Guidelines: Honors Course

It is important to understand that honors courses are not intended to be more work than a regular college course. Instead, honors classes typically address a topic with more depth and sophistication. They also give students a more active role in the exploration of the subject and of the world in general. Often honors courses will combine multiple academic disciplines. Sometimes trips are included as part of the course. Through the honors experience, students have opportunities to become inventive individuals who continuously learn, apply, and shape knowledge. The Honors Program helps you to be an active scholar who can become a vital contributor to society.

Guidelines: Honors Option

The purpose of the Honors Option is to allow an honors student to fulfill their requirement of an honors class even if an official “honors section” of a class is not available or desirable. To be successful, the Honors Option requires careful planning early in the semester between student and teacher. The idea for the option can come from the instructor or the student but should ideally be some combination of both. The Honors Program thanks each instructor for undertaking this responsibility.

  • The work of the Honors Option should not be added on to the already existing routine work of the course. It should replace some portion of the routine course work, but still be related to the content and intent of the original course syllabus.
  • The Honors Option should offer a treatment of some aspect of the course in greater depth. For example, the option might delve into the methodology or theory laying at the foundation of a class topic. Or, it might continue to pursue a topic that the rest of the class will give relatively brief treatment.
  • The honors element should focus more on quality and quantity. The character and quality of the course work should be augmented, but the time required for the project should remain commensurate with a comparable honors course and also the original course that the student is taking.
  • The Honors Option should be clearly planned in content and in schedule. Reasonably regular meetings between instructor and student to discuss and review the project are important. Whenever possible, specify deadlines.
  • Faculty can feel free to insist on modifications to the student proposal in the event that the proposal does not reflect serious preparation or does not reflect work worthy of an honors project. Also, the Honors Coordinator may help the instructor make this evaluation.
  • Students may not be given monetary compensation as part of an Honors Option.

**The Honors Option form must be filed before the end of the third week of the semester in which the course is taken.

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