HONORS STUDIES (HNRS)
Sidney Burris, Director of Honors Studies, 517 Old Main, 575-2509
The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to providing students a liberal education in the arts, humanities, and sciences. Such an education should be soundly based, innovative, and enriched by a creative faculty. This is especially true for students with superior academic ability or artistic talent. To achieve these aims, the College faculty has developed and participates in the Fulbright College Scholars Program and the Departmental Honors Program.
Requirements for Departmental Honors: Specific academic requirements including course work, participation in departmental honors colloquia or seminars, and independent study projects are established by the faculty of the individual departments or study areas and are approved by the Honors Council. However, all departmental honors students must have a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average, complete and defend an honors thesis, and take 12 hours (which may include six hours of thesis) in Honors Studies. Information concerning these requirements is given within each department's catalog listings.
Requirements for the Fulbright College Scholars Program: Completion of University requirements in English composition and in American history or civil government, completion of the requirements for departmental honors in a department or study area of the College, a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or above, and completion of the honors core curriculum. Students who do not have at least a 3.25 GPA will not be allowed to graduate under the Honors Core curriculum.
Honors Core Curriculum
The following paragraphs outline the minimum academic requirements of the honors core curriculum for the B.A., B.S., B.M., and B.F.A. degree programs. A student may satisfy these requirements by earning honors credit in regularly-scheduled honors courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics.
In addition, other courses may also be taken for honors credit to meet the requirements. Enrollment in these courses, however, is limited to one course per semester and is governed by the following procedure. Before class registration, the honors student and the course instructor will agree on the special work required of the student to earn honors credit for that course. The student will then submit the mutually-agreed-upon study plan to the Honors Director for approval. If the plan is approved, it will be kept on file in the Honors Office. Honors credit for the course will be recorded on the student's grade transcript when the course and study plan are completed.
The distribution of honors credit hours within the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics must be approved by the Honors Director. Students are expected to plan their studies so as to obtain a broad background in each of these areas.
Bachelor of Arts Degree
0-12 Hours Foreign Language (depending upon placement)-see your adviser. Students must demonstrate proficiency in a single modern or classical language other than English, usually by completing a sequence of four courses (1003, 1013, 2003, 2013). See Fulbright College Admission Requirements (page 184). Students meeting the normal admission standard (two years of high school language) may expect to satisfy this requirement with fewer courses, depending upon placement. In cases of unusually thorough preparation, or in the case of international students, exemption may be sought from the Department of Foreign Languages. |
| 27 Hours Humanities: Twenty-one hours of honors credit in the following areas: world civilization (6-HIST 1113H, 1123H), world literature (6-WLIT 1113H, 1123H), philosophy (3-PHIL 2003H), the visual arts and the performing arts (6). Six additional hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in two different areas of humanities. Alternatively, HUMN 1114H, 1124H, 2114H and 2124H may be substituted for world civilization, world literature, and visual arts. Three additional hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia. |
| 9 Hours Social Science: Three hours of honors credit in addition to the University requirement. Six hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in two different areas of the social sciences. |
| 15 Hours Natural Science and Mathematics: Twelve hours (chosen from at least two different departments) of honors credit, eight of which must be in the laboratory sciences. Fulbright Scholars must fulfill the math requirement of MATH 1203 as well as MATH 2043, 2053 or 2554. Although not required as honors courses, MATH 2043, 2053 or 2554 may, when taken in honors sections, satisfy up to four hours of the required 12 hours of honors credit in the mathematical and natural sciences. In addition, three hours of Honors Colloquia should be chosen in the natural sciences or mathematics outside the student's departmental major. |
Bachelor of Science Degree
0-9 Hours Foreign Language (depending upon placement)-see your adviser. Students must demonstrate proficiency in a single modern or classical language other than English, usually by completing a sequence of three courses (1003, 1013, 2003). Students meeting the normal admission standard (two years of high school language) may expect to satisfy this requirement with fewer courses, depending upon placement. In cases of unusually thorough preparation, or in the case of international students, exemption may be sought from the Department of Foreign Languages. |
| 15 Hours Arts and Humanities: Twelve hours of honors credit in the following areas: world civilization (6-HIST 1113H, 1123H), and world literature, philosophy (PHIL 2003H), and the visual or the performing arts (6 to be selected from at least two areas). Three additional hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in the humanities. Alternatively, HUMN 1114H, 1124H, 2114H and 2124H may substitute for world civilization, world literature, and visual arts. The Honors Colloquium requirement is waived. |
| 6 Hours Social Science: Three hours of honors credit in addition to the University requirement. Three hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in a different social science. |
