The Honors Option is designed to enable students to take courses not designated as Honors. This option allows students to receive Honors credit while enrolled in regular courses by doing different types of assignments approved in advance by the instructor of the course and the Dean of the Honors College. Honors Options must be approved before the second week of classes.

Successful Honors Options require planning, and most students begin the process during pre-registration. The more lead-time a professor has, the greater the opportunity to integrate the student's personal research interests and the professor's goals for the course. Honors Option contracts must be completed, signed, and returned to the Honors House no later than the second week of the semester. 

Suggested Honors Option activities range from extra assignments to in-class presentations, critiques of scholarly articles, additional research or creative projects, and/or more extensive and theoretically informed versions of work required of all students in the course. Whatever form they take, these assignments should encourage work that is higher in quality, more deeply analytical, and that tackles more challenging terrain rather than simply multiply work assignments.

Guidelines include:

  • Additional course requirements for Honors student in the form of engaging intellectual and scholarship related content. The workload must reflect a deeper understanding of the course material serving to enhance the subject matter.
  • The professor of the course conducts the evaluation of the Honors option. Students must earn a grade of A or B to receive Honors credit. Professors must take into consideration that the additional requirements are evaluated according to the standards of other Honors coursework.
  • Professors should also consider allowing students the opportunity to dedicate Honors Option assignments to assist in other Honors related activities such as service learning assignments, Honors Thesis, or undergraduate research opportunities.
  • At the end of the semester, students must also submit Honors related materials from the course.

Instructions for completing the Honors Option Contract include:

  • Students must meet with the professor to discuss the requirements and assignments for the Honors Option prior to submitting the contract.
  • The Honors College will notify both the professor and student of the status of the Honors Option.
  • The student must fulfill all requirements outlined in the contract with the professor.
  • The professor will provide an evaluation of the student work in relation to the specified Honors Option requirements. An evaluation form will be provided before the end of the semester. To receive credit for the Honors Option, students must earn an A or B in the course.

Honors Option contract can be completed and submitted on the Honors Website.