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 Requirement

  Course 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; or
  Transferring AP/IB/AICE credits in language; or
  Participating in a Study Abroad Program, an international travel course, or Global Gateway, regardless of its language; or
  Submitting 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:

Course List

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
HONR 401	Best Books Club
HONR 402	Best Books Club
HONR 499	Honors Oral Exam and Credo Presentation	0.0

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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.

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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:
  • MATH 117Q Quantitative Analysis for Business (recommended).
  • MATH 131Q Calculus I with Review-Part 2. (Note that MATH 130 is a prerequisite for MATH 131Q.)
  • MATH 141Q Calculus I
• ECON 104S Foundations of Economics I (1 unit).

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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:

• EDUC 245H
• EDUC 255S
• Q or P General Education class

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