Meeting times, locations, CRNs, specific section numbers, are all listed in WyoRecords under the “Look Up Classes” search function.
Pre-Requisites: All Honors Upper-Division Classes (3000 and 4000 level) require students to have completed their COM 1 and COM 2 requirements.
Main campus Honors College fall courses will open to non-Honors College after the early enrollment period. Non-Honors College students wishing to register for these courses need to have at least a 3.25 cumulative UW GPA and will need to request an override from the Honors College. Students should email Li Teng at to make this request. Online Honors classes are open to all students.
*Please note that Honors College FYS courses are open to all UW students with no override necessary.
Interested in taking an Honors course during the summer? Check out our Summer 2025 Course Descriptions.
Please reach out to the Honors Advising Team for more information and guidance when registering.
HP 1020: Honors Colloquium I: Dreams and Reality
REQUIRED FOR ALL FIRST-YEAR HONORS STUDENTS*
*A first-year student is any student who begins at UW with fewer than 30 post high
school college credit hours. Students who earned an associate’s degree while completing
their high school degree are still considered first-year students.
Credits: 3
Instructor: Various
Modality: Various
Honors College Attributes: Colloquium 1
USP attributes: (COM1) Communication 1
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s): Major Core (HP 1020 is the first course in the Colloquium sequence)
Course Description: Honors Colloquium I is a rich exploration of the topic “dreams and reality.” What are our dreams? Do they shape reality, oppose reality, or something else? What is reality? An objective truth we all share? A set of constraints that guides our lives? An arbitrary construct we could change? We explore these questions from multiple disciplinary perspectives and through assignments including essays, creative responses, podcasts, visualizations and more. Our texts come from the worlds of physics, psychology, film studies, neuroscience, philosophy, theatre, among others.
Colloquium is enriched with visits to UW’s Theatre and Dance department, Art Museum, Archives, and Library, and with service projects carried out around Laramie. Expert faculty from various departments give specialized lectures on relevant topics. Distinguished visiting scholars and writers meet with students to discuss their work. In all these ways, Colloquium teaches students to take advantage of the rich resources we are privileged to have at UW.
HP 2150: Producing Knowledge: Analysis, Creativity, and Expression
Credits: 1
Instructors: Breezy Taggart
Modality: Traditional/Hybrid
Honors College Attributes: Concurrent Major Core
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s): Major Core (HP 2150 is part of a series which also includes HP 2250)
Producing Knowledge: Analysis, Creativity, and Expression is an activity-based course introducing approaches to producing, refining, analyzing, and evaluating knowledge. Course topics are investigated through a combination of readings, lectures, research, and individual and collaborative activities. This course is part of the Producing Knowledge series, along with Interviews, Surveys, and Experiments (ISE); the two courses can be taken in any order.
Through this course you will gain exposure to the terminology, theory, and practice necessary for generating knowledge and insight that impacts academic, professional, and wider public audiences. You will have opportunity to practice the skills necessary for clear communication. You will be encouraged to develop your own personal awareness of and appreciation for different imaginative approaches to research and knowledge production. A culminating application challenge will be undertaken through exploration, experimentation, and refinement.
HP 3050: Art of Civic Engagement
Credits: 3
Instructor: Adrian Molina
Modality: Online asynchronous
Honors College Attributes: Upper-division elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Creativity, Justice, and our World
Course Description: “Civic” is a word that now puts a lot of people to sleep...but it shouldn’t. It doesn’t
have to be boring. In fact, it can be a lot of fun. The Art of Civic Engagement course
explores concepts and strategies around civic education and participation. Is it possible
that bringing people together in real space, in real time, is the most important commitment
that we can make in the 21st century?
We will ask a lot of questions in this course, because questions open doors. What has led to our epidemic of social isolation, loneliness, and collective anxiety? What are your definitions of collective health and social well-being? What does it mean to live in a civically engaged community? What role does art play in society? How can art be used to bring people together in new and meaningful ways? How can creativity be used to increase civic engagement?
HP 3050: Creative Process
Credits: 3
Instructor: Sarah Lass
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Upper-division elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
TBA
Course Description: This course examines articulations of the creative process across disciplines, including in dance, creative writing, visual arts, and community organizing as a way to support students in their
own individual creative projects. Students will read and discuss books, articles, videos, etc. about creative process, identifying common or transferable themes, tools, skills, and questions about “making”
across disciplines, putting this knowledge to work in their own self-directed project
(which could be a performance, a short story, a collection of poems, a musical composition,
a painting or sculpture, a public-facing event or intervention, etc.) Students will
also be guided through specific processes for sharing and giving/receiving feedback about creative work, including the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process.
