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Honors Program (HP)
The Honors Program seeks to cultivate among its participants an unselfish
love of learning. That endeavor complements the ideal of a Jesuit education,
to develop and understand values, to serve others, and to pursue freedom.
The program is intended to benefit students of high ability, encouraging
them to expand and amplify their educational experience, to integrate
their learning, to seek and respond to intellectual challenge, to think
critically and clearly, and to develop early an interest in graduate or
professional studies.
The Honors Program offers a flexible program of study, designed for outstanding
students, and includes seminars, honors courses, and special programs
to encourage students to learn, to serve, and to achieve excellence.
Students can be considered for admission to the Honors Program at almost
any time. Entering first year students who qualify, based on high school
records, including class standing, grade-point average, and achievement
scores, are invited to apply by the director of the Honors Program. Students
who have completed at least one semester at John Carroll and have made
the Dean’s List, and transfer students who have an outstanding academic
record, can also apply for admission to the program. Contact the director
of the Honors Program for details of the admission process.
Once admitted to the program, students are expected to maintain a GPA
of 3.5 and to demonstrate a commitment to high academic standards and
intellectual growth. Progress towards completion of honors requirements
will be subject to periodic review.
Honors students are expected to complete an honors colloquium (HP 101),
a junior colloquium (HP 301), and a senior honors seminar (HP 401). Honors
seminars are interdisciplinary courses designed to analyze and integrate
knowledge among various disciplines. A senior honors project (HP 450),
or an appropriate research project in a major, may be substituted for
the senior seminar (HP 401). Honors students are also expected to complete
at least six additional “H” or “HP” courses, distributed
among their Core requirements. Finally, honors students must demonstrate
competency in English composition, a foreign language or calculus, and
oral communications. See the Honors Program Bulletin for details on all
of these requirements.
With the guidance of faculty and academic advisors, honors students are
expected to take an active role in planning their academic programs. To
facilitate such planning, honors students are permitted wide latitude
in their choice of courses and may, upon recommendation of the director
of the Honors Program, be exempted from 3 12 hours of selected Core courses
by the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, honors students
are encouraged to create their own majors (e.g., archaeology, history
of world religion, Japanese studies, neuroscience, western European political
economy). Such self designed majors must have a coherent focus, be well
conceived, and explore areas not within the normal range of majors. They
must also be approved by the director of the Honors Program and the dean
of thSe College of Arts and Sciences.
For further details on the requirements and privileges of the Honors Program,
please consult the Honors Program Bulletin, which is available
from the Honors Office, or visit our website at www.jcu.edu/honors.
“H” COURSES. These courses are special sections
of classes taught within departments. Such courses are open to
all students who meet course prerequisites, not just honors students.
These courses will usually be smaller in size, approach the topic from
a slightly different perspective, draw upon more original sources, and
provide a unique opportunity to engage in learning with an instructor.
The particular courses will be announced in the semester schedule.
101. HONORS COLLOQUIUM 3 cr. Interdisciplinary and team taught, with instructors
from three different disciplines bringing their expertise to bear on a
focused topic. Using the First Year Seminar (FYS) as a foundation, the
colloquium continues to develop critical thinking and oral and written
communication skills. Seeks significant student participation in both
the planning and execution of the course. Course is normally taken in
the spring semester of the first year. A required course for all honors
students.
290. HONORS SPECIAL TOPIC COURSE 1 3 cr. Cross listed with a course taught
in a particular department. When a departmental course seeks broader audience
or approaches a topic in an unusual manner that may be of particular interest
to honors students, it may be cross listed with the Honors Program. Subject
announced in the semester schedule.
300. HONORS SPECIAL TOPIC SEMINAR 3 cr. Interdisciplinary seminar that
focuses on a particular topic not ordinarily covered by established departmental
seminars or courses and which draws upon interrelations among a variety
of fields. Subject announced in the semester schedule.
301. JUNIOR HONORS COLLOQUIUM 0 cr. Non-credit, required course, offered
in the spring semester. Designed to help junior honors students prepare
for their senior year; meets approximately five times during the semester.
Focus on senior honors requirements, job search, standardized tests, graduate
school applications, post-graduate fellowships, and resumes.
390. HONORS SPECIAL TOPIC COURSE 1 3 cr. Cross listed with a course taught
in a particular department. When a departmental course seeks a broader
audience or approaches a topic in an unusual manner that may be of particular
interest to honors students, it may be cross listed with the Honors Program.
Subject announced in the semester schedule.
398. HONORS INDEPENDENT RESEARCH 1 3 cr. Independent study project done
under the direction of a faculty advisor and approved by the director
of the Honors Program. See the director or the website for further details.
399. HONORS DIRECTED READINGS 1 3 cr. Individual readings program directed
by a faculty member and approved by the director of the Honors Program.
See the director or the website for further details.
401. SENIOR HONORS SEMINAR 3 cr. Seminar that focuses on selected topics
and issues. Either team taught or explicitly interdisciplinary to allow
students to see a particular topic addressed by different disciplines.
Special emphasis on research, and a “senior paper” (or equivalent)
is to be written. Usually offered in the fall semester. This course (or
HP 450) is required of all honors students.
450. SENIOR HONORS PROJECT 3 cr. Independent study project under the direction
of a faculty advisor. Honors students may choose to do an independent
study project in place of HP 401. In every case approval of the advisor,
the director of the Honors Program, and the dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences is required prior to registration. Forms and procedures are
available from the Honors Office and the website.
490. HONORS SPECIAL TOPIC COURSE 1 3 cr. Cross listed with a course taught
in a particular department. When a departmental course seeks a broader
audience or approaches a topic in a manner that may be of particular interest
to honors students, it may be cross listed with the Honors Program. Subject
announced in the semester schedule.
498. HONORS INDEPENDENT RESEARCH 1-3 cr. Independent study project done
under the direction of a faculty advisor and approved by the director
of the Honors Program. See the director for further details.
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