Fall 2022 Honors Foundation Courses

Honors Foundation courses are grounded in disciplinary thinking and methodology, exposing students to the essential ideas and key concepts in a given discipline, the methodologies used to address them, and the tools necessary to understand them. Note that…

  • All Honors College students are required to complete at least one Honors Foundations course
  • Foundation courses count towards the 22 HONS credit requirement
  • Students may take additional Foundations courses as an Honors elective
  • Most Foundation courses count towards the College’s General Education requirements

HONS 151/L Honors Biology I
Professor Mark Lazzaro
MWF 11:00 – 11:50 a.m. (lecture); M 1:35 – 4:35 or M 4:35 – 7:35 p.m. (lab)

A foundation course for Honors science majors emphasizing the concepts of structure and function in biological systems at the molecular and cellular levels. Topics include biochemistry, biochemical and molecular evolution, cell function, respiration, photosynthesis, genetics and molecular biology. It provides an introduction to primary literature and practice evaluating this literature. This course helps prepare students for upper level courses in cellular and molecular biology.

Co-requisite(s): HONS 151L. 

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Natural Science requirement

HONS 155/L Honors Geology I
Professor Vijay Vulava
MWF 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. (lecture); W 2:30 – 5:30 p.m. or R 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (lab)

Geology is the science of processes related to the composition, structure, and history of Earth and its life. Environmental geology is a multidisciplinary field of geology that involves the study of the interactions of humans with various Earth processes and systems (lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere). You will learn to explore the physical, biological, and chemical aspects of human-Earth interactions. The three main themes covered in relation to environmental geology are: (i) the foundational principles of geology, (ii) application of foundations to analyze natural hazards, and (iii) evaluation of human interactions with Earth’s resources.

Co-requisite(s): HONS 155L.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Natural Science requirement

HONS 157 Honors Physics I
Professor Ana Oprisan
TR 10:50 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. (lecture); R 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. (lab)

This course is a calculus-based introduction to physics. Topics include mechanics, wave motion, fluids, and heat. Lectures emphasize the application of these topics in interdisciplinary areas. Examples of interdisciplinary applications are forces and torque to biomechanics, fluid dynamics to medicine, and heat and thermodynamics to chemistry.

Prerequisite(s) or Co-requisite(s): MATH 120 or equivalent or permission of the instructor.
Co-requisite(s): HONS 157L.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Natural Science requirement

HONS 159 Honors Astronomy I
Professor Ana Uribe
MWF 11:00 – 11:50 a.m. (lecture); T 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. (lab)

An introduction to astronomy. Topics considered include a brief history of astronomy, coordinates, time, the earth’s structure and motion, astronomical instrumentation, the moon, eclipses, comets, meteors, interplanetary medium, stars, star clusters, interstellar matter, galaxies and cosmology. This is the Honors course version of ASTR 129. Students may not receive credit for both.

Prerequisite(s): This course assumes a working knowledge of algebra and trigonometry.
Co-requisite(s): HONS 159L.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Natural Science requirement

HONS 163 Honors Psychology
Professor Cynthia May
TR 9:25 – 10:40 a.m.

Psychology is the scientific study of cognition, emotion, and behavior. This makes psychology one of the richest and most fascinating of the sciences because humans think, feel, and behave in many strange, terrifying, and wondrous ways. This course will introduce you to the basic theoretical and methodological tools that psychologists use to investigate, describe, predict, and explain this fascinating field. It will also provide you with a broad overview of psychology and its many subfields. We will be discussing a range of issues that fall into one or more of the following topical areas: neuroscience, perception, memory, learning, development, psychological disorders, and social cognition. This is the Honors course version of PSYC 103. Students may not receive credit for both.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Social Sciences requirement

HONS 165 Honors American Government
Professor Lynne Ford
TR 10:50 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.

The course investigates national American government at all levels including its functions and challenges. This is the Honors course version of POLI 101. Students may not receive credit for both.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Social Sciences requirement

HONS 166 Honors World Politics
Professor Dan Brown
MWF 12:00 – 12:50 p.m.

The course takes an in-depth look at international politics and affairs. Topics include the nature of the state system, globalization, international cooperation and conflict and human rights. This is the Honors course version of POLI 103. Students may not receive credit for both.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Social Sciences requirement

HONS 173 Intro to International Studies
Professor Kristen McLean
MWF 1:00 – 1:50 p.m.

The Honors version of the Introduction to International Studies course introduces a base of knowledge, analytical skills, and a vocabulary of concepts useful for understanding the multi-dimensional concerns of International Studies. Through an examination of international politics, economics, society, history, literature, and environment, this course will enhance the student’s appreciation for an international studies approach to issues associated with global development. The Honors version of the course entails more in-depth discussion, a heavier reading load, and more substantial written assignments. This is the Honors course version of INTL 100. Students may not receive credit for both.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Humanities requirement

HONS 174 Honors Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies
Professor Jennifer Cavalli
MW 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

The Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary course designed to explore the rich body of knowledge developed by and about women and gender. We study gendered structures and their consequences in contemporary cultures and societies. In addition, we examine feminist theories and relevant social movements. This course will introduce students to the practice of critically analyzing past and present social conditions of women’s lives. We will explore the historical roots of women’s oppression in the United States as a system of power relations enmeshed in constructions and assumption pertaining to race, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, national status and the culture of capitalism.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Humanities requirement

HONS 175 Approaches to Religion
Professor Leonard Lowe
MWF 9:00 – 9:50 a.m.

An introduction to the comparative study of world religions using a thematic approach in at least three traditions, combined with a specific theoretical analysis of the theme. This is the Honors course version of RELS 101. Students may not receive credit for both.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Humanities requirement

HONS 190 Accelerated General Chemistry
Professor Jason Overby
MWF 8:30 – 9:50 a.m. (lecture); M 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. or M 3:05 – 6:00 (labs)

This course covers the content of a typical one-year sequence of general chemistry in a single semester. Topics include stoichiometry, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry introduction, structure and bonding, gas laws, kinetics, redox chemistry and equilibrium. Only students with substantial high school chemistry will be admitted to the course.

Co-requisite(s): HONS 190L; MATH 111 or placement into MATH 120 or higher.

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Natural Sciences requirement

HONS 203 Honors Financial Accounting
Professor William Vandenburg
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MW 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

A survey of accounting information essential for external parties to make business decisions about an organization. This is the Honors course version of ACCT 203. Students may not receive credit for both.

Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.

HONS 205 Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
Professor Lancie Affonso
TR 1:40 – 2:55 p.m.

This course provides an introduction to theoretical and experiential issues in entrepreneurship including the language of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, lean startups, business models, entrepreneurship, and learning from both successful and unsuccessful ventures. Readings, lectures, and live case discussions with entrepreneurs will be used to explore these and related issues. This is the Honors course version of ENTR 200. Students may not receive credit for both.

HONS 281 Honors Ethics
Professor 
Scott Hemmenway
MW 2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

In this study of ethics, we will survey some of the important philosophers in the history of inquiry on this subject; namely, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Mill, and Nietzsche.  Questions that will be addressed include: Do we discover ethics by thinking about human virtue (excellence),  are moral obligations grounded in our feelings or our reason, how might we determine what is right and wrong, and what might the history of morality reveal?

This course counts towards the College’s General Education Humanities requirement

 

*Please note that Fall 2022 course offerings may be subject to change