Honors Institute

Welcome! As Pearl River Community College’s Honors Institute, we strive in being able to accommodate students that do not feel challenged in the regular classroom. We provide our students with discussion-based classes taught by award-winning faculty, and a number of activities to foster each student’s unique qualities. On the Poplarville Campus, we are situated on the second floor of White Hall, where we have our own private library and computer room. We also have multiple classrooms that foster our discussion-based classes. On the Forrest County Campus, we are located in Building 5. If you join our Honors Institute, you can attend our forums every Tuesday where we discuss important events and are visited by important speakers from around the world. 

Lyceum Lecture Series 

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The Goals of the Honors Institute are: 

  1. To enhance the intellectual climate of the College and its leadership in the academic community. 
  2. To enrich Honors coursework with research, service, and other experiential opportunities in order to broaden students’ perspectives and to challenge them to achieve their full potential as learners, leaders, and citizens. 
  3. To enhance the academic spirit of the community by promoting intellectual engagement in all its forms among students, faculty, staff, and the public. 

If you would like more information, email our deans, Dr. Jennifer Seal, at jseal@prcc.edu (Poplarville Campus) or Dr. Ryan Ruckel at rruckel@prcc.edu (Forrest County Campus), or Dr. Douglas Donohue, Assistant Honors Institute Dean (Forrest County Campus) at ddonohue@prcc.edu. 

Eligibility 

Students selected for the Pearl River Community College Honors Institute will participate in intensive and innovative classes which are designed to be both challenging and stimulating. Freshmen applicants must have a minimum composite ACT score of 25 and a minimum high school grade point average of 3.4. Current PRCC student applicants must have completed at least 12 semester hours of college work, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 or higher. Students selected will have honors-related academic advising to assist in planning for future educational and leadership opportunities. Honors students must attend and participate in the Pearl River Community College Honors Lecture Series and the Honors Seminar each semester. 

There are two levels once students graduate from the Honors Institute: 
  • Honors Institute Medallion Graduate – Students must complete at least 21 hours of Honors coursework, and maintain a cumulative 3.4 grade point average. 
  • Honors Institute Certificate Graduate – Students must complete 11 hours of Honors coursework with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25. 

Honors Courses 

All courses designated Honors include the general course objectives and additional activities appropriate to the study of the course. Participation in Honors courses is by permission only. To qualify for Honors Institute designation, students must be members of the Honors Institute in good standing. 

Honors sections include the same material covered in regular sections of a course but in greater depth with more opportunity for students to pursue individual interests. The Honors Institute brings together award-winning faculty and highly motivated students. 

Graduates of the Pearl River Community College Honors Institute will have the opportunity to transfer into the honors programs at other Mississippi institutions of higher learning, where they may be eligible for additional scholarship opportunities. 

Looking for a comprehensive guide?

The PRCC Honors Institute Handbook provides extensive information on everything Honors and how students can make the most of their time at The River.

Each community college president is asked to bring two (2) wrapped door prizes, minimum value of $50 each. We will have a station set up at the conference for you to drop off the door prizes.

Each community college is asked to provide name tags for their Board members, administration, and staff attending the conference.