| 24 Hours Natural Science and Mathematics: Eighteen hours of honors credit to be selected from at least three departments. Six hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in two different areas of the natural sciences or mathematics. |
Bachelor of Music Degree
| 0-6 Foreign Language: Six hours of foreign language in one language-see your adviser. |
| 15 Humanities: Fifteen hours of honors credit in the following areas: HIST 1113H/1123H (6), world literature (3), MLIT 1003H (3). Three additional hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in different areas of humanities. Alternatively, HUMN 1114H, 1124H, 2114H and 2124H may be substituted for world civilization and world literature. The Honor Colloquium requirement is waived. |
| 7 Natural Sciences: Four hours of honors credit is to be a lab science. Three additional hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in an area outside the student's major. |
| 3-4 Mathematics: Only ONE of the following courses is required, and it can, but does not have to be, taken as an honors course: MATH 2053, 2554, or higher level of calculus is required. A score of 5 on the calculus AB exam or a score of 4 on the calculus BC exam will provide honors credit. For further explanation of these requirements, contact the Honors Office. |
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree
| 6 Foreign Language: Six hours in one language-see your adviser. |
| 24 Arts and Humanities: Eighteen hours of honors credit in the following areas: world civilization (6), world literature (6), philosophy (3), and the performing arts (3). Alternatively, HUMN 1114H, 1124H, 2114H and 2124H may be substituted for world civilization, world literature and one honors colloquium. Otherwise, six additional hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in two different areas of humanities. |
| 9 Social Science: Three hours of honors credit in addition to the University requirement. Six hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in two different areas of the social sciences. |
| 11 Natural Science and Mathematics: Eight hours of honors credit. Three hours to be selected from Honors Colloquia in the natural sciences or mathematics. |
Graduation With Honors
A student who has successfully completed a program of Honors Studies within Fulbright College is eligible to receive a baccalaureate degree with the distinction: Fulbright College Scholar Cum Laude, or Departmental Scholar Cum Laude in the major field of study. Higher distinctions of Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude may be awarded to outstanding honors students by recommendation of the Fulbright College Honors Council.
To earn the distinction Fulbright College Scholar Cum Laude at graduation, a student must successfully complete the honors core curriculum, maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.25, and satisfy requirements for departmental honors in the major field of study, including preparation and oral defense of an honors thesis. The Honors Council may award the higher distinctions of Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude based upon a student's total academic performance, including the academic transcript, the quality of the scholarly activity pursued within the major field of study, and the breadth of College study.
To earn the distinction of Departmental Scholar Cum Laude at graduation, a student must successfully complete requirements prescribed by the department of major, including an honors thesis and oral examination, and maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.25. If a student demonstrates superior academic performance or an exceptionally high level of scholarly activity, the Honors Council may award the distinction of Magna Cum Laude. In those exceptional instances where truly outstanding work within the major field is coupled with a superior understanding of its relationship to the liberal arts, the distinction Summa Cum Laude may be awarded.
Honors Core Courses
Regularly scheduled introductory honors courses are listed below. See departmental course listings for course descriptions. These may be taken to earn honors credit to satisfy the core curriculum requirements. In addition, a number of both departmental and college-wide Honors Colloquia (3923) are offered each semester.
Humanities ARTS 1003H, Honors Art Studio COMM 1003H, Honors Film Lecture DRAM 1003H, Honors Theatre Lecture HIST 1113H, Honors World Civilization I HIST 1123H, Honors World Civilization II HIST 2003H, Honors History of the American People to 1877 HIST 2013H, Honors History of the American People, 1877 to Present HUMN 1114H, Honors Roots of Culture, to 500 C.E. HUMN 1124H, Honors Equilibbrium of Cultures, 500-1600, C.E. HUMN 2114H, Honors Birth of Mod. Cult., 1600-1900 HUMN 2124H, 20th Century Global Culture MLIT 1003H, Honors Music Lecture PHIL 2003H, Honors Intro to Philosophy WLIT 1113H, Honors World Literature I WLIT 1123H, Honors World Literature II Social Sciences ANTH 1023H, Honors Intro to Cultural Anthropology ECON 2143H, Honors Basic Economics-Theory and Practice GEOG 2103H, Honors Emerging Nations PLSC 2003H, Honors American National Government PSYC 2003H, Honors General Psychology SOCI 2013H, Honors General Sociology SOCI 2033H, Honors Social Problems |
Natural Sciences ASTR 2003H, Honors Survey of Universe BIOL 1541M, Honors Principles of Biology Lab BIO 1543H, Honors Principles of Biology BOTY 1611M Honors Plant Biology Lab BOTY 1613H Honors Plant Biology CHEM 1121M, Honors University Chem Lab CHEM 1123H, Honors University Chem CHEM 3601M, Honors Organic Chem I Lab CHEM 3603H, Honors Organic Chemistry I CHEM 3611M, Honors Organic Chem II Lab CHEM 3613H, Honors Organic Chemistry II GEOL 1111M, Honors Gen Geology Lab GEOL 1113H, Honors General Geology GEOL 1131M, Honors Environ.Geology Lab PHYS 2051M, Honors Univers Phys I Lab PHYS 2053H, Honors Univers Physics I PHYS 2071M, Honors Univers Phys II Lab PHYS 2073H, Honors Univers Physics II Mathematical Sciences CSCI 1023H/1021M, Honors Programming I MATH 2053H, Honors Finite Math MATH 2554H, Honors Calculus I MATH 2564H, Honors Calculus II MATH 2574H, Honors Calculus III |