Honors College Curriculum
To
graduate in The Honors College, students must complete at least 30 credits
of Honors (H) course work including Western Literary Tradition, Western Intellectual
Tradition, Honors Laboratory Science, Calculus,
Honors Perspectives, and Thesis. Although
not specifically required, ENGL 110H and COMM 100H are frequently taken to
meet General Education requirements with Honors credit.
Typically students take 9-12 credits of Honors courses
including core and/or ENGL 110H, COMM 100H
Sophomore Year
Typically students take 9-12 credits of Honors courses.
Second Semester: Attend Honors Thesis Seminar and focus on finding a
thesis topic and a thesis adviser
Junior Year
Typically students take 7-10 credits of Honors electives, thesis, and perspectives
First Semester: Discuss thesis topic with thesis adviser
Second Semester: HNRS 489: Independent Study - 1 credit
Complete thesis proposal and get committee in place
Senior Year
Typically students take 5-8 credits of Honors courses
First semester: HNRS 499: Thesis - 2 credits
Submit Intent to Graduate form
Second Semester: Electives
Honors Graduation
3.35 QPA and 30 or more Honors credits including thesis, electives and core
Core Courses:
Mathematics Requirement: To be fulfilled by completing statistics at the MATH 130 or higher level or calculus at the MATH 151 or higher level; with a grade of B- or higher. Effective, Fall 2008 (Math 151, 161, 163H)
Western Intellectual Tradition (SSCI 201H or 202H)
Western Literary Tradition (ENGL 238H or 239H)
Lab Science (BIOL 100 + 108H or other alternative)
Perspectives (choices vary each year)
Honors Curriculum Information Guide
To graduate in The Honors College, students must complete at least 30 credits of Honors (H) course work. All Honors students MUST take the following courses:
1. Western Literary Tradition I (ENGL 238H) or II (ENGL 239H). Both courses are G1. Students may take both courses if they wish, but they must take at least one. Courses may be taken in any order; WLT I is not a prerequisite for WLT II.
2. Western Intellectual Tradition I (SSCI 201H) or II (SSCI 202H). Both courses are G3. Students may take both courses if they wish, but they must take at least one. WIT II may be taken first.
3. An Honors section of Laboratory Science (these are all G2). Possibilities include:
BIOL 100 with BIOL 108H
BIOL 211 with BIOL 212H
BIOL 221 with BIOL 222H
BIOL 263 with BIOL 266H
CHEM 112 with CHEM 113H
ESCI 202H
PHYS 231 with PHYS 230H
Students must take at least 1 Honors lab course; students may take more than one Honors lab science course if they wish. When H-sections are completed, accompanying lab courses also count for Honors course credit. For example, BIOL 108H (1 credit) plus BIOL 100 (3 credits) count 4 credits towards 30 Honors credit total.
4. Mathematics Requirement: (G2).
Honors students do not have to take an Honors Calculus class. For instance, an Honors student may fulfill this requirement with a Calculus course required for her or his major or by Advanced Placement (AP) testing. Mathematics requirement to be fulfilled by completing statistics at the MATH 130 or higher level or calculus at the MATH 151 or higher level; with a grade of B- or higher. Effective, Fall 2008 Only Honors courses, however, count toward the 30 Honors credit total. Calculus courses that fulfill this requirement include:
MATH 151 (Calculus for Management, 4 cr.)
MATH 161 (Calculus I, 4 cr.)
MATH 163H (Honors Calculus, 5 cr.)
5. Honors Perspectives Course (P) Appropriate courses are marked in the Schedule of Classes each semester.
6. Honors Thesis. In their Junior and Senior years, students arrange to take an independent study sequence with a thesis adviser and register for HNRS 489 (1 credit) in their Junior year and HNRS 499 (2 credits) in their Senior year. The Honors Thesis usually fulfills the General Education upper division writing requirement (AW) fulfilled by ENGL 311, 312, 313, or 316. The Honors Thesis may fulfill major elective requirements. Students may take both thesis credits and upper division writing courses, and it is advisable to mention that Career Services is open to all students for help with resumes and job plans, independent of course work.
