The West Valley College Honors University Transfer Program is one of the institution’s primary instruments for advanced academic excellence and scholastic training within a critical-thinking mode. The program’s primary mission is to create and maintain an alternative curriculum model which, by virtue of its interdisciplinary structure, ensures course enrichment and accelerates the intellectual and creative development of high-ability students.

Program Description

The Honors University Transfer Program provides highly motivated students the opportunity to work closely with dedicated instructors and a community of driven peers in advanced levels of critical thinking, analysis, research, writing, and communication. The goal of the Program is to engage, support, and challenge self-motivated students to pursue a deeper education, enabling them to create opportunities for success in both their personal and professional lives. Honors courses offer enriched educational experiences through our Honors faculty, challenging coursework, typically smaller class sizes, and the opportunity to study with other highly motivated students. Learn more and apply here: https://www.westvalley.edu/learning-communities/honors/


Eligibility, Maintenance, & Completion

New and current students who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply:
• Current WVC Student Qualifications: 
o Completed at least 9 units of transferable coursework
o Earn a GPA of 3.25 or higher in at least 9 units of transferable coursework
• High School Student Qualifications:
o Completed at least 10th grade (or will complete 10th grad by end of Spring semester applying in)
o Earned an unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher

Students are encouraged to complete at least two Honors classes over an academic year. To maintain active membership in the program, students must maintain a 3.4+ cumulative GPA or higher in transferable coursework and take at least one Honors course every two years. Earning Honors Scholar, i.e., successfully completing the program and receiving all the benefits that entails, requires a student to complete a total of 15+ Honors units with a cumulative GPA of 3.4+ in all transferable coursework.  

Notes on earning WVC Honors Scholar:

• Qualifying Honors courses must be at least three (3) units each
• At most six (6) Honors units may be completed at Mission College
• Students may also earn the STEM Honors Scholar distinction for certain coursework 
• UCLA TAP has its own additional requirements for Honors Scholars – see below 

There is no adverse consequence if a student joins the Honors Program and does not end up meeting the requirements to earn Honors Scholar.

Program Benefits

Students who earn Honors Scholar receive all benefits from the WVC program, all benefits of local and statewide Honors organizations, and all transfer benefits to highly selective universities. WVC provides a permanent Honors Scholar notation on students’ academic transcripts and a special Honors Medal to wear during and keep after commencement. Our membership in the Bay Honors Consortium and the Honors Transfer Council of California provide students with advantages in the application, transfer, and scholarship process. Our accreditation with highly selective universities significantly increases the chance of admission to schools like UCLA, UC Irvine, Yale University, and many more.

One of WVC’s most notable benefits to Honors students is its partnership with UCLA’s Transfer Alliance Program (TAP). Students completing the Honors Program and earning Honors Scholar receive priority consideration for admission to UCLA via TAP. If accepted to UCLA through TAP, students are also eligible to apply for scholarships and other opportunities reserved only for those in the Transfer Alliance Program. Learn more about UCLA TAP at: http://tap.ucla.edu.

Important Updates for UCLA TAP: Effective May 1, 2026, UCLA clarified and formalized two expectations for Honors applicants seeking TAP certification:

1. The earliest Honors students may complete the TAP certification process is during the second year of their college studies following high school graduation.
2. A maximum of six (6) units of Honors coursework counting towards TAP certification may be completed before high school graduation; all remaining units must be completed afterward.

Please see the Honors Website and Honors Canvas Page for additional information.

Course Content and Methodology

The difference between the Honors curriculum and the traditional curriculum is qualitative. The Honors curriculum allows for more individualized, interdisciplinary, experiential, and collaborative learning experiences. Students will participate in advanced seminars as well as independent projects. Knowledge will be demonstrated primarily through written assignments and oral presentations.