CURRICULUM

General Education Requirements

In addition to the equivalent of a year of a foreign language, honors students must take three of the following general education courses: English Composition 101, History of Civilization I, History of Civilization II, Biology 101 with lab, Biology 102 with lab, any math at or above pre-calculus, calculus-based physics I, and calculus-based physics II. Participants in the Residential Honors Program may take more and different general education honors courses. Please see the Honors Director for more information.

HO 101: HONORS FORUM. (1 credit hour)

Open only to honors students, the course consists of selected readings, special lectures, films, and group discussions of current issues and problems. Honors students must take four semesters of this course preferably in their freshman and sophomore years.

For a current syllabus, click here.

HO 303: SPECIAL TOPICS SEMINAR. (2 credit hours)

The topics of the interdisciplinary seminars vary from semester to semester. Honors students must take two of these seminars preferably in their junior year.

To see current offerings, click here.

HO 401: INDEPENDENT STUDY I. (3 credit hours)

This course is a faculty-supervised reading course for junior or senior students who are participants in the Honors Program. The readings are intended to prepare the student to undertake an independent research project in Independent Study II. To receive credit for HO 401, a research proposal written by the student must be approved by the Project Committee.

For a current syllabus, click here.

HO 402: INDEPENDENT STUDY II. (3 credit hours)

A faculty-supervised course that is taken after the completion of HO 401, this course generates credit when the student completes an independent research project. No credit is given for this course until the student presents an acceptable oral report and submits an acceptable paper based on the guidelines approved by the Honors Faculty Committee and the Project Committee.

For a current syllabus, click here.

DISCIPLINE GUIDELINES FOR HONORS PROJECTS (click here)

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR HONORS PROJECTS (click here)

SAMPLE TIMETABLE FOR COMPLETION OF REQUIREMENTS:
(Individual cases may vary. Participants in the Residential Honors Program may follow a different schedule their first two years. See the Honors Director for more information.)

LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE HONORS CURRICULUM:

1. Honors students will demonstrate more specialized and in-depth knowledge as well as higher cognitive skills (e.g., analysis, synthesis, and evaluation) than will their non-honors peers in general education courses.

2. Honors students will conduct research projects that demonstrate competency in design, implementation, development, and documentation while simultaneously manifesting the sophisticated knowledge and skills acquired during their undergraduate careers.

3. Honors students will demonstrate engagement with issues that expose them to diversity in the world and to interdisciplinary ways of thinking, that challenge their critical thinking skills, and that promote learning outside the
traditional classroom.

4. Students will exhibit scholarly traits not only in their academic performance and scholarship but also in their camaraderie with other student and faculty scholars, their leadership roles, and their mutual social and intellectual support.