Honors Course Schedule Fall 2025

Honors Great Ideas of World Civilizations

This course is considered the “capstone course” of the Honors Program, even though students may take it at any time during the Honors Program. This course is required to be an Honors Program Graduate. In the Great Ideas course, students will read and discuss texts from a variety of disciplines, covering a variety of eras and cultures, so as to examine how these ideas shape our thinking and our world today. (The course counts toward the Humanities Gen-Ed Requirement.)

HUM 105 HN (CRN: 35752) / HST 105 HN1 (CRN: 35751) MW 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Professor S. Horton

This exciting and engaging Humanities course will provide students with the opportunity to explore the defining parameters of human identity, discovering how ideas from antiquity and the Middle Ages inform identity frameworks in the 21st Century. By reading and interrogating texts ranging from Ovid’s Metamorphosis and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales to modern works like Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, in conjunction with contemporary theory, students will be challenged to analyze and interrogate the systems that construct both political and cultural identity. In doing so, this course will prepare students to understand and think critically about how our current culture produces identity and the myriad ways identity production is disrupted.

Honors First Year Seminar

FYS 101 HN1 (CRN: 36127), 12-Week Class TR 11 a.m.-12:15 a.m.

Professor J. Garcia

(Note: This is a 2 credit course that runs 8/8-11/16)

This class is an “honors-ified” First Year Seminar Class. These classes are designed to introduce students to college and help them think about potential majors and careers. This particular class will focus on the specific needs of Honors students, and it is designed to be beneficial whether or not you are undecided about a future major and / or career. In this course, we will think together not just about the direction your academic and career path may travel, but also how to put yourself in a position to achieve your various goals. Most importantly, we will think about the question of “why?” Why college? Why certain types of courses? Why choose one career or major over another? In other words, we will look not just at where you want to go and how to get there but we will think about our values and how they can shape our decisions about our future.

Courses Counting toward the Communication Gen-Ed Requirement

SPE 101 HN1 (CRN: 34040) M 6-8:40 p.m.

Professor J. Przybyło

This course features an environment of active learning, collaboration, and practical application, rather than relying on teaching from a textbook. At the heart of the course is the emphasis on teamwork, discussions, and exercises, serving as the pillars upon which students build their confidence and competence in communication. Through a series of engaging activities and interactive sessions, students not only learn the fundamental theories and techniques of speech communication but also actively apply them in a supportive and nurturing environment.

The absence of a conventional textbook allows for a more hands-on and personalized learning experience. Instead of relying on passive reading, students are encouraged to immerse themselves in practical exercises, real-world scenarios, and experiential learning opportunities.

With a deliberate focus on small class sizes, Professor Przybylo ensures that each student receives individualized attention and personalized feedback. This intimate setting cultivates a sense of community and trust, enabling students to explore their strengths and weaknesses in a safe and supportive space. Whether it's honing their delivery techniques, refining their message clarity, or mastering the art of persuasion, students are provided with the guidance and resources needed to excel in their public speaking endeavors.

Courses Counting toward the Humanities General Education Requirement

ART 105-HB1: Intro to Visual Art (CRN: 36428) T 12:30-1:45 p.m. (blended)

Professor C. Roderick

This course is a non-traditional introduction to how we study (consume), and make (produce) visual art and culture. From the perspective of artists, theorists, art historians, and philosophers, students will actively participate in developing a foundation in visual literacy and methodologies for different ways of looking at, discussing, and critiquing traditional and contemporary art media. This includes making art! The student will be introduced to the various processes, materials, vocabulary, and styles that constitute the diverse world of the visual arts. Students will produce projects, both solo and collaborative, aimed at connecting to the course subject and the larger world.

HUM 105-HN1 (CRN: 35752) MW 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Professor S. Horton

PHIL 205: Religions of the World (CRN: TBA) TR 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Professor M. Horton

Religions are everywhere and affect every aspect of all of our lives. To understand something so complicated and so dynamic—so alive—requires going beyond creeds, dogmas and dates. Yes, we will learn some of those. But we will go beyond that, taking an interdisciplinary approach to answering questions such as: How might religion and politics interact in other parts of the world? How do religions impact art and culture? How might religious language differ from ordinary language? What social movements arose out of religion? How does religion change over time? My aim for the course is to end with an appreciation that religion is a dynamic phenomenon that impacts our lives in a multitude of ways. Religion is not monolithic; it is rich and varied, as rich and varied as our student body. PHIL 205 fulfills the World Cultures & Diversity graduation requirement.

Courses Counting toward the Social Sciences General Education Requirement

ECO 211 HB1: Microeconomics (CRN: 33127) T 2-3:15 p.m. (blended)

Professor M. Raza

This Honors Microeconomics course is designed to equip students with the analytical tools and intuition required to analyze important topics in the economics framework. The science underlying the study of economics explores how economic agents within a society individually and collectively make decisions and allocate scarce resources. The focus of this course is considering how the households, firms, the government, and the rest of the world behave in the marketplace to maximize utility by rationally allocating their scarce resources. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, case studies, and analytical exercises, students will develop their ability to think critically about economic phenomena, analyze data to support arguments, and communicate economic concepts effectively.

By the conclusion of the course, students should feel comfortable discussing how a society determines how much of everything desired will be produced, exchanged, and consumed with given (fixed) resources and technology (production possibility frontier) to satisfy the unlimited wants of its citizens. Students will develop the skills necessary to comprehend and analyze current economic issues, with a strong emphasis on applying classroom concepts to interpret news articles, scholarly literature, and economic research.

PSY 101 HN1: Intro to Psychology (CRN: 33905) TR 9:30 - 10:45 a.m.

Professor K. Matthews

Can you rewire your brain to be happier? Would you obey orders to harm others? Do unconscious mental shortcuts guide your feelings and behaviors? How do you learn and break habits? Can Psychology combat climate change? Explore these questions and many more by integrating theories, scientific research, and real-world applications. In this Honors section of PSY101, you will also research a topic of your choosing, then communicate your findings in an APA Style paper. PSY 101 fulfills the World Cultures & Diversity graduation requirement.

Courses Counting toward the Math General Education Requirement

Courses Counting toward the Life Sciences (w/ lab) General Education Requirement

BIO 115 HN1: Fundamentals of Cellular Biology (CRN: 35982) TR 8-9:15 a.m.

Professor K. Hollis F 8-10:30 a.m. (lab)

This Honors course includes an introduction to cellular and molecular biology with a focus on genetics and biotechnology. Students will investigate cellular processes and how they relate to expressed traits and inheritance patterns. A core component of the course will be to explore biotechnology and its applications in more detail. Traditional laboratory activities will be enhanced with more hands-on experience.

Courses Counting toward the Physical Sciences (w/ lab) General Education Requirement

CHM 121: General Chemistry I (three sections - days and times listed below)

Professor A. Kidwell

CHM 121 HN1 (CRN: 34139) Mon. 8-8:50 a.m. (discussion)

Wed. 8-10:45 a.m. (lab)

Tues. & Thurs. 8-9:15 a.m. (lecture)

CHM 121 HN2 (CRN: 34155) Mon. 9:30 – 10:20 a.m. (discussion)

Mon. 10:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (lab)

Tues. & Thurs. 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. (lecture)

CHM 121 HN3 (CRN: 34156) Mon. 2 - 2:50 p.m. (discussion)

Wed. 2 - 4:45 p.m. (lab)

Tues. & Thurs. 2 - 3:15 p.m. (lecture)