HP 3050: Echoes of Tomorrow, The Intersection of Tech and Humanity
Credits: 3
Instructor: Raya Hegeman-Davis
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Upper-division elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
TBA
Course Description: Echoes of Tomorrow empowers students to critically analyze the relationship between
technology, ethics, and society, preparing them to navigate and influence the rapidly
evolving technological landscape. Through engaging discussions, hands-on projects,
and interdisciplinary exploration, students will develop the skills to assess how
technological advancements shape social, political, and cultural dynamics. This course
equips students with critical thinking and communication skills highly valued in professional
settings. Graduates will leave with the ability to assess complex ethical dilemmas,
propose practical solutions, and confidently contribute to discussions on technology’s
role in addressing global challenges. Whether entering careers in technology, policy,
business, or non-profits, students will be well-prepared to lead with integrity and
vision in a tech-driven world.
HP 3050: Vatican Stories
Credits: 3
Instructor(s): Paul Flesher (Religious Studies ) and Caroline McCracken-Flesher (English)
Modality: Study Abroad *Students must be participating in UW Rome Semester Study Abroad Program*
Honors College Attributes: Honors Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: TBA
A&S attributes: TBA
Application Deadline: April 15, 2025
Estimated Cost: $11,975 (Rome Semester Study Abroad Program)
Travel Dates: Fall 2026
Travel Locations: Rome
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
TBA
Course Description:
Rome is the city of the popes—a claim that can be traced back for nearly 1900 years.
Over those centuries, the popes have repeatedly staked their claim through the telling
of religious tales and the creation of cultural art and architecture. Today, the popes
are “limited” to Vatican City—a sovereign nation within the now “secular” city of
Rome, the capital of the country Italy. Given its heritage and its present situation,
how does the Vatican present itself?
This course will teach students how to explore the many layers of meaning in that question and the multiple ways that it has been answered through the centuries. It will accomplish this goal through the examination of Vatican Stories as told through cultural objects (paintings, statues, architecture, etc.) and defining stories. Students will learn to read and map the stories told by art and architecture against text, history and recent film and media. They will investigate the funding, patrons, dates, political and historical contexts of materials, and note and pursue the absences and emphases of this visual rhetoric. Assignments will advance student abilities in cultural data collection, management, analysis and presentation in multiple modes and to varied audiences.
HP 3151: Chinese Medicine and Models of Healthcare
Credits: 3
Instructor: Chris Dewey
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Health, Policy and the Body
Course Description: On offer here is a class that examines Traditional Chinese Medicine as an integral
component of contemporary models of health care. Students will learn from a practicing
Chinese Medicine clinician about evidence-based practice, the theories of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, its modalities including acupuncture, how it is used to treat disease,
and the diagnostic tools we use in a clinical setting. Students will also participate
in a typical client intake and observe a full acupuncture treatment. Together we will
examine what it means to use Chinese Medicine in service of the consumer’s journey
to wellness. The nuanced and abstruse lexicon used by practitioners in any branch
of health care, combined with the ways in which Eastern and Western care paradigms
differ from each other, can be confusing and alienating to both practitioners and
consumers alike. The course will help to dispel the confusion and division that can
exist between seemingly different models of health care and demonstrate the value
of integrated medicine to health, healing and wellness.
HP 3156: Inuit Environmental Dilemmas
Credits: 3
Instructor: Joslyn Cassady
Modality: Synchronous Online
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: (D) Diversity in the United States
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Environment, Ethics, and Humankind
Health, Policy and the Body
Creativity, Justice, and our World
Course Description: The Arctic is experiencing rapid environmental change due largely to human activities
in the south. Three of the processes that are creating the most dramatic changes in
Arctic ecosystems are climate change, the northern flow of industrial toxins and intensified
resource exploration and extraction. This course focuses on how these three processes
are affecting the livelihood of roughly 160,000 Inuit living in Siberia, Alaska, Canada
and Greenland. By focusing on Inuit strategies and engagements, this course will dispel
enduring misconceptions of northern peoples as passive victims of outside forces while
simultaneously examining the considerable challenges that they face in maintaining
control of their lives and land. Ultimately, I hope this course raises awareness about
how our own lifestyles are exacerbating environmental injustices and culture change
in the Far North.
