The Honors College

Dean: Carolyn A. Barros, Ph.D.

100 College Hall • Box 19222 • 817-272-7215 • honors.uta.edu/ • honors@uta.edu

The Honors College is a community of exceptionally able and highly motivated students who want the excitement and stimulation of a major urban university and the individual attention available in an Honors College. Having as its purpose the promotion of a general spirit of inquiry among students and faculty, the Honors College sets standards for academic excellence at UTA. Honors scholars from all disciplines study together in interdisciplinary, team-taught core courses, Honors sections of lower-division University requirements, advanced Honors courses in disciplinary majors, and colloquia and seminars in special topics. Honors Study Abroad Programs offer intensive on-site learning experiences in international settings. The Honors Senior Research Thesis/Creative Project is the culmination of work in the major and draws on the Honors experience. Work in the Honors College is compatible with any major, and all Honors course offerings fulfill core, departmental and/or college requirements. The Honors College is a non-degree-granting unit. All Honors degrees are awarded in the disciplines of the academic schools and colleges.

In addition to a challenging curriculum, the Honors College regularly schedules social and intellectual activities that extend learning experiences beyond the classroom: Honors symposia, informal gatherings, lecture series, artistic performances. The Honors Student Advisory Council (HSAC), elected from the Honors student body, is responsible, along with the Honors Faculty Advisory Council (HFAC), representatives from the colleges, and the Honors Dean, for the ongoing operation of the Honors College.

Honors Vision Statement

The Honors College maintains a unique role within the general University community. The University's commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and excellence in a student-centered academic community is enhanced through a small-class environment and use of a variety of media, including the Internet. Faculty encourage cooperative, interactive learning, while fostering intellectual self-reliance. In addition, through the interdisciplinary approach of Honors courses students are brought together from across campus and asked to integrate knowledge and perspectives from a wide range of subjects, to question the assumptions of particular disciplines, and to consider matters from many points of view. In short, students are taught to think critically, broadly, openly, and creatively. In a world of isolated specialists, UTA's Honors College offers essential training for future community and business leaders and valued citizens in a democracy.

Honors Goals and Objectives

The UTA Honors College is a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) and the Regional Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC). UTA's Honors College meets or exceeds the National Honors Standards as established by NCHC (1994) in its "Sixteen Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors Program."
The Honors College serves as a laboratory for pilot courses and teaching strategies which, with demonstrated success, may become institutionalized, thereby raising the general level of education within the University for all students.

Standards for Admission

The Honors College seeks students with broad interests, varied talents, and diverse cultural backgrounds. Admission is competitive. Entering Freshman Honors applicants must have a combined SAT of 1180 or an ACT of 27 or be in the upper 15 percent of their high school graduating class. Continuing and Transfer Honors applicants must have a 3.0 GPA. Admission, however, is not based solely on grades or scores; the Admissions Committee (comprised of Honors faculty and staff) also considers faculty recommendations and applicant statements of purpose in the selection of potential candidates. Applications for admission are available in the Honors College Office.

Graduation with Honors Degrees

Honors degrees are granted in the disciplines of the following schools and colleges: Architecture, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Science and Social Work. Students also may earn an Honors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. To graduate with an Honors degree the student must be a member of the Honors College in good standing and complete the degree requirements in a disciplinary major to include these Honors courses:

At least twenty-four (24) hours of Honors coursework, overall (all of which fulfill University core or disciplinary major requirements):

• At least two Interdisciplinary Seminars (6 hours) or Honors Special Topics Courses

• At least nine (9) hours advanced Honors hours in the major:

Research Methods (3 hours) [or the Honors Research Colloquium or equivalent]

Senior Thesis/Research Project (3 hours)

Select (3 hours)

Remaining Honors hours (to complete 24) to be chosen from special Honors sections of University core requirements, other Honors Interdisciplinary Seminars/Special Topics Courses, Honors Electives, or Honors courses in the major

GPA of 3.0

Continuing UTA students and transfer students who join the Honors College (with 60 hours or more) must complete only one Interdisciplinary Seminar. The twenty-four (24) hour requirement for transfer students may be adjusted in some colleges. See your college advisor.

