HONORS SEMINARS
Honors Seminars form the heart of the Honors Program. They are 3-credit courses shaped around seminar-style learning. Approximately 80 seminars are offered each semester (plus Honors study abroad courses during winter and summer terms); each is limited to 20 students. These seminars encourage a lively exchange of intellectual ideas and problem solving. In addition to course content, they emphasize the skills of discussion, listening, writing, critical and synthetic thinking, ethics and leadership. Honors Seminars span a wide range of subjects, are generally interdisciplinary, and accomodate a range of instructional styles. Faculty are selected not only for their knowledge and interest in their subject but also for their commitment to undergraduate Honors education.
Because of the smaller class size and highly motivated students, the Honors seminar format fosters faculty working closely with students, mentoring critical thinking, writing, and oral presentation skills. Lively but informed discussions are more typical than lectures, and students often have opportunities to present their work to the class. Best of all, seminars feature intriguing topics and use interdisciplinary approaches to analyze these subjects. The result is an exciting education environment in which learning happens more quickly, has more depth, and has a lasting influence.
Each semester students may enroll in one seminar during registration, and sign up for additional seminars after all Honors students have completed registering for classes.
