Honors students complete the following colloquia in their freshman and sophomore years:
Colloquium on the Ancient World
Reading and discussion of the important philosophical, historical and literary texts of the ancient world. For more detail, refer to the schedule of class sessions for this course.
Click this link for HONS 1101 faculty profiles.
Colloquium on the Medieval World
In the colloquium on medieval civilizations, we will be looking at several major cultures during the period from approximately the fifth century C.E. to the fifteenth century C.E. Throughout the course we will focus on four civilizations: the Byzantine Empire, China, the Islamic world, and Western Europe. In addition to following the development of each of these civilizations, we will also be attentive to the ways in which they encountered and entered into relationship with one another. For a better sense of the discussions you may expect in this colloquium, refer to the most recent schedule of class sessions for this course.
Click this link for HONS 1102 faculty profiles.
Colloquium on the Early Modern World
This course takes us from the end of the Middle Ages to the beginning of the Romantic period. An important aim of the course will be to try to understand what we mean when we speak of the “modern” world. What is it that makes our world “modern”? How did it come about? We will trace the development of the notion of “modernity” as that term is broadly understood: in historical, social, economic, political, religious, philosophical, scientific, and literary terms. For more detail, refer to the schedule of class sessions for this course.
Click this link for HONS 2103 faculty profiles.
Colloquium on the Contemporary World
Deals with historical, artistic, literary, political, religious, cultural, and intellectual developments from roughly 1850 to the present day. We explore how industrialization, urbanization, popular movements and world wars catapult peoples, nations, and cultures into interactions on a global scale. We also follow the emergence of the social sciences and advances in the natural sciences. Specific attention is also given to an array of contemporary issues. For a better sense of the discussions you may expect in this colloquium, refer to the most recent schedule of class sessions for this course.
Click this link for HONS 2105 faculty profiles.
After completing the 4 colloquia, students continue into their junior and senior years, completing the remaining Honors coursework, as follows:
Honors Seminars
Honors Program students take six credits of seminars. Typically these are taken in the junior year. This requirement can be fulfilled in a number of ways, depending on the student’s other curricular requirements and academic interests.
Honors Project/Thesis
The Honors project/thesis is developed in cooperation with a member of the University faculty, often in the student’s own discipline. The project is normally formulated and approved by the end of the student’s third year, and completed during the fourth year. In the case of students enrolled in dual-degree programs or who are otherwise planning to finish their undergraduate studies in less than four years, the planning of the project/thesis normally takes place during the second year and the project is completed in the third year.