Honors Courses
The offerings and requirements of the JMU Honors Program bear a
close relationship to those of the University. The honors
curriculum is not harder courses with more work, but an increased
opportunity to cultivate habits of critical thinking,
communication, creative expression and independent thought through
smaller classes taught by exceptional faculty. Four methods through
which honors credits can be earned by honors students are
identified as honors sections of regular university courses, honors
seminars or colloquia, honors options in existing non-honors
courses and the senior honors project.
Honors courses appear in the Schedule
of Classes with a normal departmental designator and number
followed by an H (e.g., POSC 320H). Honors
courses with a G prefix (e.g., GENG 102H)
also meet general education requirements. Honors courses may count
toward general education requirements, major requirements or
elective credits. Taught by faculty dedicated to the honors
experience, these classes are usually limited to 20 students.
Honors scholars must take a nine-hour core of honors courses within
the general education program.
All honors courses have the
essential content described in the university catalog, but also
include a breadth of experience appropriate to honors study (e.g.,
greater use of primary sources, more fully developed theoretical
background, some integration of interdisciplinary perspectives and
more creative learning methodologies including added emphasis on
discussion, writing, research and active learning experiences away
from the classroom). These courses encourage creativity, critical
thinking, problem solving and deeper intellectual
inquiry.
Honors
Seminars
Honors seminars are unique to the Honors Program. They
explore complex topics that deal with contemporary issues in
society, multicultural and comparative studies, and advanced
applications in business and the natural and social
sciences.
Topics for honors seminars may be proposed by faculty,
students or Honors Program staff and must be approved by the Honors
Program Committee. The seminars
carry an HON prefix (e.g., HON 200B). They
are offered at the 200 and 300 levels. It is assumed that 200-level
seminars are approachable by all honors students and 300-level
seminars demand some prior university academic experience. All of
the seminars will be offered for three credits. Some may--with
permission from the student's major adviser or program head--be
substituted for an elective in the student's
major.
Seminars are designed to be
fairly flexible small classes that may reflect unique, sometimes
experimental, styles of teaching. Seminars are always
interdisciplinary and may be team-taught by faculty from different
departments or disciplines. The content of seminars may include
extensive readings in original sources, creative writing, analysis
of current information from various media, community involvement,
trips off campus, involvement with guest speakers and artists and,
most certainly, discussions. As defined, a seminar is "a small
group of advanced students engaged in special study or original
research." The seminar experience is the existential paradox where
the individual confronts and is confronted by the group and both
are changed.
