The Courses
Several kinds of honors courses are offered as follows:
Enriched honors courses are separate sections of departmental courses that are limited to 25 students. These courses are designated with a single H following the course number (e.g., Psychology 100H) and may carry 3 or 4 credits.
Honors Colloquia are one-credit honors sections appended to regular three- and four-credit courses. They often develop topics in greater depth than in the related course; however, it is not unusual for colloquia to introduce totally new material or experiences. Colloquia are limited to 25 students and may be designated in one of two ways; (1) with an H preceding the course number as a one-credit seminar taken in addition to the regular course (for example, students would enroll in both Anthropology H317 and Anthropology 317), and both the honors component and the regular course must be passed with grades of B or better; (2) as a one-credit seminar taken after passing the regular course with a grade of B or better. Such colloquia may be designated with a course number using "91" in the last two digits and specify the associated regular course(s) as a prerequisite. Both the prerequisite and the colloquium must be passed with grades of B or better (for example, a student who passes Accounting 221 or 222 with a B or better may take Accounting 291H in a subsequent semester). Colloquia may be prearranged and advertised in the honors course guide or determined in the first two weeks of a semester and scheduled via a colloquium contract.
201H Ideas That Change the World is a four-credit course in which students explore dilemmas addressed by the sciences, the arts, and the humanities. In each of these broad areas, we will focus on questions about human nature, the sources of our knowledge, and the application of that knowledge to the solving of perennial and contemporary problems. The course is divided into four units: Models of Inquiry; the Impact of Science and Technology; Social Philosophy and Civic Engagement; and Art in the World. This course carries General Education Interdisciplinary credit.
391AH Honors Discovery Seminar: Topics is a one-credit course in which students participate in a topical seminar designed by its instructor that incorporates skill-building in preparation for the honors thesis. Every section is open to students of any major, and advanced knowledge of the topic is not necessary. Students should check the Honors Seminar website for descriptions of all sections: https://www.umass.edu/honors/curriculum/courses/391ah-course-descriptions.
323H Commonwealth Honors Junior Year Common Experience Course: Topic for 2020-21 is "What's the Big Idea?" This is a four-credit course open to juniors exploring a single topic from multiple perspectives with multiple faculty. While recognizing that by the junior year students will be working in a wide variety of disciplinary areas, an interdisciplinary course like this will help honors students at the preliminary stage of thinking about a culminating senior thesis, project or capstone to experience a variety of topics and approaches that can lead to the development of their own senior culminating experience.
196ISH, 296ISH, 396ISH, 496ISH Stand-Alone Honors Independent Study involves frequent interaction between instructor and student and may carry three to six credits. The student and the sponsoring instructor must fill out an independent study contract proposal through the PATHS portal on the college’s website (https://honorspaths1.honors.umass.edu/chc-paths/) by the deadline date for each semester. There must be a plan for regular meetings and qualitative enrichment must be evident on the proposed contract before consent is given to undertake the study. A writing component is strongly encouraged as preparation for the honors thesis or project. To fulfill honors course requirements, honors independent studies of three or more credits must be passed with grades of B or higher.
One- or two-credit add-on honors independent studies must be affiliated with regular courses of two or more credits. The student and the sponsoring instructor must fill out a contract proposal through the PATHS portal on the college's website (https://honorspaths1.honors.umass.edu/chc-paths/) by the deadline date for each semester. Once the add-on contract is approved, the student’s honors independent study course enrollment may be designated with an HI preceding the course number as a one-credit independent study taken in addition to the regular course (for example, a student would enroll in both History HI170 and History 170), and both the honors component and the regular course must be passed with grades of B or better.
198H, 298H, 398H, 498H Honors Practica are one- or two-credit Pass/Fail skill-oriented courses which allow honors students to work together in small groups (for example, Peer Advising Practica). These practica cannot be used to meet honors academic course requirements.
499 Honors Thesis is a six-or-more-credit intellectual pursuit that may range in format from the more traditional sequence of honors research and thesis or honors portfolio and manuscript under the direction of a faculty committee or through a thesis seminar. The honors thesis is typically pursued in a two semester sequence of 3+ credit seminars or individually contracted courses. Students should consult a Commonwealth Honors College advisor before undertaking an honors thesis.