HP 3151: Cinema of the Middle East
Credits: 3
Instructor: Ahmad Nadalizadeh
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes:Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Technology, Society, and the Future
Creativity, Justice, and our World
Course Description: Although the term “Middle East” came into common parlance after World War II, its
other iterations were already in circulation in the nineteenth century, designating
an imaginary geography which consigned “the East” to the periphery and further solidified
the privileged position of Europe. Since the term reflected such European self-universalizing
assumptions, it cast its geographic referent as the object of patronizing systems
of Eurocentric political representations. In this course, we will turn to various
film cultures of the Middle East and will situate its national film traditions within
regional and global perspectives. We will investigate how the filmmakers emerging
from the region represent their cultures as deeply embedded within a globalized world
too replete with unexpected combinations to be discretely divided into the civilizational
hierarchies of the West and the East. Taking a critical approach to national cinema
studies in a world of increasingly globalized film audiences, we will explore both
the influence of world cinema on the film cultures of the Middle East and, in turn,
the extent to which the aesthetics of the movies of this region proves integral to
our conception of world cinema. Our discussions of films in class will be supplemented
by pertinent scholarly analyses in order to complicate any facile understanding of
the region, but also to further deepen our awareness of the cultural contexts through
which cinema has emerged as an aesthetic form. Drawing on various national traditions,
this course will include movies from Iran, Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon, and Egypt.
HP 3157: Wyoming Walkabout
Credits: 3
Instructor: Paul Taylor
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Honors Global Perspectives (*Nonwestern), Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: G (Global Awareness)
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Environment, Ethics, and Humankind
Creativity, Justice, and our World
Course Description: A unique experiential exposure to the "world's oldest living culture." Students will
explore Australia's 50,000-year-old Aboriginal culture lead by educator/artist Paul
Taylor. www.paultaylor.ws Mentored by elder Yidumduma Bill Harney, senior custodian of the Wardaman culture,
students will be guided by video material collected over 15 years by Paul's Yubulyawan
Dreaming Project. www.ydproject.com Students will study the 10 video chapters on this site and be participants in this
continuing research. We will explore what it is to be indigenous, participate in ritual,
song, dance and painting. We will learn the Wardaman Creation Story, applying this
wisdom to our landscape and personal lives. We will have field trips to the UW Planetarium,
our local Casper Aquifer and an American Indian sacred site. We will apply storytelling
in class; make, play and decorate a didgeridoo. We will work together on a class mural,
teaching to “Care for Country”, celebrating our land, our personal "Walkabouts", our
own life journeys.
HP 4152: Art as Blueprint: Worldbuilding and Creativity in Contemporary Art
Credits: 3
Instructor: Tessa Dallarosa
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Upper-division elective
USP attributes: H (Human Culture)
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
TBA
Course Description: This course invites students to explore worldbuilding through the lens of contemporary
art, where creativity becomes a powerful tool for constructing new realities. Students
will engage in hands-on artmaking while reflecting on how artists create and shape
the world around us. How does art engage with our collective imagination? How can
creative practice help us reimagine systems of knowledge and power? Through studio
projects, collaborative exercises, guest artist talks, and visits to museums and alternative
art spaces, students will investigate themes such as human-animal relationships, digital
culture and technology, identity and memory, sustainability and ecology, history and
the everyday, healing and humor. Students will experiment using a range of artmaking
processes and creative thinking strategies, from conceptual art to the handmade. By
the end of the course, students will gain a deeper understanding of how contemporary
art opens possibilities for the future and connects to one's own academic field. This
course is ideal for students across disciplines who are curious about the role of
creativity in shaping tomorrow’s world.
HP 4152: Mass Media and Collective Consciousness
Credits: 3
Instructor: Adrian Molina
Modality: Asynchronous Online
Honors College Attributes: Upper-division elective
USP attributes: (H) Human Culture
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Technology Society and the Future
Creativity, Justice, and our World
Course Description: This course explores the most central and critical issues of our times: Humanity,
Technology, and Ecology. In this course, the student is the main "Text," meaning that
each student will engage in contemplative education practices. Students will examine
their own lives in relationship to technology, mass media, social media. We will explore
how the cyborg-ification of our lives affects our physical, mental, and emotional
health, as well as our relationships with other humans.
Additionally, this is a topics course that may explore any of the following: the development
of collective consciousness; functions of mass media; the functions of corporate media
vs independent media; how mass media affects public opinion; journalism and ethical
considerations; pop culture's relationship to American values and standards; the nature
of news coverage and news filters; access to media and social justice concerns; functions
of art and entertainment; critiques of mass media and pop culture; alternative forms
of media; futurist perspectives on human consciousness; and real-time developments
in technology including artificial intelligence.
