The Honors College Summer Institute
Pre-College Courses in Historic Charleston
Make the city of Charleston your classroom while learning the skills you need to become a leader.
Hands-On Exploration
Make Charleston your summer classroom. Conduct field research at the Grice Marine Laboratory. Visit vital historic landmarks. Meet with artistic performers and healthcare practictioners. Experience the world firsthand so you can learn more about it.
Taught by College Faculty
All Summer Institute courses are offered in-person on our beautiful downtown campus, where you’ll work directly with expert College of Charleston faculty.
Cultivate your Curiosity
This summer, enhance your skills with the Honors College Summer Institute and lay the foundation to become a changemaker in your community.
Honors College Summer Institute Courses - 2025
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Out of Class, Into Charleston
June 23 – June 28, 2025
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. daily
Course Fee: $500
Instructor: Dr. Hayden Smith, Department of HistoryThe history of Charleston can teach us lessons of the past and help us map a better future. Find out how with a pre-college course from the Honors College Summer Institute.
Become a Part of the City's History
To bring about change in your community, first you have to understand your community’s history. This place-based course will guide you through the little-known but crucial turning points in Charleston’s history.A Unique Way to Experience Charleston
The class will visit locations that have defined the city’s complex past, and discover how Charleston’s history has shaped its present. You’ll interact with the city through faculty-led excursions, on-site lectures, and readings that explore the issues still reverberating in Charleston to this day.Make an Impact on our Community
This summer, Charleston’s history comes to life to help you shape the communities of the future.
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Healing in Charleston with Art and Medicine
June 24 – June 26, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. daily
Course Fee: $400
Instructor: Dr. Kathleen Béres Rogers, Department of English and Director of the Program in Medical HumanitiesExplore Charleston's arts scene and discover a city molded by medicine.
A Unique Approach to Examining Medicine
In this class you’ll mix medicine with the arts. Explore the way we use art to interpret the human body, treat illness, and improve modern medicine to better understand how healthcare is evolving in Charleston.
The Stories Shaping Charleston’s Health
You’ll meet with College of Charleston faculty, artistic performers, and healthcare practitioners to learn about the ways art has molded the city and its approach to healthcare.
Help Improve Healthcare Outcomes
This summer, you can shape the future of our community's health by infusing new ideas and technologies in the field of medicine.
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Saving Charleston’s Ecosystems
July 7 - July 11, 2025
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily
Course Fee: $700
Instructor: Dr. Chris Freeman, Department of BiologyA pre-college course for those who dream of saving the planet, but aren’t quite sure where to begin.
Calling All Aspiring Scientists
There is so much more to Charleston than hospitality. Beyond the fancy hotels and world-class restaurants you’ll find a vibrant ecosystem of biodiverse organisms that have been supporting life in the lowcountry for millennia.
This course is your access to the biodiversity of the Charleston-area lowcountry, and connects you with the tools and skills you'll need to help make sure it survives for centuries to come.
Experience Our Ecosystem Firsthand
The class is structured around daily field trips to the Grice Marine Laboratory, Stono Preserve, local salt marshes and other impacted areas in and around Charleston.
You'll learn how local organisms are supporting the lowcountry’s unique ecosystems, how humans are impacting these ecosystems, and what can be done to help us coexist with all our biodiverse neighbors.
Venture off the Beaten Path
This summer, you can gain real-world field experience, sharpen your advocacy skills, and help preserve the lowcountry for future generations.
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Historic Trades and Sustainability in Charleston
July 7 – July 11, 2025
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily
Course Fee: $700
Instructor: Dr. R. Grant Gilmore III, Department of Historic Preservation and Community PlanningA one-of-a-kind summer experience delving into historic trades such as blacksmithing, woodworking, and leather making.
A HANDS-ON APPROACH TO HISTORY
There’s no better way to understand history than to experience it. In this course you’ll delve into traditional trades of Charleston, from mining, tin smithing, plastering and glassmaking. Then, you'll try your hand at actual woodworking, leatherworking and blacksmithing.
HARNESS THE HEAT THAT BUILT CHARLESTON
Through class discussions and interactive activities, you'll follow the journey of raw materials used in historic structures from extraction to manufacturing to production. In this way, you’ll come to understand how people have built their environment to fulfill needs throughout history.
HOLD THE PAST IN YOUR HANDS
This summer, take hold of the past to understand how we can build a better future.
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How to Apply
How to Apply
Applying for the Honors College Summer Institute is a simple, two-step process!
- Complete the Summer Institute Application Form.
- All of our summer institute courses use the same application form. In completing the form, you'll indicate which course(s) you'd like to participate in.
- Submit your $100 deposit.
- After completing your application form, you'll be asked to submit your nonrefundable $100 deposit through the College of Charleston MarketPlace, a separate, secure transaction platform.
Once we've received your completed application form and deposit, we'll follow up with a confirmation email about your enrollment status within one week of receiving both application items. This email, sent from honors@cofc.edu, will contain a complete timeline, checklist, and instructions for remaining payment and paperwork.
The application portal will automatically email you a copy of your application, which you should keep for your records.
Who is Eligible
The Honors College Summer Institute is open to high school students of all backgrounds who will be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year in the fall.Program Cost
Tuition for Out of Class, Into Charleston is $500.
Tuition for Healing in Charleston with Art and Medicine is $400.
Tuition for Saving Charleston’s Ecosystems is $700.
Tuition for Historic Trades and Sustainability in Charleston is $700.Tuition for each course covers the cost of instruction and required materials. The Honors College Summer Institute does not provide overnight housing. Students/families are responsible for arranging their own accommodations and for transportation to/from campus at the start and end of each class meeting.
*A limited number of $100 scholarships are available to students to help offset tuition costs. Scholarship eligibility is determined as part of the initial application process. Students who are awarded scholarships will be notified as such by May 1st.
Deadlines
The application deadline for all programs is May 1, 2025.
You're encouraged to apply as early as possible by completing your application form and submitting a nonrefundable deposit of $100. This deposit is applied to your full enrollment cost.
Refund Policy
Students who do not participate in the Institute forfeit their $100 deposit. Students who pay the full amount and decide to withdraw before June 1 are eligible to recoup the remaining balance from their payment. Students who withdraw after June 1 are eligible to recoup their remaining balance in the event of hospitalization or death of an immediate family member. All other withdrawals, including student dismissal, are ineligible for refunds.
For additional information on the application process, please contact Honors@cofc.edu.
Apply to the Summer Institute - Complete the Summer Institute Application Form.