Curriculum

The Honors College curriculum consists of the following courses:

(These courses are not part of the Honors core curriculum and therefore do not meet scholarship criteria.)

These courses replace most of the University’s Foundations of Knowledge and Learning requirements as well as state mandated writing requirements. Therefore, participating in The Honors College does not increase most students’ academic workload. Our philosophy is to reward academically superior students with new challenges and alternative approaches to learning presented by some of the University’s best faculty.

Honors students generally take one Honors course in the fall semester and one in the spring. Most of the classes enroll only 15-25 students, and many are team-taught, giving students even more opportunity for one-on-one contact and access to a wider variety of teaching styles.

Course Descriptions

Acquisition of Knowledge - IDH 2010

An exploration of the human mind - its capabilities and limits; how knowledge is acquired; the ways in which judgments are formed and values are determined. The course also addresses the philosophical questions behind perception, classification and inference of the human mind.

Arts and Humanities Honors - IDH 3100

An introduction to western arts and letters from the perspectives of the classic, romantic, and modern periods. The course examines the relationship of ideas to the arts, the similarities among the arts of a given period, and the differences between periods.

Arts and Humanities Honors - Performance - IDH 3100

A special arts/humanities course that consists of two performance-based classes that will study the periods/styles of music that the students perform. No auditions are required.

Natural Sciences Honors - IDH 3350

An exploration of the current knowledge of fundamental principles in the natural sciences, their potential for application, and related ethical and philosophical questions. Many sections are taught by college of medicine faculty.

Seminar in Applied Ethics - IDH 3600

An exploration of ethical issues related to a variety of student-selected topics, such as ethics in literature, technology, mental health, political science, law, criminal justice, bio-medicine, and business.

Social and Behavioral Sciences Honors - IDH 3400

An introduction to the concerns of the social and behavioral sciences, methods of inquiry, discovery and validation of knowledge. The course presents a survey of the way in which various disciplines examine the question of how society is organized.

Geographical PerspectivesHonors- IDH 4200

An introduction to African, Latin American, Middle Eastern or Asian perspectives. Focus is on social, political and economic, as well as artistic, cultural and intellectual subject matter. The material is presented within a geographical, chronological and humanities background.

Honors Program Seminar (Major Works/Major Issues - IDH 4000

A course in problem-solving skills which is designed to prepare students for individual research. Students assist in planning course content, methods and requirements. Sections usually have less than ten students.

Honors Thesis - IDH 5975

Two-semester sequence in the senior year which includes research, writing and public presentation of a thesis or creative project. Student will determine a topic in consultation with the Honors Director, and the process continues under the direction of a faculty mentor.

Discovery: People, Process and Problems - IDH 2009

Discovery defines research as the systematic investigation of a problem. Faculty explain how they became interested in doing research in fields ranging from fine arts to business; and share examples of problems they have examined. The semester culminates with students working in groups to develop a research proposal that defines a problem and maps out a strategy for responding to it. Discovery is open to Undergraduate Research Scholars. Discovery students typically present a 1350 SAT I or 32 ACT score.

Special Topics - IDH 4930
Each semester the Honors College offers Special Topics courses. Please check the course descriptions on blackboard each term for specific information.

Undergraduate Research - IDH 4910

A supervised program of interdisciplinary research in areas of specific interest. Open to all USF students by application through Dr. Silverman.

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