinary perspectives to enhance course content.
Application Information
To be considered for admission to the Seneff Honors College, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and submit all required application materials by the application deadline. Prospective students can apply to the Honors College in the fall and spring term each year.
How to Apply
1. Apply to Valencia College. Once admitted, set up your Atlas account.
2. Apply to the Seneff Honors College. The “Application to the Seneff Honors College” is located in your Atlas account under the Students tab, in the Student Forms section, as the first link in the Applications list.
3. Send the Recommendation Form to your Recommender. The Seneff Honors College requires one academic recommendation as part of the application for admission. We accept recommendations from high school teachers, high school officials, college professors, student success coaches, college counselors, work supervisors, or community leaders. We do not accept personal references from family members or friends. Please have your recommender complete and submit the following recommendation form on your behalf.
4. Submit supporting academic documents as requested. Regularly check your Atlas email for status updates on your application and requests for additional supporting documents like unofficial copies of standardized test score reports or unofficial academic transcripts. Your application will not be considered complete and "ready for review" until all requested materials are received.
Decision Notifications
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the current admissions cycle. Admissions decisions will automatically be sent to applicants when review of their application is complete (there is no specific decision day). If you have questions about the application or would like to check on the status, please call 407-582-3835 or email us at honors@valenciacollege.edu.
