Course Descriptions
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Overview
Students may select a variety of honors courses. Courses are available through departments or through the University Honors Programs. Course descriptions for the Spring 2020 University Honors (UH) classes as well as a list of Departmental Honors Courses are posted here. Refer to WINGS Express via the WINGS portal for a complete listing of all Honors courses, including days, times, and locations.
Spring 2020 University Honors Courses
UH 2010-01 (CRN 13852)
Latin America Magical and Real (Rubin)
Latin America is a very real and very magical place with a rich literary and cinematographic history. This course will explore the "magic" of Latin America, from famous literary movements like "magical realism" to often mythologized figures like Ernesto Che Guevara. At the same time, the course will examine a number of "real" issues facing Latin America, including crime, immigration, and poverty. Readings will include short stories and poems in translation, as well as current news and feature articles. Films will include feature length selections and documentaries.
UH 2020-01 (CRN 13855)
Search for Community (Eguaroje)
This social science course delves into the importance and relevance of community in a modern world. Class community studies are reviewed and used as the basis for discussions, role playing exercises, and a case study. Students will collectively author a course product: a mini-community study of a nearby small town. This course will be conducted in a seminar format, enhanced by multi-media presentations and films. (UH 2020 satisfies the Social Science Element in the Core curriculum.)
UH 2020-90 (CRN 22303)
Decision Making (Morrisette)
Decision making is an integral part of our daily lives, ranging from the relatively simple--shall I have Coke or coffee?--to the complex and seemingly insoluble--how can we reduce the rate of violent crime in the U.S.? Regardless of one's area of interest or expertise, difficult decisions must be made. This course provides an introduction to the concepts of decision theory, systems analysis, and rational analytic techniques of decision making, as well as an exploration of non-rational theory and processes. Students will analyze the process and the assumptions that underlie the process from several viewpoints and disciplines: rationality, incrementalism, analytical reasoning, and complexity and chaos. (UH 2020 satisfies the Social Science Element in the Core curriculum.)
UH2020-91 (CRN 24738)
Health and Disease (Rodgers)
This course will explore disease and its historical effect upon religion, exploration, politics, war, the economy, and other social and cultural aspects of our world. We will also look at modern disease and its effect upon these social and cultural matters, and in turn how these same social and cultural aspects affect the course of disease and human health.
UH 4000-01 (CRN 21358)
Holocaust, Ethics, Film (Verman)
The Holocaust constitutes one of the most horrific and challenging episodes in recent history. Reading and analyzing primary source material, such as extracts from Hitler’s Mein Kampf, combined with viewing and discussing both documentary and narrative films, such as Night and Fog and The Pianist affords a multi-dimensional perspective on this period. We will also explore basic ethical theories, to better understand the moral dilemmas confronting victims and survivors, as well as perpetrators and by-standers.
UH 4000-02 (CRN 22444)
Wittgenstein New Critical Thinking (Wilson)
This course explores techniques in post-analytic thought, through the life of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Students will learn who Wittgenstein was and why he is relevant. Then, they learn to engage in intellectual behaviors that are often described as "post analytic" (Wittgensteinian). They learn about language meaning, philosophy as therapy rather than argumentation, aspect-seeing (insight), pictures of account, dissolving confusions rather than “winning debates,” and about the inherent limitations in formalistic thinking. Students will also be exposed to the values of intellectual sincerity and shunning pretense. And they will see the terrible complexity of genius, including the negative aspects of Wittgenstein's life, such as condescension and sexism. The final part of the course will help students apply the thinking techniques they have learned to selected topics in law, science and religion. When examining arguments in these fields, students will consider what it means to say that something is “scientific” (or is a "study"), and what the word “God” means. They will also be exposed to what it means to say that something is "constitutional" (or not), and what it means to say that the Supreme Court uses “ideology” to decide cases. In each example, the point is to show that there is a complexity in these assertions that often escapes proponents. Ultimately, this class hopes to make students into more insightful thinkers who value a reflective intellect.
Spring 2020 Departmental Honors Courses
Biology
- BIO 1150L Organism and Eco Lab
- BIO 1190 Biology Recitation
Classics
- CLS Intro Classical Mythology
Education
- ED 2100 Education in a Democracy
Engineering
- EGR 3350 Tech Comm for EGR and CS
English
- ENG 2100 Res Writing and Argument
Finance
- FIN 2050 Personal Fin Decision
Marketing
- MKT 4780 Ind Study in Marketing
Mathematics
- MTH 2310 Calculus II
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
- ME 4950 Honors Thesis
Music
- MUS 2420 Comp NW Culture: Music
Neuroscience
- NEU 4020 Sr Cap Neuro Lab Res
Physics
- PHY 1120 Principals of Physics II
- PHY 1120L Principals of Physics II Lab
- PHY 1120R Principals of Physics II Rec
- PHY 2400 General Physics I
- PHY 2400L General Physics I Lab
- PHY 2400R General Physics I Rec
- PHY 2410 General Physics II
- PHY 2410L General Physics II Lab
- PHY 2410R General Physics II Rec
Psychology
- PSY 1010 Intro to Psychology
- PSY 1010L Intro to Psychology Lab
Regional Studies
- RST 2710 Regional Studies: Africa
Religion
- REL 2320 Nonwestern Religions
Sociology
- SOC 2000 Intro to Sociology
Theatre
- TH 3990 Musical Theatre
- TH 3990 Honors
- TH 3990 Acting Honors Thesis II
- TH 3990 Acting Honors Thesis II
