Curriculum

As an Honors College student, you are required to complete a set of Honors courses prior to graduation. The majority of these credits count towards general education requirements—meaning they will count toward both your degree and Honors College requirements. There are three main types of Honors requirements:

• Colloquia: All Honors College freshmen are enrolled in a colloquium with a specific theme centered around the Honors College ideals of leadership and service. This will take place in the fall semester of your incoming year.
• Signature Honors Project: Students are asked to develop their own thesis or creative portfolio and present their research through the Signature Honors Project. This can be done at any point prior to graduation. If your discipline offers a similar capstone project, students are allowed to double-count these projects.
• Seminars: Seminars are interdisciplinary courses that allow students to pursue a variety of interesting topics in a discussion-based setting. Seminars count for Honors credit and many will also satisfy general education credit. All Honors College students are required to complete one seminar at any time during their undergraduate career. We ask top faculty to propose unique and interesting topics and the best are chosen as seminar offerings for our students. (Interested faculty can click here to propose a seminar.) Past seminars have included:
  • Economics of the Wine and Craft Brewing Industry
    Faculty: Dr. Nicholas Rupp (Department of Economics)
    Seminar Description: Students will be responsible for learning how to do economic analysis as it relates to both the wine and craft brewing industries. Students will use supply and demand analysis to promote their understanding of both of these industries. Students will become familiar with production, distribution, and consumption of wine and beer, and the current issues driving these industries. Students will learn how to conduct research as it relates to the wine and beer industry, collecting data and formulating questions and hypotheses. Finally, students will develop a world-view of the wine and beer industries and gain an understanding of the U.S. wine and beer industry’s place in the world supply. Students will visit both a US winery and a craft brewery to learn from the producers should aid in their understanding.
  • Ocean Exploration: Past and Present
    Faculty: Dr. Ewa Silver (Department of History)
    This course will focus on the role oceans play in shaping our history. From controlling climate to determining political borders, oceans are constantly influencing our political, social, and cultural life. Subjects such as piracy, trade, naval warfare, exploitation and preservation of the oceans, and underwater archaeology will be discussed during the course of the semester. This course will also include out-of-the-classroom experiences, such as visit to a shipwreck conservation lab, a tour of a maritime museum, and a SCUBA diving lesson.