Edgar Fellow Courses

(Each course carries 3 credits except where indicated.)

Requirements: 19-22 credits

Additionally, the following experience is recommended:

Honr 211: Independent Honors Service Project (credit variable)

Program Obligations:

Edgar Fellows must maintain an overall cumulative grade point average(gpa) of at least 3.4. Each semester, students must complete at least 12 hours and earn a gpa no lower than 3.0. Additionally, students must complete HONR 101 and 102 in their first year in the program and take at least one honors course in each subsequent year, until the five required courses are completed. (With prior notification, exceptions are made for Study Abroad or similar circumstances.)

Course Descriptions

Honr 101 The Nature of Inquiry An examination of proposed standards for the evaluation of progress in inquiry, this course focuses on the concepts of knowledge, meaning, truth, and evidence and on classic texts addressing these topics, such as those of Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, and Kant. Prerequisites: Admission into the honors program. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered every fall

Honr 102 Critical Reading A detailed and careful reading of a few selected texts from major disciplines, this course focuses on close reading and analysis through seminar discussion and extensive writing. Prerequisites: HONR 101. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered every spring

S/HONR 203: Honors Seminar in the Social Sciences: (subtitle)This seminar offers an introduction to a topic or set of topics of social relevance as addressed by the social sciences. Typical subtitles might be: Nature versus Nurture, Interpreting the Bell Curve, or The Trap of Poverty. As a core course, it should engage all students and will not assume any prior knowledge of the discipline(s) involved. As a seminar, the class will focus on a lively discussion and analysis of the issues. Credits 3 (3-0). Prerequisite: HONR 102. Offered every fall.

F/HONR 204: Honors Seminar in the Fine Arts: (subtitle) This seminar offers an introduction to a topic or set of topics drawn from the fine arts, as designated by the subtitle. Typical subtitles are: Jazz and the American Experience; Picasso: Form and Vision; and Theater as Protest. As a core course, it will engage all students and will not assume any prior knowledge of the discipline(s) involved. As a seminar, the class will focus on a lively discussion and analysis of the issues. Credits 3 (3-0). Prerequisite: HONR 102. Offered every fall.

HONR 205: Honors Seminar in the Sciences: (subtitle) This seminar offers an introduction to a topic or set of topics drawn from the sciences, as designated by the subtitle. Typical subtitles are: Galileo, Medieval or Modern? What is Light? and Deciphering DNA. The course is designed to engage all students and will not assume any prior knowledge of the discipline(s) involved. As a seminar, the class will focus on a lively discussion and analysis of the issues. Credits 3 (3-0). Prerequisite: HONR 102. Offered every spring.

HONR 206: Honors Seminar: (subtitle)This seminar is introduction to a topic or set of topics drawn from the humanities and /or other disciplines, as designated by the subtitle. Typical subtitles are: Great Works of the Non-Western World, Wagner and Wotan, Dante and Cosmology. The course is designed to engage all students and will not assume any prior knowledge of the discipline(s) involved. As a seminar, the class will focus on a lively discussion and analysis of the issues. Credits 3 (3-0). Prerequisite: HONR 102. Offered on demand.

HONR 207: Honors Seminar in Diversity, Pluralism, Difference: (subtitle) This course will provide students the opportunity to examine distinct, overlapping, and shared cultural identities, traditions, and experiences. Each seminar will explore a selected topic through the lens of at least two of the following: race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. Seminar topics may focus on national, international, and/or transnational issues. Typical titles might be: Gender, Culture, and International Development; Religion and Class in Northern Ireland; and African American Migration Narrative.

Prerequisite: Honors 102. Credits: 3 (3-0) Offered on demand.

HONORS 393: The Capstone Experience. The Honors Capstone Experience will be a project of the student's own design that will culminate in a written critical analysis of that experience, and an oral presentation of its results to an audience of peers. The project can be a traditional honors thesis, an artistic/creative enterprise, scientific research, community service, or any endeavor that has intellectual integrity, challenge, and the potential for critical analysis. Proposals will be submitted to the Honors Committee by the beginning of the senior (or the Capstone) year. The Capstone Experience will include attendance at mandatory Capstone Seminar (described below) that will meet four times each semester. The seminar will prepare the student for both presentation and writing. The seminar director together with the Capstone Project advisor will determine the final grade. Credits: 3(3-0) per semester for a total of 6 (6-0) credits.

HONORS 394: The CapstoneSeminar. The capstone seminar will meet regularly during the Capstone year. Students will share their experiences and report their progress to their peer Edgar Fellows and to the seminar supervisors, who will monitor progress. Students maybe expected to provide annotated bibliographies, intermediate reports, or other measures of progress. Students will prepare oral presentations based on their Capstone Experience to be given in a public forum. Students must pass this course in order to receive an honors designation upon graduation. Co-requisite: HONR 393. Credits: 0-1.

HONR 211: Independent Honors Service Project Students will design and carry out a community service project at the local, state or national level. As with any internship or independent study, the student will work with an advisor. Interested students should formulate a proposal with an advisor and submit it for approval to the Honors Committee before commencing the project. A written report and analysis should be filed with the Honors Committee at the completion of the project. Pre or Co-requisite: HONOR 101. Credits: 1 to 3 depending on the extent of the project. Course may be repeated once. This course is an optional course in the Honors Program and will not count towards the five courses (in addition to HONR 393) that are required for completion of the honors program. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Honors Program