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Students and faculty often ask, What makes an Honors course different from a course in the standard curriculum? Many times, an assumption is made that students will simply be required to do more work (read additional chapters of text, write longer papers, or answer more exam questions). This is not the case. Honors courses are not necessarily quantitatively different; rather, they are qualitatively different.
There are lots of Honors course options:
- Honors Multidisciplinary Courses—These are courses that are just for members of our Honors Program.
- Honors Sections of General Education Courses—These are courses that most students at Monroe College need to take (for instance, English classes and other Liberal Arts electives), so certain sections are open to Honors students to earn Honors Units.
- Honors Sections of Major-Area Courses—These are courses that students need to take for their major. Honors sections are offered to allow Program Members to earn Honors Units.
The most popular classes are the Honors Multidisciplinary Courses. They include:
HN 150: The Honors Experience
This course is required for all students in their first semester of enrollment in the Honors Program. This is an introductory course that utilizes New York City as a basis for interdisciplinary study of politics, economics, transportation, demographics, science and technology, labor, culture and the arts specific to major events or time periods in the history of this remarkable metropolis. The specific themes and eras studied vary each academic year.
HN 240: The Art and Culture of World Dance
This course explores the cultural heritage, social mores, religious influences, and history of three geographic locations through the medium of dance. A constantly developing art form, dance is shaped by the various influences around it. Yet, dance also contributes to the cultural tenor of its geographic origin. Students will study the function of dance as an art and as a lens for the society around it. Choreography and performance will also be part of this interdisciplinary course.
HN 250: The American Presidency
This course studies the careers of seven American presidents: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan. Using the careers of these seven presidents, students will explore the processes of decision-making as they have pertained to significant events in U.S. history. Students will be exposed to noted biographers such as David McCullough and Edmund Morris and will utilize both primary and secondary research sources as they learn to develop their own historical biographical writing skills.
HN 260: The Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Movement in the 20th Century
This interdisciplinary course uses the study of the Holocaust to investigate causes and lessons of other modern genocides and the human rights movements of the 20th century. Besides readings and films, students are offered lectures, and field visits to further develop their understanding of these events in world history. Students have visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as the culminating event for this course.
HN 270: Contemporary Literary Genres
This course will allow students to explore a particular genre in literature over the course of one semester. These genres could include, but are not limited to: the evolution of the vampire in fiction, genres within science fiction novels, romance novels from the 1990s, mystery and crime novels, etc. Constantly evolving, literature explores interesting and unique ideas that are inspired by particular historical eras, cultural influences, and societal movements. Students will study the literary genre with a critical eye, and learn how the genre came into existence and all the richness it encompasses.
HN314: Science and Technology: The Formation of the Modern World
The modern world represents the results of countless scientific and technological innovations and advances. In all aspects of science and technology, the goal of researchers has been to improve the quality of life. This course will study the evolution of scientific and technological progress and how it impacted (and continues to impact) the social, political, economic, and cultural characteristics of different times in history. An important objective of the course will be a review of the contributions of principal investigators who are responsible for many of the changes and advances. In addition to the fundamental scientific breakthroughs that have shaped society, attention will be given to the practical and everyday results of these advances.
HN 350: Comparative Urbanism in the 20th Century
This interdisciplinary advanced Honors course challenges the student to understand the dynamic relationship of spatial organization and the built environment to politics, economics, cultures, demographics, technology and societies. Students study the changing forms of the city over time and analyze the ways through which people have recreated urban life through time and across cultures. Each year, the cities studied will vary, but will include three that developed under differing circumstances.
Prerequisite: Junior Status
HN 450: Honors Program Research Seminar
This upper division seminar provides students enrolled in the college’s Honors Program a capstone experience and is required for students on the Bachelor’s level of study. Students complete assigned readings prior to the beginning of the semester to provide a common intellectual context and experience. A reflective essay based on the readings and related to the specific semester’s theme is required; students will discuss the content of the readings in a coherent essay. One goal of this course is to prepare students to undertake graduate-level research. Accordingly, students will prepare a research design, literature review, annotated bibliography, and an assessment of the sources.
Prerequisite: Senior Status
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