Honors Program - Required Courses

All Honors students are required to enroll in one Honors course each semester.  Generally Honors courses are specially designed IDST courses, but in some cases the student will need to contract an Honors course with the instructor of one of their regular core/major courses.   In the fall semester, incoming freshmen who qualify for the program will become part of the Honors Living and Learning Community (a first-year residential component to the Honors Program).  Freshmen Honors students will live together on a designated "Honors Wing" complete with their own collaborative study room on the first floor of Faulkner Residence Hall.

Freshmen will enroll in IDST1101 in the fall and IDST1105 in the spring. Sophomores will enroll in IDST 2305 during the fall semester, and in the spring term they will contract a course. Juniors register for IDST 3360 in fall semester, and in spring semester, they may opt either to contract a course, or take IDST 3205 Colloquium, or to study abroad. For both fall and spring semesters, seniors may opt to take one scheduled honors course (IDST 4340 Global Issues or IDST 3205 Colloquium), enroll in a contracted honors course, study abroad, or participate in other approved off-campus programs or internships.  All Honors students must enroll in one semester of the Honors Colloquium (IDST 3205) during their junior or senior year as a requirement for graduating as a "Schreiner Honors Scholar." Since course topics for IDST 3205 rotate, students may enroll in more than one colloquium. The Colloquium is offered in the spring semester.

Honors Courses

IDST 1101 First Honors Seminar- Reacting to the Past - Athens
This first-year seminar is designed to introduce the incoming college student to the academy of research, scholarship, thought, and knowledge. The seminar will investigate a variety of relevant and timely topics which will vary from section to section.  Each class will emphasize close and critical reading, lively class discussion, and practice in academic research and writing.

IDST 1105 Spring Honors Seminar
This second honors seminar introduces provisional honors students to a liberal arts education, as well as to faculty across disciplines. For the weekly seminar, students read a wide variety of materials selected by guest faculty. Because different guest professors lead weekly discussions, they introduce the freshmen to a wide range of perspectives on current and classical thought.

IDST 3205 Honors Colloquium: American Culture
This course is a focused research and discussion group with an American-studies emphasis. It is designed specifically for junior and senior level honors students. Because the focus rotates, it may be taken more than once.  Students enrolled in IDST 3205 are expected to present their research or projects at the Student Achievement Showcase in April.

Contracted Honors-Designated Courses
Usually during their junior or senior year, honors students will have a semester without an Honors IDST course.  Part of the requirements to remain in the Honors Program is to enroll and complete an Honors course each term.  Failure to enroll in an Honors IDST or honors contracted regular course may result in a dismissal from the program.  

When an Honors IDST course is not available, students will then "contract" a regular non-honors course.  The course can be within the honors student's major or an elective.  The student will contact the professor of the course they wish to contract prior to the end of the registration period and discuss what project or additional coursework they would like to complete for their "Honors Contract". 

Once the Honors Contract forms (available for download below in PDF form) are completed and signed by the student and professor, the student will submit them to the Honors Director for approval. Once the Honors contract has been approved, the Registrar will then generate an Honors section of the contracted course.  Honors credit is noted on their transcripts.

Students should meet with professors prior to the start of the semester  in order to decide on areas of research and coursework for the contracted honors course. Students must submit the Honors Contract Form and the Honors Designation Form prior to the start of the contracted course.

View/Print Honors Course Designation Form (pdf)
View/Print Honors Course Contract Form (pdf)

Sample Syllabi
IDST 1105 HONORS SEMINAR
IDST 2270 HONORS TOPIC SEMINAR
IDST 3205 HONORS COLLOQUIUM: YOUTH
IDST 3260 THE AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE, HON.
IDST 4240 GLOBAL ISSUES IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT

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