7. Other
A minimum of 30 credits of Honors courses must be taken. Students may take additional courses in the Honors Core to fulfill these requirements, or they may take other Honors courses that simultaneously fulfill either General Education or Major requirements. That is, in the course of completing their General Education curriculum, most Honors students should find it relatively easy to simultaneously fulfill the Honors requirements because all Honors Core courses are also General Education courses. Additional possibilities: ENGL 110H and COMM 100H are courses that fulfill both University and Honors College requirements.
A student who has taken just the minimum in the Honors Core (1 section of
WLT, 1 section of WIT, 6 cr. Honors Calculus, 4 cr. Lab Science, 1 Perspectives,
and 3 cr. of Honors thesis research) has simultaneously earned 22 credits
counting toward both Honors and General Education requirements. If that student
takes ENGL 110H and COM 100H, that student has 28 Honors and General Education
credits – only 2 Honors credits to go. It’s not difficult to fulfill the Honors
curriculum while meeting the General Education requirements that apply to
all students.
A grade of B- or higher must be earned for each Honors course to qualify for
the Honors designation on the student’s record and to count toward Honors
requirements.
Printable Honors College
Curriculum Planning Sheet
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about the Honors College
Curriculum
1. Do I have to take Honors English 110 and/or Honors Comm 100?
No, but both of these courses count toward the 30 hour minimum.
2. Do I have to take an Honors Calculus class on top of the Calculus requirements in my major?
Absolutely not. A number of Calculus classes fulfill the Honors requirements
– you should pick what best works for you. But only Honors sections count
toward the
30 credit minimum.
3. Isn’t it going to take me forever to finish my Honors requirements and my General Educations requirements?
No. you can fulfill both at the same time. Just by meeting the core requirements in Honors, you can simultaneously fulfill General Education requirements. All the required Honors courses are General Education requirements.
4. Can I graduate from the Honors College without writing a thesis?
No. You must write a thesis. This is a piece of original research that you will conduct in an area that you find interesting. The thesis is a great opportunity to work closely with a faculty member in your discipline. If you are considering graduate school, this is excellent preparation for the type of work you will be expected to do.
5. How do I write an Honors Thesis?
First, you should attend a thesis seminar sponsored by the Honors
College. In about your sophomore year, you’ll need to find a thesis adviser
so you can start putting together your thesis committee. The thesis committee
consists of your thesis adviser (the person you’ll work most closely with)
and two to three other committee members. Your adviser will be helpful in
identifying appropriate faculty. The adviser and committee help you design
and execute your research project. When you’ve finished, the committee reads
your thesis and you will sit for a defense—an oral interview with the committee
about your thesis. While researching and writing
your thesis, you need to register for at least three thesis credits. You register
for thesis credits by special arrangement with your adviser , department,
and school. Your adviser and the Honors College should be able to help you
with the details.
6. Do Honors students get to register early every semester?
Priority (early) registration is available to all Honors students. We try to get you past the toughest years while you’re fulfilling the General Education requirements and when you’d otherwise be at the end of the registration line. Students with 0 to 44.5 credits should attend scheduling socials and seek advice early concerning Priority Registration.
7. Do I have to take an Upper Level Writing class (AW), such as ENG 311, 312, 313, or 316?
Not if you write an Honors Thesis. The thesis may substitute for the General Education AW requirement. If your major requires a specific AW class, however, you may need to take it in addition to writing your thesis. Students may elect to take AW courses in addition to writing the thesis. Because AW courses often include practice writing a resume or interviewing, students who do only the thesis should check out Career Services in Lyle Hall.
8. Are Honors Classes harder than regular classes?
Not necessarily. They are meant to be more research oriented, more engaging and to require more active participation on the student’s part. They usually are limited to 20 students. This gives you a chance to participate more, to know your peers and your professors, and to get more individual attention from your professors.
9. What do Honors students do besides take Honors classes?
Honors students have the opportunity to be involved in cultural events that are developed especially for them. For example, Honors students have gone whitewater rafting, attended a Shakespearean play in Washington, D.C., seen the opera Carmen in Lancaster, toured The Barnes Foundation near Philadelphia, visited Longwood Gardens, traveled to the National Aquarium in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and much more.
Revised 9/05