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Fall 2008 - Summer 2009
The Honors College
Degree Plans and Core Curriculum
Core Curriculum Requirements
The Honors College curriculum has been designed to coordinate with university-wide core curriculum requirements. Honors students, therefore, do not take more course work, but they are asked to fulfill some of their university core curriculum requirements through honors courses. Students following the guidelines below will fulfill Honors College and core curriculum requirements; students should consult the college of their chosen major for additional requirements.
- Communication and Humanities Requirements
- Complete the six-hour course, "The Human
Situation I: Antiquity," three hours of which count toward the core requirement in Communication,
and three of which count toward the Humanities core requirement.
- Complete the four-hour sequel, "The Human Situation II: Modernity." The lecture portion of this course can count toward the university requirement in Communication if necessary.
- Complete the six-hour course, "The Human
Situation I: Antiquity," three hours of which count toward the core requirement in Communication,
and three of which count toward the Humanities core requirement.
- American Studies Requirement
- Complete six hours of courses that satisfy
the state mandated requirement in American History, including at least three hours in an honors section (HIST 1377H, HIST 1378H, or an approved 3000- or 4000-level Honors course in American History).
- Complete six hours of courses that satisfy the state-mandated
requirement in Political Science by successfully completing POLS
1336H and three hours of advanced Political Science credit from
the subfields of public administration, public law, and American
politics or from POLS
3331, 3349,
4361, and 4366.
Note: Honors College students do not take POLS 1337.
- Complete six hours of courses that satisfy
- Natural Sciences and Mathematics Requirement
- Complete six hours of courses that satisfy the Natural
Sciences core requirement, plus at least one hour of laboratory
with these courses.
- Complete six hours of courses that satisfy the Mathematics
and the Mathematics/Reasoning core requirement. Honors students
must demonstrate a proficiency in mathematics at the "elementary
functions" level or higher. Elementary functions courses include
MATH 1314, 1330
(recommended only for students desiring a foundation course to prepare
for additional coursework in mathematics), and 2311.
This proficiency may be demonstrated by testing or by course work.
- Complete six hours of courses that satisfy the Natural
Sciences core requirement, plus at least one hour of laboratory
with these courses.
- Social/Behavioral Sciences Requirement
Complete three hours of courses that satisfy the Social/Behavioral Sciences core requirement.
- Foreign Language Requirement
Complete six hours of courses at the 2000-level (or above) in one foreign language, either modern or classical, with a 3.00 grade point average, or demonstrate an equivalent proficiency.
Note:Students are expected to fulfill the foreign language requirement to the extent possible without adding hours to the degree plan in their major.
The requirement is designed to complement the course requirement of particular degree plans and to recognize a student's previous experience with languages other than English. Honors students should be aware that competence in a second language is increasingly important in personal and professional life.
- Advanced Honors Course Requirement
- Complete three hours in an approved Honors Colloquium
at the 3000- or 4000-level.
- Students wishing to graduate with "University Honors and Honors in [major] " must complete a six-hour senior honors thesis.
- Complete three hours in an approved Honors Colloquium
at the 3000- or 4000-level.
- Writing in the Disciplines
Complete three hours of courses that satisfy the Writing in the Disciplines core requirement.
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Senior Honors Thesis
For many Honors students, the senior honors thesis represents the culmination of a bachelor's degree. It is the final step toward graduation with University Honors and Honors in [major]. The honors thesis provides an excellent opportunity for the mature student, working under the direction of a member of the faculty in the chosen field of study, to apply skills and knowledge acquired in the first three years of college toward the completion of an independent scholarly or creative project. During the process, students deepen the work they have done and apply the skills and knowledge they have accumulated. Moreover, they are expected to make full use of the University's resources (especially the guidance and criticism of faculty members).
Students wishing to undertake a senior honors thesis need not be members of the Honors College, but they should have a 3.25 cumulative grade point average as well as a 3.50 grade point average in the field of the thesis or project. Interested students should review the "Guidelines for the Senior Thesis" on the Office of Undergraduate Research Web site.
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Medicine and Society Minor
This minor is multidisciplinary. The minor encourages students to explore historical, economic, and cultural issues associated with health care. The minor also supports access to research, clinical, and instructional opportunities both on- and off-campus.
- Complete 15 hours of required Medicine and Society designated courses, including:
- One foundation course: HON 3301.
- Four additional courses selected from the approved list for the minor.
- A minimum of 12 hours must be taken in residence, 9 of which must be advanced.
- A maximum of 6 hours of approved transfer credits may be accepted toward the minor.
- No more than 6 hours in a student's major may apply toward the minor.
- Approved research, field-based service, internship/externship. or an additional 3 hour course
from the list of approved electives.
- A GPA of 3.0 is required in those courses completed for the minor.
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Phronesis Politics and Ethics Minor
The Greek word phronesis means prudence or practical wisdom, the quality distinctive of good citizens and political leaders. As an interdisciplinary minor, housed in the Honors College, the focus will be on questions and issues that leaders and citizens are likely to confront in a self-governing political society. Drawing on the foundation provided by the year-long interdisciplinary "Human Situation" course required of all Honors freshmen, this minor will explore such core issues as the origins and grounds of political order; the scope and content of justice; the relation between the individual and the community; the place of family and gender; the nature and responsibility of science and technology; the relation between religion and politics; the demands and prospects of a free and self-governing society.
A student must complete 19 hours of approved course work, of which 15 of those hours must be advanced. At least 9 advanced hours must be taken in residence.
An average GPA of 3.0 on all courses in the minor is required.
No more than 6 hours of coursework in the minor may also count toward the major requirements.
All courses must be Honors sections or approved by the Honors program advisor. Non-honors students may participate in the minor with the approval of the program director. The 4000-level course must be an approved seminar with a substantial writhing component (such as POLS 4344, 4346, 4394; PHIL 4396, 4397).
Course Requirements:
- Complete the foundational courses:
ENGL 2361:Western World Literature II and
HON 2101: The Human Situation: Modernity;
- Complete 3 hours from:
POLS 3349: American Political Thought, or
POLS 3342: Liberalism and Its Critics, or
POLS 3343: Democratic Theory;
- Complete 3 hours from:
PHIL 3350: Ethics, or
PHIL 3351: Contemporary Moral Issues, or
PHIL 3355: Political Philosophy, or
PHIL 3358: Classics in the History of Ethic, or
PHIL 3376: Philosophy and the Scientific Revolution;
- Complete two additional elective courses from approved list (below); and
- Complete the capstone: 4000-level seminar/
Approved Electives:
PHIL 3304: History of 17th Century Philosophy
PHIL 3305: History of 18th Century Philosophy
PHIL 3350: Ethics
PHIL 3351: Contemporary Moral Issues
PHIL 3355: Political Philosophy
PHIL 3356: Feminist Philosophy
PHIL 3358: Classics in the HIstory of Ethics
PHIL 3375: Law, Society, and Morality
PHIL 3383: History of Ancient Philosophy
PHIL 3386: History of 19th Century Philosophy
PHIL 3387: History of American Philosophy
POLS 3310: Introduction to Political Theory
POLS 3340: Ancient/Medieval Political Though
POLS 3341: Political Thought from Machiavelli and the Renaissance
POLS 3342: Liberalism and Its Critics
POLS 3343: Democratic Theory
POLS 3349: American Political Thought
POLS 4346: Greek Political Thought
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Last updated:
Friday, August 20, 2008 - 5:30 PM