Honors College curriculum
The Honors College offers three flexible curricular pathways that accommodate students within any major(s): the Honors Baccalaureate, the Provost’s Scholars pathway, and the 1874 Scholars pathway.
Honors Baccalaureate
The Honors Baccalaureate is the most immersive honors pathway. This pathway is well suited to first-year students that would like to engage with the Honors College throughout their undergraduate career. The Honors Baccalaureate pathway requires a total of 14 honors experiences, a minimum of 8 of those will be enhanced academic experiences and the other 6 can be the student's choice of cocurricular experiences or more enhanced academic experiences. This pathway also requires that two of the enhanced academic experiences be an honors introductory seminar (HON 109 or HON 215) and an honors signature experience.
Provost's Scholars
The Provost's Scholars pathway recognizes the tremendous contributions of the Office of the Provost to honors education here at the University. The Provost's Scholars pathway offers a balanced middle ground between the other two pathways. The Provost's Scholars pathway requires a total of 12 honors experiences, a minimum of 6 of those will be enhanced academic experiences and the other 6 can be the student's choice of cocurricular experiences or more enhanced academic experiences. This pathway also requires that two of the enhanced academic experiences be an honors introductory seminar (HON 109, HON 215, or HON 300) and an honors signature experience.
1874 Scholars
The 1874 Scholars pathway was named after the year the University was founded, and is the foundational honors pathway. This pathway is well suited to the needs of continuing and transfer students, as well as students whose majors may be more time-intensive. The 1874 Scholars pathway requires a total of 10 honors experiences, a minimum of 4 of those will be enhanced academic experiences and the other 6 can be the student's choice of cocurricular experiences or more enhanced academic experiences. This pathway also requires that two of the enhanced academic experiences be an honors introductory seminar (HON 109, HON 215, or HON 300) and an honors signature experience.
Completion of all three honors pathways is measured in honors experiences as detailed in the table below. Pathways do not require the completion of a specific number of credit hours and they are not time dependent.
| Pathway Requirements | Honors Introductory Seminar | Provost’s Scholars | 1874 Scholars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honors Experiences | 14 | 12 | 10 |
| Enhanced Academic Experiences | Minimum of 8 | Minimum of 6 | Minimum of 4 |
| Co-Curricular Experiences | Maximum of 6 | Maximum of 6 | Maximum of 6 |
| Honors Introductory Seminar | Required | Required | Required |
| Honors Record | Required | Required | Required |
| Honors Signature Experience | Required | Required | Required |
Any student may apply for admission to the Honors College and select any one of the three pathways; students may also move between the pathways as their courses of study dictate. Students in every honors pathway will complete a specified number of enhanced academic experiences and co-curricular experiences as well as an honors record and an honors signature experience.
Honors experiences
Honors experiences include, but are not limited to, academic courses; co-curricular activities like creative performance, service-learning, internships, and research engagement; applying for a nationally competitive scholarship or fellowship; presenting work at an academic conference; etc.
Enhanced academic experiences. Enhanced academic experiences are equivalent to honors courses. These may be honors sections of courses or contract courses for honors credit. Learn more about contract courses.
Co-Curricular Experiences. Co-curricular experiences include, but are not limited to, service, internships, research, professional examinations, leadership of clubs and organizations, etc. Learn more about co-curricular experiences.
Honors Introductory Seminar. All incoming honors students are required to enroll and complete an Honors Introductory Seminar. First-year students should take HON 109 or, if they live in the Honors LLC, HON 215. Incoming upper-division students may take HON 109, HON 215, or HON 300. These one-credit discussion-based seminars prepare students to maximize their honors experience at the Βι¶ΉΣ³». Students get to engage with each other while refining their critical thinking skills with a wide range of primary source texts, including poetry, film, art, music, dance, speeches, visual texts, and electronic games. Students also practice professional development skills by learning about and applying for fellowships, scholarships, and internships. This experience is meant to allow you to integrate and apply the knowledge you gained as an undergraduate.
Honors record. The honors record is an advising tool that integrates artifacts from students' honors experiences and critical reflection into an electronic portfolio.
Honors signature experience. The honors signature experience is equivalent to a major-required thesis/capstone for majors that require one. For majors that do not require a thesis/capstone, students will design their own project in accordance with their intellectual, professional, and personal goals. Projects might take the form of creative performances (e.g., senior recitals), extended course projects (e.g., consulting work), an extended service-learning project (e.g., establishing a community program), a professional experience (e.g., internship), etc.