Honors Program Curriculum

24 total credits as follows

HON core (19 cr):

• Special Honors section of CCSU 102 Thriving in College or Honors Enhanced ENGR 150 for Engineering majors (2-3 cr)
• HON 201 (1 cr) must be taken a minimum of four times (4 cr total)
• The remaining 15 credits will be taken from among HON 221, 222, 223, 224, or H-designated, or Honors Options courses (may include additional credits of HON 201)

Honors Capstone (3 cr):
Students must complete 3 credits of a capstone project. For majors that require a capstone, Honors students may use those credits to satisfy this requirement (under the Honors Option defined below). Otherwise, students will take HON 431, 451, 455. Some programs of study may require more than the 3 credits listed here, but only three credits may be counted towards the total 24 credits in Honors.

Course Descriptions:

HON 201 Honors Seminar (1 credit, Arts & Humanities, satisfies EJI requirements); An exploration of issues related to equity, justice, and inclusion in the United State through the study of a text common to all sections. The course utilizes texts and disciplinary perspectives from the arts and humanities. Students may repeat the course with different topics up to 6 credits. Prerequisite: WRT 110 or equivalent; Honors Program participant or permission of Honors Program Director. 

HON 221 Arts & Culture (3 credits, Study Area 1); Selected topics in the Arts & Humanities and their relation to society. May be repeated with a different topic for up to 6 credits. Prerequisite: Honors Program participant

HON 222 World Cultures (3 credits, Social & Behavioral Sciences, satisfies both History and International designations); Selected topics in world culture including discussion of historical contexts. May be repeated with a different topic for up to 6 credits. Prerequisite: Honors Program participant

HON 223 Human Experience (3 credits, Social & Behavioral Sciences); Selected topics focused on the interaction(s) between and among individuals and/or groups and social and/or cultural institutions. May be repeated with a different topic for up to 6 credits. Prerequisite: Honors Program participant

HON 224 Science and Society (3 credits, Mathematical & Natural Sciences); Selected topics from the STEM disciplines and their relation to society. May be repeated with a different topic for up to 6 credits. Prerequisite: Honors Program participant. Does not count as a lab science.

HON 431 Honors Capstone I (1 credit, Study Area 1); Planning, preparation, and initial background work for capstone project. Student will work with an approved advisor on a project that adds to the breadth of knowledge in their discipline, serves the community at large, and/or produces a novel creative work. Prerequisite: Honors Program participant or permission of Honors Program Director.

HON 451 Honors Capstone II (1 credit, Study Area 1); Continuation of HON 431 with student performing planned work and completing the capstone under the supervision of an approved advisor. Prerequisite: HON 431

HON 455 Writing & Research III (1 credit, Skill Area 1); Methodology of capstone writing and presentation of completed project. Prerequisite: HON 451 may be taken concurrently

Cross-listed Courses:

With the approval of the Honors Director and appropriate Academic Dean, any CCSU course may be cross-listed with the appropriate HON course listed above. Honors students enrolled in cross-listed courses are required to do enhanced work as compared to their non-Honors classmates (as described by Honors Option below).

H-designated courses:

An individual section of a regularly scheduled course may have an H designator, thus making it an Honors Program version of a traditional CCSU course. Such courses must be approved in advance by the Honors Program Curriculum Committee.

Honors Option:

On a case-by-case basis, students may request a normal course receive H-designation. Such Honors Option courses require a written agreement between the student and full-time faculty member to incorporate Honors elements into a non-honors course. This should be thought of not as “extra” work but as an enhancement of or alternative to the assignments normally expected of students, as described by the Honors Program Curriculum Committee criteria (see appendix). The Honors work should account for a minimum of 20% of the overall course grade. Honors Options must be approved by the Honors Program Director. Courses are not required to satisfy a particular general education Study or Skill Area, but students must be aware they are responsible for making up any requirements.

Additional note:

Students must complete the university's general education program. Courses beyond those in the Honors Program may be required to meet this requirement, depending on the student's major (e.g., literature requirement, lab science). Students should work closely with their advisor(s) (including the Honors Program Director) to incorporate their Honors courses into their academic roadmap.