Honors Program

A study of ideas, this course examines intellectual curiosity and critical thinking in both oral and written communication. In this seminar setting, students investigate the process of arriving at a thoughtful position, supported by appropriate evidence. Students learn how to do academic research, evaluate source material, and form hypotheses as well as how to share their questions and ideas with various audiences. Students will practice effective habits for succeeding in a new academic and social environment. 4 SH. CC: Writing and Thinking, First-Year Seminar, Ethics Intensive

An introduction to Western thought, this course emphasizes how humans resist or assimilate, oppose or renew tradition. Philosophical, historical, religious, and literary texts of various eras, movements, genres, and media are the object of examination and interpretation. 4 SH. CC: Literary Expression, Diversity Intensive

An introduction to Western aesthetics, this course emphasizes how creative processes either align themselves with canonical traditions, or oppose and dismiss them. The course may focus on one form of artistic expression, or, unified by a thematic umbrella, on a combination of various forms of artistic expression. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression, Diversity Intensive

Logic was one of the original disciplines in the trivium, the tripartite foundation block of the liberal arts. This course addresses critical thinking within the time-honored frame of deductive argumentation using standard notations, principles, and methods used in modern symbolic logic. Logic is examined as the generative epistemology of the scientific method. 4SH. CC: Analytical Thought; Writing Intensive.

An introduction to the social sciences in the context of issues of substantial concern to individuals and society, this course identifies specific social issues and explores them in their historical, psychological, political, and ethical contexts. Students study concepts and methods central to the social sciences, read primary sources in several disciplines, and learn in a highly participatory classroom environment. 4 SH. CC: Social Interactions, Diversity, Ethics.

This history and philosophy of science course focuses on science as a human activity. Through an examination of methods, explanations, limitations, and applications of science, students are given sufficient background to be able to recognize distinctive attributes of both actual science and pseudoscience. The course introduces students to the complexity of ethical, political, and social issues that are byproducts of science and technology. Experiments in biology, chemistry, geology, and physics are used to illustrate the nature and progress of science across time. 4 SH. CC: Scientific Explanations, Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive, Team Intensive.

This experiential colloquium teaches students how to develop an interdisciplinary learning framework. Over the course of two semesters, students attend interdisciplinary lectures, workshops, and experiences field trips. Before each activity, students receive preparatory materials to study ahead of the event, so as to guarantee optimal integration of content. Following each event, students produce critical reflections as assigned by the Colloquium instructorcoordinator. At the end of the year, students prepare a portfolio with their critical reflections on attended events, and an overview that demonstrates the interdisciplinary reach of their intellectual engagement. The two courses must be taken consecutively, but may be taken in different academic years. 12 SH, 2 semesters. CC: Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive.

This colloquium teaches students how to develop an interdisciplinary learning framework. Over the course of two semesters, students attend interdisciplinary lectures, workshops, and field trips. Before each activity, students receive preparatory materials to study ahead of the event, so as to guarantee optimal integration of content. Following each event, students produce critical reflections as assigned by the Colloquium coordinator. At the end of the year, students prepare a portfolio with their critical reflections on attended events, and an overview that demonstrates the interdisciplinary reach of their intellectual engagement. The two courses must be taken consecutively, but may be taken in different academic years. Prerequisite HONS-260. 2 SH CC: Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive.

Each Honors student must complete a minimum of eight hours of 300-level upper-division Honors classes. These courses aremay be designed for a specific departmental major, but instructors have opened the courses to all Honors students, who may also be open to Honors students from any major, perform very well in such challenging interdisciplinary environments. Several Honors seminars are offered each semester. If the chosen course is part of the student’s major, the student will must submit an “honors-level contract,” describing, in consultation with the instructor, how the course assignments for the honors student differs from the other students’ work. 4 SH. CC: based on the equivalencies indicated on the original course description.

The Honors program culminates in an experiential learning project to be completed in a minimum of two and a maximum of four semesters. This research project mustwill address a topic not fully addressed by any specific course at SU. Ifn case the topic relates to a course or departmental capstone project, a clear and detailed explanation of is expected on how this hHonors project supersedes and transcends the course of capstone is requiredclasswork of other students in the respective course. If students choose a topic in their major, some degree of interdisciplinarity is nevertheless expected of their work. By the end of the second week of classes in the first semester of HONS-450, students must submit a research proposal describing the duration and methodology of the project and the final deliverable product. The proposal must name an advisor from the faculty that has agreed to supervise the project. The project may be interrupted for study abroad, and may be prolonged, should the advisor deem an extension necessary for quality assurance. Once completed, the project is publicly presented in events organized by the Honors Program. Minimum of 2 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary. Capstone.

Offered to students participating in the London Program of the Sigmund Weis School of Business, this course provides knowledge and exposure to the art of theatre performance by utilizing the rich offerings of the theatre and other fine arts resources in London and England. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression.

Offered to students participating in the London Program of the Sigmund Weis School of Business, this course introduces students to the theories and principles of diversity by examining Great Britain as a case study in diversity. The course explores key aspects diversity in relation to, but not limited to, class, race, gender and sexuality. A key focus will be location-specific study of social and cultural diversity through student exploration of the role played by culture, ethnicity, class, race and gender in Britain’s past and in its contemporary life. This will involve exploring the opportunities and challenges faced by individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations in their engagement with issues of equality and social justice. Students will learn about contemporary British culture and they will be able to compare that culture with that of the United States. 4 SH. CC: Diversity.

This course provides an overview of theories and approaches common in the field of international studies. Students will grapple with what makes this field interdisciplinary and why that may prove critical in problem-solving on an international scale. Students are introduced to how and why the field draws from many different disciplines, such as economics, anthropology, health sciences, public planning, public policy, linguistics/language, history, political science, business, and the arts. Students begin a portfolio that includes course work, a CV, and an analysis of the interdisciplinary nature of international studies. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Diversity.

This course offers an insight into Japan’s unique culture and society through a survey of its history from ancient to modern times, its political and social transformations, its religious history, the development of its language, literature, and art forms, and its absorption and transformation of outside cultures and ideas. This course is a prerequisite for the A Window to Japan GO short program. 2 SH.

Students in this course will examine the disciplines of the natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space) together with related technologies. The course introduces students to science as a human activity with a long history and the following habits of mind: values and attitudes, computation and estimation, manipulation and observation, communication, and critical-response skills. Particular attention is given to the underlying themes of science: systems, models, constancy and change, and scale. Laboratories will be taught together with the lecture portion of the class. However, some field experiences may be on Saturdays. Prerequisites: sophomore standing, completion of the Analytical Thought requirement, and either MUED-200 or EDUC-101. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Scientific Explanations.

This course is designed for secondary education, modern language education, and music education students. Course instruction will be structured following principles of interdisciplinary instruction and inquiry-based learning. Required lab components are integrated with instruction. Students will analyze and apply their developing understanding of interdisciplinary instruction and inquiry-based learning in order to create original learning activities and lesson plans that incorporate concepts from their respective teaching disciplines. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. CC Interdisciplinary, Scientific Explanations. 4 SH

The Senior Seminar in International Studies is the culmination and integration of the International Studies major, although it is also open to students majoring in Political Science, and Public Policy, Legal Studies, and Criminal Justice. This class may count as the capstone experience for students majoring in all three programs. It provides students with the opportunity to research, write, and present a thesis on an approved topic. Students work closely with faculty members to formulate their theses and prepare both a research design and a final senior essay that implements that design. Students will also critically analyze others’ work. Prerequisite: POLI-205. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive. Same as (Cross-listed with POLI-501.)