At the core of Honors Program lie its courses. Many honors courses are at the freshman/sophomore level and satisfy general education requirements; a smaller number are at the junior/senior level. Honors courses are small, enrolling an average of 15 to 25 students. The courses enhance the students' experience by acquainting them with first-rate faculty. The personal nature of honors courses fosters a meaningful academic relationship between the student and faculty. Class time is spent cultivating critical thinking, skill in self-expression, and independent analysis of course material. Students are expected to participate actively rather than observe passively.
The Honors Program allows students the freedom to pursue the honors courses most suited to them. They may be general education requirements; they may be courses in the student's major or minor; or they may serve as electives. Students should select their honors courses in close consultation with their advisers.
Spring 2010 Course List (last updated 11/3/2009. Check www.opensections.ku.edu for updates and open courses.)
New Courses for Spring 2010:
HNRS 492: Special Upper Level Tutorial--"Shakespeare's Low Comedy"
James Carothers and Michael Valk, 1 credit hour, Wednesday 1:00-3:00, 102 Nunemaker (meets only for the first 7 weeks of the semester).
The course will consider the infinite varieties of Shakespeare's wit and humor in several of the plays. Titles currently under consideration include Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, Henry IV, Part I, and King Lear.No text will be ordered. Each student should have access to a one-volume Shakespeare.
History 369: Colonialism and Revolution in the Third World
History 369, Colonialism and Revolution in the Third World, Honors now fulfills the College Non-Western Culture general education requirement. This is a change from previous semesters. A complete description will be available shortly in the office of the History Department, 3650 Wescoe Hall.
BE 550: Capitalism
"Capitalism” refers to a system of human relations based on property rights, freedom of exchange in markets, and limited government intervention in the economy. This course surveys the intellectual, legal and ethical foundations of capitalism, and uses both current and historical events to define and describe the logic of the private free enterprise system. The wide variety of topics combine to provide students with a broad understanding of what “capitalism” means and how and when it works to promote prosperity and human well-being. This is an honors course with limit enrollment, and designed for students who are interested and willing to actively engage in discussion of the subject matter. The course is taught by a team of eight professors from business and law leading discussions on select topics related to their interests and expertise. (Prerequisite BE 301 and Econ 520).
In their first year, all students are required to enroll in a 1-credit-hour Freshman Honors Tutorial which serves as an introduction to the Honors Program. While closely examining a specific topic, students develop their skills in research, reading, writing and in-depth discussion. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in the tutorial for the fall semester of their freshman year; tutorials are not guaranteed to be scheduled during the spring semester.
