Undergraduate Catalog

2006-07 Academic Year

Honors College

Students study notes in an honors college class.

Main Departmental Office
General Academic Building, Room 309A
P.O. Box 310529
Denton, TX 76203-0529
(940) 565-3305
Fax: (940) 369-7370
E-mail: honorscollege@unt.edu

Web site: www.unt.edu/honors

Gloria C. Cox, Dean

Susan B. Eve, Associate Dean

Introduction

The Honors College, established in 2005, is dedicated to academic excellence and intellectual growth for the talented and motivated students who hold membership. Through the challenging and supportive environment of honors classes and special programming, members of the Honors College community can build a broad educational foundation in preparation for studying at the graduate level, establishing a career and meeting the demands of responsible citizenship.

Membership in the Honors College is compatible with every undergraduate major and program at the University of North Texas. Whether the student is pursuing a degree in engineering, biology, music performance or any of the other majors at UNT, he or she will want to consider membership in the Honors College. In addition, most honors courses fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements, making Honors College membership even more appealing. Membership in the Honors College is secondary to membership in the college of the student’s major, and students in the Honors College can choose from among several levels of participation and recognition.

Eligibility for Membership

College Freshmen

To be eligible, freshman students should have a combined math and verbal SAT score of at least 1200 (ACT 27) and be in the top ranks of their high school graduating class, as evidenced by class standing and grade point average. Successful candidates will also have taken demanding courses to prepare for the challenge of college work.

To be considered for admission to the Honors College, interested students should complete and return the application available at www.unt.edu/honors and at the Honors College office. A writing sample and a copy of all relevant transcripts should be submitted with the application. Students who are awarded the UNT Meritorious Scholarship or a Regents Scholarship qualify automatically for admission, but must still submit the completed application.

Continuing UNT and Transfer Students

Continuing UNT students or students transferring to UNT from other institutions of higher learning are eligible to enroll in the Honors College on the basis of their GPA from already completed college work. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 qualifies continuing UNT and transfer students for membership in the Honors College, provided at least one full-time semester of college work has already been completed. The Honors College academic adviser can provide additional information for students with more than 60 credit hours who are interested in joining the Honors College.

Benefits of Membership

Once admitted to the Honors College, students find numerous opportunities to enrich their undergraduate college career. They include:

Programs for Participation and Recognition in the Honors College

Lower Division Honors

The Honors Certificate

Students who want to maximize their participation in the Honors College in their first two years of undergraduate school may elect to pursue the Honors Certificate. Honors students must complete the Honors Certificate in their first four semesters of attendance at UNT. The accomplishment, which is noted on the student’s transcript, requires 15 credit hours designated as honors, along with cumulative and honors GPAs of at least 3.0.

Upper Division Honors

The Honors Scholar

Students who transfer to UNT, decide to join the Honors College after several semesters of college work, or have already completed the Honors Certificate may work toward the distinction of Honors Scholar. For this award, honors students must:

1. earn at least 15 hours of honors credits at the 3000 or 4000 level (students who have already earned the Honors Certificate need earn only 9 additional hours of honors credits);

2. maintain cumulative and honors GPAs of at least 3.0; and

3. complete the honors capstone course; an honors thesis; or a research, creative or performance project in their major discipline.

The Distinguished Honors Scholar

The highest recognition available to students through the Honors College is the Distinguished Honors Scholar award. This award requires that honors students:

1. earn at least 27 hours of honors credits;

2. complete an honors thesis or a research, creative, or performance project in their major discipline; and

3. maintain a GPA of at least 3.5.

Honors Courses

Honors courses are designed with certain objectives in mind, including the following.

1. Honors courses emphasize development of analytical and evaluative skills through readings from primary sources, journal articles and other supplementary materials.

2. Honors courses encourage students to engage in high-level thinking and learning through activities such as intensive discussion; writing in small, collaborative learning settings; and intensive research papers and projects.

3. Honors courses promote independent thinking by making students accountable for important aspects of their learning.

4. Honors courses place material in a conceptual context that illustrates its importance and relationship to other knowledge.

5. Honors courses provide enhanced opportunities for students to develop research skills and produce independent, original research or creative products as part of the course requirements.

6. Honors courses include innovative approaches to course content and teaching so that honors courses can serve as campuswide prototypes.

Honors classes at the 1000 and 2000 levels are reserved for members of the Honors College. Students who are not members of the Honors College but have junior status and a GPA of at least 3.5 may request enrollment in honors classes at the 3000 and 4000 levels if space is available after honors students register. The honors academic adviser can assist with enrollment.

Honors Courses that Meet University Core Curriculum Requirements

1. English Composition and Rhetoric (6 hours): Composition I: ENGL 1311, 3 hours; Composition II: ENGL 1321, 3 hours.

2. Mathematics (3 hours): MATH 1710 (special section), 4 hours; MATH 1720 (special section), 3 hours.

3. Natural Sciences (8 hours): BIOL 1711/1730 (special section), 4 hours; BIOL 1722/1740 (special section), 4 hours; CHEM 1412/1430, 4 hours; CHEM 1422/1440, 4 hours; PHYS 1050/1051 (special section), 4 hours; PHYS 1312/1332, 4 hours.

4. Visual and Performing Arts (3 hours): ART 1301, 3 hours; MUMH 1600 (special section), 3 hours; THEA 1340 (special section), 3 hours.

5. Humanities (3 hours): ENGL 2211, 3 hours; ENGL 2221, 3 hours.

6. United States History (6 hours): HIST 2675, 3 hours; HIST 2685, 3 hours.

7. American Government (6 hours): PSCI 1041, 3 hours; PSCI 1051, 3 hours; PSCI 1085, 3 hours.

8. Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 hours): ECON 1110 (special section), 3 hours; SOCI 1520 (special section), 3 hours.

9. Wellness (3 hours): No honors courses available.

10. Cross-cultural, Diversity and Global Studies (3 hours): HIST 1075, 3 hours; HIST 1085, 3 hours; MUET 3020 (special section), 3 hours; PHIL 2070 (special section), 3 hours; PSCI 3810 (special section), 3 hours; SOCI 2010 (special section), 3 hours.

11. Communication (3 hours): COMM 1440, 3 hours.

Courses of Instruction

All Courses of Instruction are located in one section at the back of this catalog.

Course and Subject Guide

The “Course and Subject Guide,” found in the Courses of Instruction section of this book, serves as a table of contents and provides quick access to subject areas and prefixes.

Undergraduate Working Catalog

Honors College

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