Honors College Programs
University-wide Honors Curricula
Honors curricula are designed to meet the needs of highly motivated students who want to be challenged to reach their full potential. Honors courses are of four kinds: regular courses with Honors designated sections; Honors courses offered under various departmental subject areas (for a list of these see below); Honors College courses offered under the HON subject area code; and, regular courses taken as Honors-level course work by individual students (see below under Honors-Option Course Work).
Many Honors courses fulfill University General Education requirements. There are no maximum credit restrictions on the number of Honors credits applicable towards graduation. Completion of any Honors course leads to Honors-designated transcript notation for the course.
Students whose cumulative grade point average (g.p.a.) is at least 3.3, but who are not formally admitted to the Honors College, are eligible to elect Honors courses to enrich their educational experiences. Such requests should be directed via e-mail to honors@wayne.edu.
Students who are invited into the Honors College as incoming first-year students are expected to pursue University Honors, with the option of Departmental Honors in their major as well. Students who are accepted to the Honors College as current Wayne State University students or as transfer students are invited to pursue Departmental Honors and/or University Honors.
Admission
There are three pathways into the Honors College:
- Incoming first-year students are considered for the Honors College during the regular Wayne State admission process based on 1. a combination of their high school GPA and SAT/ACT score or 2. only their high school GPA, if they are a test optional applicant; there is no separate application. The selected students are invited to pursue University Honors; they may also later pursue Departmental Honors.
- Transfer students are invited to join Honors based on cumulative GPA and transferable credits from their previous institution. The selected students may pursue Departmental and/or University Honors.
- Current Wayne State students with a 3.3 GPA and at least 12 Wayne State credits may apply to the Honors College by filling out the Honors College application online. Applications are processed after Feb. 15, June 15 and Oct. 15. The selected students may pursue Departmental and/or University Honors.
College Requirements
To remain in the Honors College, a student normally will be expected to:
- pursue University and/or Departmental Honors;
- maintain a cumulative g.p.a. of 3.3 or higher; however, colleges/departments may establish a higher g.p.a. for retention in a college/department program; and
- satisfy the University General Education requirements.
A student whose cumulative g.p.a. falls below 3.3 and is, for that reason, dropped from the Honors College, may reapply when his/her cumulative g.p.a. is 3.3 or higher.
For first-year Honors students, HON 1000 and the Honors Foundational Seminar are required to be taken in Fall and Winter semesters, respectively.
Departmental Honors Requirements
Students seeking a degree with Departmental Honors must contact their major department or the Honors College for specific requirements (see the appropriate departmental section of this bulletin). However, all Departmental Honors programs require at least twelve credits in Honors-designated coursework, including:
- a senior essay or thesis or project done in the student's major department, and
- at least one 42xx-level seminar offered through the Honors College (HON 4200-4280), and
- a minimum cumulative g.p.a. of 3.3 (higher in some departments) is required for graduation
Honors Degrees
Most departments offer Departmental Honors. Please visit the Honors website or the Honors college for a current list of available programs. Graduation with University Honors is reserved for students who complete twenty-eight Honors credits as outlined under University Honors Requirements.
A student who satisfactorily completes a Departmental Honors curriculum or a University Honors curriculum will receive the appropriate Honors designation on both the diploma and the academic transcript. Approval of the Honors College is necessary for graduation with University Honors. Students who complete the requirements of both the university-wide Honors College and a college/department/school Honors Program shall have both designations on the transcript and the diploma. Only a single senior essay, thesis, or project shall be required unless a student is pursuing Departmental Honors in multiple majors.
University Honors Requirements
Students who have been invited to the Honors College as freshmen are expected to complete:
- at least twenty-eight credits in Honors-designated course work, including HON 1000, and the Honors Foundational Seminar;
- a field learning through HON 3000
- a 42XX-level seminar offered by the Honors College (HON 4200-HON 4280);
- a minimum three-credit Honors Thesis or creative project (HON 4998 or Departmental Honors thesis).
Honors-Option Course Work
The Honors Option allows a student in any course which is 2000 level or above and taught by a regular faculty member to elect Honors caliber coursework, provided the instructor agrees to furnish commensurate extra instruction. If a grade of 'B' (3.00) or above is earned in the course and in the additional work, the student will receive Honors credit for the course on his/her transcript. Application forms for the Honors Option are available in the Honors College office and online. The application form must be signed by the instructor and should be returned to the Honors College Office by the assigned due date on the form. At the end of the semester the instructor will be asked to submit a final grade for the Honors Option project and the final grade for the class via e-mail to honors@wayne.edu. The number of Honors credits assigned shall be equivalent to the number of credits allotted to the general section.
Field Learning Requirement (HON 3000)
Effective Fall 2019, field learning is required for graduation with University Honors. The purpose of the requirement is to better prepare students for productive lives in a diverse urban and global setting through community-based education and civic engagement. A student will pair HON 3000 (0 credits) with a field learning experience approved by the Honors College. Students can opt to complete HON 3000 via service-learning, undergraduate research, study abroad, or an internship/co-op/practicum.
Objectives of the Honors Field Learning Requirement are: to enhance academic learning opportunities by integrating theory with service to the community; to learn how to work effectively with diverse populations; to develop communication, negotiation, and problem solving abilities; and, to increase research skills.