HP 4153: Water
Credits: 3
Instructor: Ashleigh Pilkerton
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Upper-division elective
USP attributes: PN (Physical and Natural World)
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
TBA
Course Description: Water shapes our world. It carves landscapes, sustains life, fuels conflict, and inspires
innovation. This course examines water through multiple lenses—scientific, historical,
cultural, and political—to explore its fundamental role in ecosystems, human civilization,
and the future of our planet. From the molecular properties that make water unique
to the challenges of water scarcity, pollution, and environmental change, students
will engage with diverse perspectives on water as both a resource and a right.
Through readings, discussions, and experiential learning, we will explore humanity’s
evolving relationship with water to develop a nuanced understanding of its essential
yet fragile presence. We will critically analyze global and local water issues, explore
water-related innovations, and develop informed perspectives on managing this essential
element in a changing world. Course materials will include scientific research, policy
discussions, literature, film, and contemporary case studies. By the end of the course,
students will have a deeper understanding of water’s complexities and the pressing
questions surrounding its future.
HP 4153: Neuroscience and Law
Credits: 3
Instructor: Karagh Brummond
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Upper-Division Elective
USP attributes: PN (Physical and Natural World)
A&S attributes: none
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Health, Policy and the Body
Technology Society and the Future
Course Description: Lawyers and courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, are already integrating neuroscience
research into their arguments and opinions on cases from criminal to civil litigation.
This class will introduce the exciting field of "neurolaw" by covering issues such
as neuroscience of criminal culpability, brain-based lie detection, brain death, emotions,
decision making, and much more. Along the way we'll discuss how the legal system can
and should respond to new insights on topics such as adolescent brain development,
addiction, psychopathy, Alzheimer's, effects of combat on soldiers' brains, and concussions
from sports injuries. Students will be pushed to determine and develop a sense of
how, when, and where neuroscience can and cannot aid in the goals of law. Please note
that this course will be approached from a heavy science side providing students with
a deep understanding of neuroscience and the application of neuroscience literature
in courtrooms. We will be looking closely at topics including the structure and function
of the brain, brain monitoring and manipulation techniques, and how essential studies
in neuroscience have been used by the legal system. Students will be reflecting on
and drawing conclusions about the ethical and legal implications of using neuroscientific
data in law through synthesis of neuroscience research.
HP 4155: Diplomacy and Negotiation
Credits: 3
Instructor: Christopher Rothfuss
Modality: Traditional
Honors College Attributes: Upper-division elective
USP attributes: H (Human Culture)
A&S attributes: G (Global Awareness)
Concurrent Major Honors Interdisciplinary Inquiry Concentration Designations(s):
Environment, Ethics, and Humankind
Health, Policy, and the Body
Technology, Society, and the Future
Creativity, Justice, and our World
Course Description: This course will focus on the development and practical application of diplomacy and
negotiation skills, with extensive use of real-world role-playing scenarios. Students
will learn negotiation theory and techniques, and will be able to apply them through
simulated bilateral and multilateral negotiation exercises. Students will also learn
how to operate in a diplomatic setting and as part of a delegation. This course is
primarily experiential and should prove to be stimulating and exciting for the participants.
HP 4976: Independent Study
DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS HONORS-COLLEGE UPPER-DIVISION ELECTIVES
Instructor: Student must identify faculty mentor and receive approval from faculty mentor and
the Honors College
Modality: Various
Honors College Attributes: none
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
Why might you take an Honors independent study? Register for one if you need the structure
to help you complete your senior capstone project, if you need additional upper division
elective hours to graduate, if you need additional hours to be a fulltime student
in any given semester, or if you have been working with an instructor on a particularly
interesting area for which there is no designated course. You can take up to 3 credit
hours of an Honors independent study per semester for up to a total of 6 hours overall.
You don’t need to sign up for an independent study to complete the senior capstone project. Please note that these hours do not meet any specific requirements towards your degree or your Honors minor. They do not count towards the required Honors upper division electives.
HP 4350: Internship
Instructor: Please reach out to Dr. Chris Rothfuss to inquire about internship credit
Modality: Various
Honors College Attributes: Concurrent Major Core
USP attributes: none
A&S attributes: none
This for-credit internship experience within your Honors College major or minor provides
hands-on learning and experience in a field of interest to you. You will integrate
knowledge, skills, and abilities from your courses into the professional experience.
You may earn between one and three core credits for completing the internship and co-curriculum. By the end of your internship and this course, you should have new insights related to your own aptitudes and goals—namely, who you are because of this growing process, what you can bring to a professional experience, and how you can contribute to an organization or community.
The learning goals and outcomes that follow represent two of the concentric circles that comprise your Honors experience, including those associated with this course and with the Honors College curriculum in general.
