Pathways to Excellence

Honors Diploma Requirements

A student shall earn the distinction of ‘Crusader Honor Graduate’ if he or she achieves all four of the following:

1.    A weighted GPA of a minimum of 3.8

2.    Extraordinary Independent Initiative in two courses at the Honors or AP-level

3.    Completion of four Advanced Placement courses

4.    Successful completion of the CTK Horizon Research Project

 

Horizon Project

The goal of the Horizon Project is for the participating student to better understand his or her faith, deepen the exploration of a particular academic interest, and engage in service to others. In other words, an extension of CTK's mission to challenge students to "believe sincerely, think critically, and serve others in the name of Christ the King."

The Horizon Project involves the exploration of a topic chosen by the student. In keeping with CTK's twin pillars of faith and reason, the question should be one with gravitas (seriousness). As Pope John Paul II instructed in Fides et Ratio, knowledge and discernment about knowledge lead us toward truth. The closer we come to truth, the more we know about ourselves and our world, and the greater our chance of becoming fully human. 

The Horizon Project is required for Honors Diploma candidates and optional for the rest of the student body. Work on the project begins during Junior year and includes at least 100 hours dedicated to the selected area of interest, divided among research, service, apprenticeship, written reflection, website creation, and presentation preparation. Students work with a faculty mentor and present their project to a committee that includes CTK faculty members and external community members. A major component of the project is a website created by the student with their findings. 

 

There are three pathways:

• Biomedical

• Broadcast & Communications

• Engineering

All courses in the pathways are available as individual electives for all students, provided you meet the grade and prerequisite requirements outlined in the course catalog. 

We have partnered with Belmont Abbey College to build a dual enrollment program on CTK's campus. Belmont Abbey College is a fully-accredited member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Credits earned through the dual enrollment program transfer to most colleges and universities. CTK course instructors are Belmont Abbey Adjunct Professors. These courses are designed to provide the highest level of academic rigor at CTK. All grades earned in dual enrollment courses will be weighted per the AP scale (one extra quality point). 

The fee for each dual enrollment course is $500. A student may choose to take the course for high school credit without paying the fee; however, the student will not receive college credit.

Course offerings through the Belmont Abbey dual enrollment program for the 2024-2025 school year are as follows: (click on the course title for details)

These courses present college-level material according to the course requirements of the College Board AP Program. All grades are weighted with one (1) additional quality point for GPA calculations. All students are required to take the AP examination. Students who perform successfully on the AP examination may receive college credit depending on the college or universities requirements. 

At Christ the King, we limit students’ AP/Dual Enrollment course selections to 1 sophomore year, 2 junior year, and 3 senior year. (Note: Spanish Dual Enrollment courses do not count towards this limitation).  We set this policy because we believe that limiting AP/Dual Enrollment courses allows students to live more well-balanced lifestyles and focus on their grades in other courses. We explain this specifically in our college profile which is sent with Christ the King transcripts to colleges. Therefore, colleges only expect that students will take a maximum of 6 AP/Dual Enrollment courses over the course of their high school careers and students are not “penalized” in the admissions process for taking this amount.  Any student who enrolls in AP/Dual Enrollment US History and Biology courses at Christ the King may choose to take the AP Exam, typically in May, as long as you pay any associated fees.