The curriculum of the Honors College may change, depending on faculty and student interests. The current classes, open ONLY to Honors College students, include the following freshman- and sophomore-level courses as well as the senior seminar, all of which are approved as General Education Requirements within their respective categories:
*Bio 104H: Scourge and Cure: The Science behind the American Drug Culture – 3 credit hours
This Honors College course will bring a focus to corporate and individual efforts to provide pharmaceuticals to American consumers. The scientific processes for drug development and control will be examined. Guest experts. An overnight field trip will supplement lecture and discussion. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in math/science.
*Mus 150H: The Arts and the Human Experience – 3 credit hours
This Honors College course is an exploratory study of the arts which includes music, visual art, dance, drama, and media arts encompassing the historical, philosophical, psychological, sociological and spiritual tenets of the disciplines. It will include an analysis of how the arts have impacted the human experience across time. Students will study and use old and new technologies that are used in producing and presenting forms of art. An overnight field trip will supplement lecture and discussion. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in fine arts (but not as an appreciation course).
*Phl 150H: Philosophy of Religion – 3 credit hours
This Honors College course explores the dialogue between faith and reason. Topics include arguments for God’s existence, the problem of evil, miracles, life after death, God’s sovereignty and knowledge of the future, religious diversity, and the interaction of religion with ethics and science. An overnight field trip will supplement lecture and discussion. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in the philosophy/theology area.
*Phs 150H: Great Ideas in Science: Essential Physics – 3 credit hours
This course explores the basic principles of physical science, the applications of these principles to our world, and the relation of science to philosophy, politics, and other aspects of human activity. Focusing on concepts and thinking, mathematics will be deemphasized but not eliminated. The course will also provide experience in logical and quantitative reasoning, laboratory experiments, and in data interpretation and analysis. Useful, interesting, and fun topics discussed may include: science and knowledge, motion and force, gravity, electricity and magnetism, energy, heat and disorder, waves, sound and music, light, atoms and molecules, earth, stars and galaxies, black holes, the universe and the big bang, nuclear bombs, unpredictability and chaos, relativity, quantum physics and uncertainty, and quantum computation. An overnight field trip will supplement lecture and discussion. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in the math/science area.
*Eco 205H: History of Economic Thought: Money and Banking – 3 credit hours
A core problem in the development and evolution of economic thought is the nature of the relationship between the individual and society in the process of allocating and using resources. Within this process is an orderly way to exchange goods and services, and money serves this purpose in many ways. The development of economic thought is also intertwined with the development of “scientific” as well as religious, political, and social thought. Two objectives of this Honors College course include: a) to investigate various perspectives that have influenced U.S. economic thought, and b) to critically evaluate major contributions to the theories of value, production, and distribution, as well as how money plays a significant role in all of these functions. An overnight field trip will supplement lecture and discussion. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in the social/behavioral sciences area.
*Eng 250H: Introduction to the Literature of Social Protest – 3 credit hours
This Honors College course explores imaginative literatures from a variety of historical, cultural, and geographical contexts that confront and challenge specific problems in society. Through in-depth study of multiple genres–including but not limited to fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama–this course introduces students to the sociopolitical function of literature. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) for an Intro to Literature in the language/literature area.
*His 205H: Race, Ethnicity, and Migration – 3 credit hours
An introduction to the historical role of race, ethnicity, and migration in the U.S. and a transnational history that explores the homelands of immigrants, the causes of emigration, and the transnational migration networks bringing migrants to America. The course also covers immigration, acculturation and assimilation, and the creation and evolution of ethnic conclaves in the U.S. Roughly 60% of the course addresses global history; in addition, obstacles to assimilation in the U.S. and constructed ideas about what it means to be American are covered. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in the global history/social and behavioral sciences area.
*TH 250H: Women and the Bible – 3 credit hours
Through the lens of biblical women’s stories, students will learn and practice basic principles for biblical interpretation and gain a generalized knowledge of biblical history. Both Old and New Testament women will be studied in terms of their great variety, often surprising roles, significant challenges, and enduring contributions to religious history and personal spirituality. The course will also explore how religious art has understood these women, and it will conclude with how biblical women’s stories have shaped later church preaching and practice on the role and responsibilities of women. An overnight field trip will supplement lecture and discussion. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in theology.
IdC 499H: Honors Seminar – 3 credit hours
This capstone course ties together the structure and activities of the Honors Program. Students complete a major research project and present their findings at an open forum. The course may also be taught within various specific academic disciplines, including social work and theology. Prerequisites: Junior status and membership in the Honors College.
*SW 499H: Honors Seminar in Servant Leadership – 3 credit hours
This Honors College Senior Seminar offers instruction in current leadership theory and practice with specific emphasis on the Servant Leader. Classroom instruction, open discussion, and a team-oriented group activity will prepare students as community leaders and agents of change. Complementing the traditional classroom learning experience, this course includes the development, planning, and implementation of a class-wide service project to be completed as a team effort. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in social and behavioral sciences. Prerequisites: Junior status; membership in Honors College.
*TH 499H: Servant Leadership and the Spirituality of Work – 3 credit hours
The pillars of Servant Leadership within the context of a leader’s responsibility to think and act in the interest of the common good are examined. A historical, theological, and spiritual reading of “work” allows students to discern the value, purpose, and impact of their career choices. Assignments, readings, collaborative learning, and team projects assist the students to develop the “soft” skills necessary for leadership and the intellectual knowledge to make inform decisions on how to lead with a servant’s heart rooted in compassion and caritas. This course fills a general education requirement (GER) in theology. Prerequisites: Junior status; membership in Honors College.
*Phl 104H: Social and Political Philosophy – 3 credit hours
This course explores different political philosophies and their application to major social issues. Topics include human rights, racism, gun control, immigration, warfare, women’s rights, poverty, and human trafficking. An overnight field trip will supplement lecture and discussion. This course fills a general
*GER Approved Course