Honors Probation

Honors students in good standing must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Students who drop below this requirement must petition the Honors College for continuance and must develop a plan to return to good standing. After two semesters students who fail to meet these stipulations will be dismissed from the Honors College.

Honors Privileges

It is impossible to measure the Honors College in terms of intangible benefits; participation itself forms the basis for gain. Some of the more tangible benefits are:

Honors Degree Designation on Diploma and Transcript

Special Recognition at Graduation

Honors Graduation Stole

Honors Scholarships

Research Assistantships

Innovative Classes

Study Abroad Programs

Special Honors Events

Honors Computer Lab

Honors Student Library/Lounge

Priority Registration

Extended Library Check-out Privileges

Honors Students and the University Library System

Honors students, because of their commitment to self-reliant learning and independent research, enjoy a special relationship with the University library system. A research librarian is assigned to the Honors College, and Honors students are granted extended check-out privileges and encouraged to work in UTA's Special Collections. Additionally, Honors students are encouraged to access the Honors Library Link, an Internet system that provides research links for all Honors courses as needed.

Honors Scholarships

The Honors College, in conjunction with the UTA Scholarship Office, annually awards numerous Honors Scholarships. Scholarships are renewable for up to three additional years for students who maintain the requisite 3.0 GPA. Applications are available in the Honors College Office. Information on departmental and organizational scholarships and financial aid is available in the Scholarship and Financial Aid Offices, 252 Davis Hall.

Honors Undergraduate Research Program

The Honors Undergraduate Research Program, in concert with UTA's other schools and colleges, places students in research assistantships in their disciplines. Information and applications are available in the Honors College Office.

Honors Research Thesis/Creative Project

All Honors graduates will complete a research thesis or creative project as determined by the major department and college. The thesis/project offers students the opportunity to complete sustained original research or creative activity. Students in the sciences and humanities advance their research skills significantly, while students in the creative arts and technologies polish and perfect their crafts. The Honors thesis/project may well be the student's most valuable educational experience. The thesis/project requires that students examine complex objects, ideas, and issues carefully and assumes that students will submit work that meets the scholarly expectations of the discipline and the Honors College.

Honors Study Abroad

The Honors Study Abroad Program offers opportunities for students to acquire new knowledge and understanding of the people, events, movements, ideas, and objects of cultures other than their own; to link historical events and developments with those of the twenty-first century, and to understand the contributions of other peoples and regions to American institutions and culture. Skillful instruction and intensive on-site learning in places as diverse as Scotland, Italy, and Africa are hallmarks of the study abroad experience. Scholarships are available from both the Honors College and the Office of International Studies.

Honors Internships Home/Abroad

Honors students are encouraged to work in their fields prior to graduation. Internships may be assigned locally, nationally, and internationally. Honors teacher certification candidates may complete student teaching in other countries (as approved by the School of Education). Scholarships and stipends are available. Contact the Honors College Office for information and applications.

Honors Advising

The Honors College advising staff counsels students regarding Honors coursework, long-range academic planning, and professional goal setting. Honors degree planning and advising are available in the student's major discipline.

Honor Courses

Honors courses or their designated disciplinary equivalents satisfy Honors and departmental, college, and University requirements. The Honors College will provide departmental advisors with equivalency/substitution information. Honors students may fulfill the oral competency requirement by presenting their research thesis/creative project at the Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity. The computer competency requirement may be met by completing the Honors Interdisciplinary Multimedia Authoring Course.

Freshman Composition.

Honors students are encouraged to seek advanced placement or CLEP credit for Freshman English 1301/1302. Students may also receive credit for English 1301/1302 by demonstrating sophomore level writing competency in Honors Interdisciplinary Seminars in the Humanities/Fine Arts or the American Studies Sequence.

