Honors Minor Degree

What is the Honors minor degree?

The Honors minor degree allows you to build foundational skills in interdisciplinary inquiry and increase your exposure to a wide variety of disciplines that will enhance your knowledge and abilities in your major discipline. Focusing on critical analysis, experiential learning, and collaboration, the minor will enable you to understand, communicate, and solve complex problems in our world today and in the future. If you are interested in expanding your Honors experience beyond the minor degree, check out the Honors concurrent major degree.

What are the Honors Minor Requirements?

The Honors minor requirements include components in three categories: academic coursework (5 courses), experiential learning (2 badges of disctinction), and an independent project (1 capstone project). Learn more about each of the requirements below and be sure to utilize the Honors Minor Curriculum Checklist to help you plan your coursework. Please note that Colloquium I and II and the First Year SOAR Badge requirements are waived for eligible transfer students.

Four students walking in tall, yellow grass in a single file line.

In the Honors Minor what will I learn?

Honors College Student Learning Outcomes

  • Interdisciplinary perspectives: Students will demonstrate interdisciplinary perspectives by comparing, contrasting, and interpreting the relationships between multiple disciplines.

  • Applied knowledge: Students will apply knowledge and skills, both collaboratively and individually, by utilizing experiential learning.   

  • Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective communication skills using a multitude of platforms for a variety of audiences.  

  • Global perspectives: Students will cultivate an understanding of diversity and the importance of global cultural competence. Students will fulfill this learning outcome by taking a Global Perspectives Honors course.

  • Research or creative competency: Students will undertake a coherent research or creative project to contribute to the creation of new knowledge.  

  • Critical thinking: Students will employ critical thinking to work towards solving problems of the future. 

Colloquium HP 1020: Dreams and Reality

1 course

3 credits | fall semester | may fulfill USP COM1

Colloquium courses introduce students to a variety of disciplines, build interdisciplinary exposure, and foster communication skills. Colloquium

Colloquium HP 2020: Being Human

1 course

3 credits | spring semester | may fulfill USP COM2

Colloquium courses introduce students to a variety of disciplines, build interdisciplinary exposure, and foster communication skills. 

ColloquiuM

Honors Global Perspectives

1 course

3 credits | sophomore - senior year | some courses may meet USP/A&S requirements

Global Perspectives courses enable students to understand perspectives from around the globe and gain insight into diverse epsitemologies and ways of seeing and knowning. 

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

3000 or 4000 Level HP Upper-division Electives*

2 courses

6 credits | sophomore - senior year | some courses may meet USP/A&S requirements | *excludes HP 4250 and 4976

Honors upper-division elective courses expand students' abilities to think and work across disciplines and challenge students to analyze complex topics. 

UPCOMING COURSES

First-Year Honors SOAR Badge

1 badge

Deadline: End of First-Year | Completed via Suitable platform

The First-Year Honors SOAR Badge exposes students to high-impact learning experiences beyond the classroom in research, intellectual and creative perspectives, and community engagement opportunities. 

First-YEAR Badge

Advanced Honors SOAR Badge

1 badge

Deadline: By graduation | Completed via Suitable platform

The Advanced Honors SOAR Badge exposes students to diverse global perspectives, STEM investigation, and humanities and community engagement opportunities, as well as building leaderhip and teamwork skills. 

Advanced Badge

Capstone Project

1 completed project | 1 oral presentation | 1 capstone mentor evaluation

Deadline: By graduation

The Honors Capstone is an independent or collaborative undertaking involving research, creative, community-engaged, or entrepreneurial work that represents the culmination of your undergraduate studies under the guidance of a capstone mentor. Please note:

  • students are not required to register for a specific course to complete the Honors capstone
  • the project may be completed in student's major department
  • students orally present the results of this project at an Honors-approved venue

Capstone

Expectations of Honors College students

Students in the Honors College are committed to uphold the following:

  • maintain good standing with the university
  • uphold their commitment to academic honesty
  • graduate with a GPA of 3.25
  • meet with their Honors advisor once an academic year

If you are struggling to meet any of these expectations, please meet with an Honors Advisor. They are here to help and support you in successfully completing Honors degree programs.

Advising

 

Student sitting at a red picnic table surrounded by trees reading a book.

Honors in Partnership with Other Majors

Students pursuing either an Honors concurrent major or minor degree will also be pursuing degrees in other programs. We work collaboratively with other degree programs on campus to support you in your educational pursuits.

Please note that Honors students majoring in Engineering and Computer Science are automatically enrolled in a separate program called Honors Engineering. This program is housed in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Engineering and Computer Science majors who wish to compete their Honors degree without the additional program in their home college can opt out of Honors Engineering and still remain in the Honors College. Please meet with your major and Honors advisors to make sure you select the option that is right for you.

Engineering Honors