Examples of field learning opportunities include the Detroit Fellows Tutoring Project, specially-designated sections of General Education and department courses, and some study abroad experiences.
Honors Thesis
To graduate with University and/or Departmental Honors, students must complete an Honors thesis or creative project during junior/ senior year. The thesis or project must be supervised by a full-time member of a department and the paper must be a minimum of twenty pages in length. University Honors students should plan to take at least two semesters to complete the HON 4998 course. Departmental Honors students who complete a thesis course specific to their major department must follow departmental guidelines. Students pursuing both Department and University Honors may use the department thesis to fulfill the University Honors thesis requirement.
BUCCELLATO, JAMES A.: Ph.D., M.A., Wayne State University; B.A., Oakland University; Associate Professor of Teaching
CORVINO, JOHN F.: Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; B.A., St. John's University; Dean
ELLIS, BRYAN: Ph.D., Howard University; Assistant Professor of Teaching
FOWLER, BETH N.: Ph.D., Wayne State University; M.A., B.A., University of Windsor; Associate Professor of Teaching
MARTIN, AARON: Ph.D., M.A., Wayne State University; B.A., Oakland University; Associate Professor of Teaching
MORAN, TIMOTHY L.: Ph.D., M.A., Wayne State University; B.A., Michigan State University; Assistant Professor of Teaching
PAST, ELENA: Ph.D., M.A., University of Pennsylvania; B.A., University of Texas at Austin; Professor
SAATCHI, SORAYA (LAYLA): Ph.D., M.A., B.A., Wayne State University; Assistant Professor of Teaching
Honors Sections and Departmental Courses
Generally, the following courses either have Honors sections or the potential for an Honors Option project. A compiled list of the Honors Course Offerings for the current semester is available online. Honors sections generally require permission to register, which may be obtained via e-mail to honors@wayne.edu.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | ||
| ANT 4999 | Honors Research and Thesis | 3-6 |
| Art History | ||
| AH 1110 | Survey of Art History: Ancient through Medieval | 4 |
| AH 1120 | Survey of Art History: Renaissance through Modern | 4 |
| AH 5998 | Honors Thesis | 3 |
| Biology | ||
| BIO 1030 | Biology Today | 3 |
| BIO 1050 | An Introduction to Life | 3 |
| BIO 1500 | Basic Life Diversity | 3 |
| BIO 1510 | Basic Life Mechanisms | 3 |
| BIO 2600 | Introduction to Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIO 3070 | Genetics | 5 |
| BIO 6990 | Honors Directed Study in Biology | 1-4 |
| BIO 6999 | Honors Undergraduate Research Thesis | 2 |
| Basic Engineering | ||
| BE 2100 | Basic Engineering III: Probability and Statistics in Engineering | 3 |
| BE 5998 | Engineering Honors Thesis | 1-4 |
| Chemistry | ||
| CHM 1100 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHM 1240 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHM 2220 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHM 2999 | Honors Research Problems in Chemistry | 2-4 |
| CHM 5998 | Honors Thesis Research in Chemistry (Max. 8) | 2-4 |
| Communications | ||
| COM 1010 | Oral Communication: Basic Speech | 3 |
| COM 4996 | Senior Honors Thesis | 3 |
| Criminal Justice | ||
| CRJ 4998 | Honors Thesis in Criminal Justice | 3-6 |
| Computer Science | ||
| CSC 4999 | Honors Thesis | 3-6 |
| Economics | ||
| ECO 2010 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 2020 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 4997 | Senior Honors Research | 4 |
| English | ||
| ENG 4990 | Directed Study: Honors Program | 1-3 |
| ENG 4991 | Honors Seminar | 3 |
| ENG 4992 | Honors Project | 3 |
| French | ||
| History | ||
| HIS 1300 | Europe and the World: 1500-1945 | 4 |
| HIS 1400 | The World Since 1945 | 4 |
| HIS 5995 | Honors Seminar | 3 |
| Mathematics | ||
| MAT 2010 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MAT 2020 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Nutrition and Food Science | ||
| NFS 3230 | Human Nutrition | 4 |
| NFS 5990 | Honors Directed Study | 1-4 |
| Philosophy | ||
| PHI 2860 | Honors Introductory Symbolic Logic | 3 |
| PHI 4890 | Honors Thesis | 3 |
| Physics | ||
| PHY 2130 | Physics for the Life Sciences I | 4 |
| PHY 2140 | Physics for the Life Sciences II | 4 |
| PHY 5990 | Directed Study | 1-3 |
| Political Science | ||
| PS 1010 | American Government | 4 |
| PS 4995 | Senior Honors Paper | 4 |
| Psychology | ||
| PSY 1010 | Introductory Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 2400 | Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| PSY 2600 | Psychology of Social Behavior | 4 |
| PSY 4991 | Honors Directed Study | 2-4 |
| PSY 4998 | Senior Thesis | 3 |
| PSY 5020 | Honors Research in Psychology | 3 |
| Sociology | ||
| SOC 1010 | Understanding Human Society | 3 |
| SOC 3200 | Methods of Social Research | 3 |
| SOC 3220 | Introduction to Social Statistics | 3 |
| Spanish | ||
| SPA 2010 | Intermediate Spanish | 4 |