Honors General Studies Program

The Honors General Studies Program offers an alternate general studies experience designed to inspire curious, highly motivated students to serve as leaders of thought and agents of change.

This program is a separate track of general studies and not a major or a minor in itself. Honors core courses have a flavor distinctly different from the regular general studies courses because they use primary source material more extensively than textbooks to enhance the development of independent thinking. Honors core courses follow an interdisciplinary approach that stresses the unity of knowledge; honors electives are designed to help students “transform academic achievement into responsible citizenship” (WWU Mission Statement). The classes are more personalized and typically smaller than other general studies classes. Some courses are team taught.

Students in the Honors Program are awarded an annual scholarship dependent on successful completion of specific courses and a minimum GPA. See the Honors webpage for specific details and scholarship amounts. At graduation, students who complete the Honors Program requirements with at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 GPA in honors core courses and honors core cognates will be designated as "Honors General Studies Graduates."

Admission Requirements. The Honors Admissions Committee considers high school GPA, standardized test scores, an essay submitted by the student as part of the application, and on occasion, personal interviews with applicants and recommendations from teachers. Students already enrolled in the University may apply to the program or petition the Honors Program director to enroll in a specific Honors course.

Honors General Studies Requirements

Program Requirements. Honors students must complete the honors core courses and a selection of other general studies courses as listed below.

For B.A.: Honors core, honors core cognates, a foreign language (12 credits of elementary or 8 credits of intermediate), and additional honors electives to total 80 hours, at least one course from each elective category.

For B.B.A., B.Mus., B.S., and B.S.W.: Honors core, honors core cognates, and additional honors electives to total 68 hours, at least one course from each elective category.

For B.S.E.: Honors core, honors core cognates, and one religion elective.

Core Requirements (40 credits):

HONR 131Western Thought

4

HONR 132Western Thought

4

HONR 133Western Thought

4

HONR 141Writing Seminar: Identity, Responsibility, and Citizenship

3

HONR 142Writing Seminar: Rhetoric, Style, and Ethics

3

HONR 243Honors Research Writing

3

HONR 281The Bible and Its Environments

4

HONR 348Topics in World Religious Thought

4

HONR 349Religion in a Social Context

4

HONR 386Junior Seminar: Mathematical and Scientific Reasoning I

1

HONR 387Junior Seminar: Mathematical and Scientific Reasoning II

1

HONR 388Junior Seminar: Mathematical and Scientific Reasoning III

1

HONR 392Honors Portfolio

1

HONR 496Honors Seminar: Faith and Learning

1

HONR 497Honors Seminar: Faith and Learning

1

HONR 498Honors Seminar: Faith and Learning

1

Additional Cognate Requirements

 

Physical Activity (2 credits):

PEAC Physical Education Activity Courses

2

Mathematics: Select one of the following (4 credits):

MATH 106Introduction to Statistics

4

MATH 117Accelerated Precalculus

5

MATH 121Precalculus I

4

MATH 131Calculus for the Life Sciences I

4

MATH 181Calculus I

4

 

Natural Science: Select one of the following sequences (8 credits):

BIOL 141General Biology

4

BIOL 142General Biology

4

CHEM 141General Chemistry

3

CHEM 142General Chemistry

3

CHEM 144General Chemistry Laboratory

1

CHEM 145General Chemistry Laboratory

1

PHYS 211General Physics

3

PHYS 212General Physics

3

PHYS 214General Physics Laboratory

1

PHYS 215General Physics Laboratory

1

PHYS 251Principles of Physics

3

PHYS 252Principles of Physics

3

PHYS 254Principles of Physics Laboratory

1

PHYS 255Principles of Physics Laboratory

1

Religion Elective: Select one of the following:

RELB 354/ENGL 454Literature of the Bible

4

RELB 474Study Tour: The Holy Lands and Its Peoples

4

RELH 205Biblical Archaeology

4

RELM 233Introduction to Cross-Cultural Ministry

3

RELT 342Issues of God and Faith

3

RELT 348Christian Ethics

4

RELT 412/PHIL 412Philosophy of Religion

4

Honors Electives for B.A., B.B.A., B.Mus., B.S., and B.S.W. Degrees:

Choose one course from each of the following categories.

Requests for substitutions for credit earned through directed study or study abroad opportunities may be submitted to the Honors Program director for consideration. In addition to Adventist Colleges Abroad, WWU has specific affiliations with Middlebury College’s Oxford Humanities Program, The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Best Semester Program, and the Balua Regional Archaeological Project. Dual Credit, AP Credit, and required cognates not fulfilled by honors courses may also be allowed to count toward fulfilling honors electives, as determined through a petition to the honors director.

Global Understanding: Select one of the following courses:

COMM 325Multicultural Communication

3

ENGL 359World Literature

4

HIST 240Middle Eastern History

4

HIST 242Modern East Asian History

4

HIST 257African History

4

HIST 274Study Tour: English History in Context

4

HIST 283Latin America

4

HIST 357/ENGL 357The African-American Experience

4

HIST 474Study Tour: English Reformation

4

SOCI 236Privilege and Oppression

4

SOCI 420Immigration and Identity

4

Responsible Citizenship: Select one of the following courses:

COMM 357Media Law

4

HIST 360/HMNT 360Science and The Enlightenment

4

MGMT 476Foundations of Leadership

4

PHIL 204Essentials of Critical Reasoning

4

PHIL 305Moral Philosophy

4

PHIL 411Philosophy of Law

4

PHIL 440/HIST 440History of Social and Political Philosophy

4

PLSC 224American Government

4

TECH 321Technology and Society

4

Aesthetic Appreciation: Select one of the following courses:

ART 312Aesthetics and Photography

4

ART 324History of World Art

3

ART 325History of World Art

3

ART 326History of World Art

3

ENGL 274Study Tour: British Literature in Context

4

ENGL 360Shakespeare at Ashland

2

ENGL 474Study Tour: Topics in British Literature

4

FILM 318Film Studies

4

WRIT 324Creative Nonfiction Writing

4

WRIT 334Poetry Writing

4