Themes
Emphases for each year of Honors study
Four major themes support your development, informing your classroom and life experiences. These themes may have direct or indirect ties to your chosen curriculum or career path, and are not limited to the year of their emphasis. Engaging in these emphasised areas provides benefit and advancement to any major or career aspiration.
Freshman (Orienting): Service
Service to community is the foundation for your four years in the Honors College and is meant to foster life-long participation in community-based leadership and service. Service can also provide you with the opportunity to apply knowledge you have gained in the classroom to real-world problems. The College supports and promotes numerous service opportunities, ranging from service learning classes to large projects lead by student organizations.
Sophomore (Expanding): Study Abroad
Studying abroad will give you a unique learning opportunity that will expand your global perspective. With programs available for a summer, semester, or year, all Honors students are encouraged to participate in study abroad at whatever level is possible. The College supports study abroad through scholarships, through publicizing available programs, and by advising students on preparation and planning.
Junior (Focusing): Internships/Research
As you cultivate deeper knowledge in your major, internships and research can help you to begin applying that knowledge and contribute to your field. The College supports internships primarily through the Office of Experiential Learning and through promotion of internship opportunities. The College supports research by advising students on the use of student worker positions for research, on the search for research fellowships, and on enrolling for research courses.
Senior (Performing): Thesis Project
Conducting an Honors Thesis Project will draw upon the perspective and experience from the prior themes as well as knowledge and skills gained from the Honors curriculum and your major degree program. In this sense, it is a performance and demonstration of discipline-specific competency and academic inquiry at a high level. Unlike the other themes, the Thesis Project has a position in the Honors curriculum and is required for College Honors.
