Honors Program
Stetson's University Honors Program (UHP) graduated its first class in 1957, making it one of the oldest in the Southeast. It aims to serve accomplished students with an unusual commitment to scholarship and autonomous learning. Admission to the program is by application. Interested students should contact the Director.
The Honors Program curriculum offers students an alternative to the General Education requirements. Faculty and students identified the following priorities in designing the program’s unique curriculum:
- The Honors curriculum calls on both students and faculty members to conceive of themselves as members of an interdisciplinary community committed to integrated ways of thinking and learning.
- The Honors curriculum seeks to foster the kind of scholarly and creative work that, while strongly supported by faculty and staff mentors at Stetson, is ultimately independent and student-driven.
- The Honors curriculum encourages introspection and self-discovery through the Credo Project and active participation in scholarly and community affairs.
The Honors curriculum embraces the idea that education occurs inside and outside the classroom.
The Curriculum
The following degrees can be earned through the Honors Program: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Music Education.
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
In these courses, Honors Program students develop skills in analytical, critical, and quantitative thinking; in written and oral communication; and in problem-solving as individuals and as members of groups and communities.
- Writing
Writing skills are critical for success in college and in life after graduation. Students in the UHP must fulfill the writing requirement of their degree. - Modern Languages
One of the goals of the Honors Program is to prepare students for Global Citizenship. Linguistic proficiency – acquired through language-learning or an introduction to a linguistically-different culture – is a skill that supports being informed, active, and engaged citizens of both local communities and the world. Another goal of the Honors Program is to support the students’ intellectual development and a spirit of academic exploration that will foster autonomy, creativity, and professionalism at Stetson and beyond.
Therefore, to satisfy the Honors Program Language RequirementCourse List Code Title Units All Honors students must demonstrate proficiency by one of the following means: Completing a course with a FREN / SPAN / ITAL / GERM / PORT / CHIN / LARB / LING / LANG prefix; orTransferring AP/IB/AICE credits in language; orParticipating in a Study Abroad Program, an international travel course, or Global Gateway, regardless of its language; orSubmitting a proposal to request that a course with a different designation (e.g., HIST270H) be substituted for the above prefixes, provided at least 50% of such course’s content focuses on a different language or culture, regardless of the language of instruction. The proposal must be written by email to the Director of the Honors Program, who will forward it to the Honors Executive Committee for review. The Committee will approve or deny it based on the student’s curricular trajectory and the course’s learning outcomes.In exceptional and non-precedent-setting circumstances, deviations from the above must be petitioned by email to the Honors Director who will forward it to the Honors Executive Committee for approval.
- The following 8 courses (3.5 units, plus non-credit courses) within the Honors Program:
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
HONR 101 | Honors First-Year Seminar "Enduring Questions | 1 |
HONR 102 | Honors Project | 0.5 |
HONR 201 | Honors Workshop | 0.5 |
HONR 202 | Honors Tutorials | 0.5 |
HONR 301 | Honors Junior Seminar | 1 |
The following courses are taken during each semester of the fourth year | ||
Best Books Club | ||
Best Books Club | ||
HONR 499 | Honors Oral Exam and Credo Presentation | 0.0 |
Additional Requirements for Students in the College of Arts and Sciences:
Natural World/Quantitative Reasoning (1 unit). Students in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete one course from one of these two areas:
- Quantitative Reasoning:
Quantitative reasoning skills play an important role in analyzing the world and in choosing the best plans to address local, national, and global problems. Courses that meet this requirement develop students' understanding of the conceptual and theoretical tools used in quantitative reasoning and problem-solving. These courses are taught in a range of disciplines. Some majors, particularly in the Natural Sciences, require at least one specific math course to be taken, and that course may also be used to satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
-or- - The Physical and Natural World:
Courses that satisfy the Physical and Natural World option ("P" courses) foster students' understanding of natural phenomena, through the examination of major concepts, theories, and scientific methods in the physical and life sciences. These courses include a laboratory experience that connects theory with observation.
Additional Requirements for Students in the School of Business:
Students in the School of Business who complete a section of HON 201 that includes a business writing component are exempt from SOBA 200, Professional Communications. To fulfill their general education requirements, students pursuing a Bachelor in Business Administration, in addition to the Honors Curriculum, must take each of the following courses:
- Math (1 unit). Students must take one of the following three courses:
- ECON 104S Foundations of Economics I (1 unit).
