Honors Curriculum
Honors is not more work; it is different work! This statement is true in two senses.
First, the Honors Program generally does not require additional coursework in comparison to regular Berry degree programs. Rather, students earn Foundations (core), major, or elective credit for most if not all of their Honors coursework.
Second, Honors courses generally do not require additional work in comparison to regular Berry courses. Rather, students are given more though-provoking assignments in their Honors courses, which are also smaller to encourage discussion and mentoring.
The Honors curriculum consists of three types of courses:
- Honors core courses (HON 201, 203, and 205) are unique to the program and designed specifically for Honors students. They take an interdisciplinary approach to important ideas and questions and satisfy Foundations requirements in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
- Honors elective courses take several forms: special Honors courses within disciplines, Honors versions of regular courses that may satisfy Foundations requirements, and "honorized" courses that involve individualized projects in the major.
- Honors thesis courses follow a fixed sequence— HON 300, 450, and 451/452— and involve the identification, planning, and execution of an extended scholarly or creative project, typically in the major.
Students are required to complete two core courses, three electives, and the thesis sequence, for a minimum of 21 total credit hours in Honors. For more information about Honors degree requirements and course offerings, see the resources in VikingWeb.