Definition of Honors Beyond the Classroom
The Honors Beyond the Classroom (BTC) requirement aims to enrich and expand a student’s college experience and helps prepare Honors students for their future. This requirement can be fulfilled by completing a credit-bearing experience in one of four areas – internship, research, service learning or study away.
Honors BTC Policy
- The BTC requirement can be fulfilled by completing an approved Honors BTC course, as classified on our Honors course web page, or an approved BTC course through your major.
- Although a student can take a 1 credit hour approved BTC course (for example, a 1-hour internship or research course), a total of 3 credit hours must be completed to successfully fulfill the BTC requirement.
- To fulfill the Honors BTC requirement, the course(s) must appear on a student’s transcript and be credit-bearing.
- Nine hours of approved non-Honors BTC coursework in a student’s major can fulfill Honors College requirements – the 3 credit BTC requirement and up to 2 Honors electives.
How to Fulfill the BTC Requirement
There are four Beyond the Classroom paths, or pillars, to fulfill the Honors BTC requirement.
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Internships
Receive Honors College credit while participating in public service or working for a company or organization of your choosing.
Pictured: Lana Sukkar hosting a vaccination clinic during summer internship with Walgreens.
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Research
Participate in groundbreaking research in any field with a personal research mentor.
Pictured: Biochemistry student Lydia Pless in Dr. Nicholas Truex’s lab researching Therapeutic Delivery of Zinc Finger Proteins into Mammalian Cells.
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Study Away
Learn in exciting cities in the U.S. and around the world.
Pictured: Group of Honors students in Venice, Italy during Honors summer study abroad course: Art, Design + Architecture in Venice: Drawing from The Past, Imagining The Future.
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Service Learning
Through an Honors service learning course, students connect meaningful community service with academic coursework and purposeful reflection.
Pictured: Khufu Holly Jr. during Honors Pride, an event organized through the SCHC Coming Out in Primetime service learning course.
Fulfilling Honors BTC Through Your Major
Honors students may be able to fulfill the Honors Beyond the Classroom experience through research, internship, practicum, or clinical rotation or other credit-bearing opportunities in their major.
Non-Honors BTC experiences must be pre-approved by the Honors College. Nine hours of approved non-Honors departmental BTC coursework can fulfill Honors College requirements – the BTC requirement and up to 2 Honors electives.
For a list of departmental courses that will fulfill the BTC requirement, please visit our searchable database here.
Common Questions
Starting in August 2025, the Honors BTC requirement is fulfilled by a credit-bearing course (e.g., an Honors service learning course, a research course, an internship or study abroad course).
Non-Honors BTC experiences must be pre-approved by the Honors College. Students may use up to 9 hours of approved non-Honors BTC coursework in their major to fulfill the BTC requirement and up to 2 Honors electives.
Yes, as long as your study away experience follows these guidelines:
- Appears on the USC transcript and is credit-bearing. Although a student may enroll in a 1 credit hour approved study away course, the student must successfully complete a total of 3 credit hours of Honors BTC to fulfill the requirement.
- Is typically taught entirely away from campus, not including pre-departure meetings. Courses featuring fall or spring break trips do not fulfill the Honors BTC requirement. If you have a question about a study away experience and Honors BTC, please contact honorsaway@sc.edu.
For a list of approved courses in your major that will fulfill the BTC requirement, please visit our searchable database.
Yes, as long as it is a approved BTC course which appears on a student’s transcript.
Students may use up to 9 hours of approved non-Honors BTC coursework in the major to fulfill the BTC requirement and up to 2 Honors electives (a total of 9 credit hours).
For a list of departmental courses that will fulfill the BTC requirement, please visit our searchable database.
Any Honors BTC course can be used as an Honors elective. There are no limits on the how many Honors elective credit hours a student can receive through Honors BTC courses.
We encourage students to experiment with beyond the classroom experiences, however, only 9 credit hours of pre-approved non-honors BTC in your major will count toward Honors requirements (BTC and up to 2 Honors electives). Regardless of the number of credit hours a student is enrolled in during a non-honors BTC experience, no more than 9 hours of Honors credit (BTC and/or Honors elective) will be awarded.
This ensures that most of a student's Honors electives are fulfilled through courses and experiences that are uniquely Honors.
Students may use up to 9 hours of non-Honors BTC experiences to fulfill SCHC requirements (BTC and two electives). There is no limit for SCHC courses (ex. SCHC 300, SCHC 400, SCHC service learning courses, SCHC 497).