Additional Requirements for Students in the School of Music, listed by Major:
Composition Majors
Students in the composition major take the classes above, including a language course, plus:
- DIGA 365
- Q or P General Education class
- Non-Music Elective
Music Education Majors
Students in the state approved Music Education major take the above classes, including a language course, plus:
Voice Performance Majors
Students in the vocal performance major take the above courses, including the language course, plus:
- 3 Units in Language (must include German, French, Italian, or other language with approval of the voice area coordinator) for a total of 4 units in language to complete the general education
- Q or P General Education class
All other Music Majors
Students in all other majors in the School of Music take the above classes, including the language course, plus:
- Q or P General Education class
- HIST 103H (or other H class with approval of advisor)
- Non-Music Elective
HONR 101. Honors First-Year Seminar "Enduring Questions. 1 Unit.
The seminar undertakes a critical comparative study of an important and enduring question, chosen by the Honors Program students and faculty every three to five years. Texts from across disciplines (the natural sciences, the humanities, the fine arts, and the social sciences) will be used to present ideas that have had a significant impact on the present. The course includes experiential components that integrate philosophy, religion, politics, literature and art. As part of the course, students plan an Honors Project (undertaken independently in the spring semester), and begin work on Credos and proposals for the Honors Stipend. HONR 101 is taught by professors from different academic disciplines. Writing enhanced course.
HONR 102. Honors Project. 0.5 Units.
Students complete the scholarly, creative, or community-service projects designed in HONR 101, and present these projects at the Stetson Undergraduate Research and Creative Arts Showcase.
HONR 201. Honors Workshop. 0.5 Units.
This course focuses on three texts: the Credo, the Honors Stipend proposal, and the group syllabus for the Honors Tutorial. Prerequisite: HONR 102.
HONR 202. Honors Tutorials. 0.5 Units.
Student-designed interdisciplinary tutorials of five to seven students, led by University faculty. Prerequisite: HONR 201.
HONR 285. Honors Independent Study. 1 Unit.
HONR 297. Honors Internship. 0.5 or 1 Units.
This course provides an opportunity for honors students to apply their interdisciplinary classroom experiences to the complex world of work in an approved setting. Course assignments will focus on developing students' professional and career readiness competencies through research and reflective writing assignments, development of an ePortfolio, and a site supervisor performance evaluation. These assignments will require a commitment to integrated ways of thinking and learning, creativity, introspection, and self-discovery. Full-unit internships require a minimum of 140 hours for the semester; half-unit internships require a minimum of 70 hours for the semester. Prerequisites: HONR 202 and permission of instructor. The Honors Stipend may be used towards the HONR 297 internship experience. Enrollment in an internship course requires students to attend an orientation prior to beginning work at their internship site. For more information regarding internship orientations, please contact Career & Professional Development at career@stetson.edu or 386-822-7315. Prerequisite: HONR 202. Offered at least once a year, typically in the summer term.
HONR 301. Honors Junior Seminar. 1 Unit.
In their junior or senior year, students participate in a seminar focused on the question, “What does it mean to lead a life that matters?” The seminar is coordinated with the major lecture series on campus (e.g., Values Council Lecture Series and Woodrow Wilson Fellows Lectures). Students prepare for their Honors Oral Exam by substantively revising their Credo. Prerequisite: HONR 202. Writing enhanced course. Junior Seminar.
HONR 395. Teaching Apprenticeship. 0.5 Units.
Pass/Fail only. By permission of the instructor. May be repeated once.
HONR 401. Best Books Club. 0.0 Units.
Modeled after Stetson’s Book Feasts, the Best Books Club meets twice a semester to discuss books chosen by the graduating Honors cohort. Required of all seniors, but open to all Honors students. A faculty member will coordinate these meetings, and when possible and appropriate, community members or visiting scholars and experts will join the discussion.
HONR 402. Best Books Club. 0.0 Units.
Modeled after Stetson’s Book Feasts, the Best Books Club meets twice a semester to discuss books chosen by the graduating Honors cohort. Required of all seniors, but open to all Honors students. A faculty member will coordinate these meetings, and when possible and appropriate, community members or visiting scholars and experts will join the discussion.
HONR 490. Special Topics. 0.5 or 1 Units.
HONR 499. Honors Oral Exam and Credo Presentation. 0.0 Units.
Pass/Fail only. Required for all students during the semester immediately before graduation.