Honors (HONR)

2300. Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar in Humanities and Fine Arts (3-0) 3 hours credit. Team-taught interdisciplinary course in World Studies from multiple perspectives—philosophy, literature, fine arts—around a theme of current or enduring interest. Meets a three-hour core requirement in literature, the fine arts, or humanities.

2301. Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar in the Sciences (3-0) 3 hours credit. Team-taught, interdisciplinary foundations in science course. Meets the University core requirement for a 3-hour non-lab science. Cross-listed with Science 2301.

2302. Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar in Social Sciences (3-0) 3 hours credit. Team-taught, interdisciplinary social sciences course. Meets the University core requirement for a 3-hour social science.

2103/2203/2303 Honors Special Topics (1/2/3-0) 1, 2, 3 hours credit. Special topics in Honors. Topics, format, and prerequisites to be determined by the Honors Faculty Advisory Council. May be repeated for credit as topics change.

3374. Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar in Multimedia Authoring (3-0) 3 hours credit. Team-taught, interdisciplinary, group-oriented introduction to Multimedia Authoring. An emphasis on constructing web pages and writing intensive and research oriented projects for academic, business, and/or creative audiences. Cross-listed with ENGL 3374, ART 4397, and EE 4328.

3390. Honors Research Colloquium (3-0) 3 hours credit. Students prepare an abstract, prospectus, and annotated bibliography and deliver oral presentations of their research in preparation for the Senior Research Thesis/Creative Project. Cross-listed with departmental Honors Colloquia courses.

4103/4203/4303. Honors Advanced Special Topics(1/2/3-0) 1, 2, 3 hours credit. Advanced special topics in Honors. Topics, format, and prerequisites to be determined by the Honors Faculty Advisory Council. May be repeated for credit as topics change.

4310. Honors Study Abroad (3-0) 3 hours credit. Interdisciplinary team-taught course in an out-of-country location around a theme/topic appropriate to the location. Journal and term paper required.

4320. Honors Internship Home/Abroad (3-0) 3 hours credit. Supervised employment in student's area(s) of interest. Journal and term paper required. Cross-listed with departmental internship courses.

4394. Honors Senior Research Thesis/Creative Project (3-0) 3 hours credit. A research thesis or creative project and oral presentation are required for the Honors degree. In consultation with the faculty thesis supervisor and the Honors Dean a program of research and writing will be arranged. Planning for the Honors Thesis should begin early in the student's junior year. For more extensive projects additional credit may be earned. Full details for completing the Honors Research Thesis/Creative Project are provided in the Honors College Student Handbook. Cross-listed with departmental thesis courses.

Special Honors Sections of Department, College and University Requirements

The Honors American Studies Sequence

The Honors American Studies Sequence offers special Honors sections in core requirements in history, political science and literature.

American Studies I

American History 2311, American Literature 2371, and Political Science 2311. Main currents in American thought, Colonial Era to the Civil War. Courses are taught in a cohort configuration, and students are encouraged to enroll for all three in the sequence. Meet department, college and University requirements for history, literature and political science.

American Studies II

American History 2312, American Literature 2372, and Political Science 2312. Main currents in American thought, Civil War to the Present, to include consideration of Texas culture. Courses are taught in a cohort configuration, and students are encouraged to enroll for all three in the sequence. Meet department, college and University requirements for history, literature and political science.

Honors Sections of University Core Requirements

Honors sections of University core requirements are offered in Biology 1441; Chemistry 1301/1302/1284; Mathematics 1313 (Liberal Arts Math), 1426 (Calculus I), 2325 (Calculus II), 2326 (Calculus III); Physics 1443/1444.

Honors Sections of Business Core Requirements

Honors sections of core business courses are available. See the Honors Business Advisor.

Honors Credit for Non-Honors Courses

By special permission from the professor, Honors students may earn Honors credit for non-Honors courses. To receive Honors credit the student must complete regular course requirements with a grade of A or B. In addition, the student must complete an independent Honors assignment as agreed upon by the professor and the student. The Honors Dean must approve all Honors credit for non-Honors courses. Approval forms are available in the Honors College Office.