Honors Program Academic Requirements

Honors Course Requirements

Honors students who are accepted into the program during the first semester of their first year are required to take at least fifteen credit hours of honors-level courses, prepare a senior thesis/project in their major field or across two or three academic disciplines, and complete an independent research project. 

Below is a list of honors-level courses:

HBIO 111 and 112                              General Biology

HBUS 207                                             Honors Principles of Accounting I

HCHEM 111 and 112                         General Chemistry

HCOL 111                                              Moral Problems in Contemporary Society

HCOL 206                                              College Campus and Culture

HCOL 302                                              Dynamics of Leadership

HCOL 402                                              Black Self-Concepts

HENG 105 and 106                             English Composition I and II

HENG 201 and 202                             Introduction to Literature I and II

HHIS 201 and 202                               United States, Africa, and World History**

HHUM 209 and 210                           Cultural Humanities

HHON 100 and 102                            Honors Seminar

HPSC 479                                              Senior Thesis (for Political Science Majors)

HPHI 105                                              Honors Critical Thinking

HPSY 211                                              General Psychology

HCSJC 215                                             Introduction to Sociology

**Political science majors must take HIS 211 and 212 History of the United States in place of HIS 201 and 202 United States, World, and African History.

Students who enter the program in the second semester of their first year at Clark Atlanta University must complete at least eleven honors-level course credits, senior thesis, and an independent research project. Students who enter the program at the beginning of their sophomore year or after must complete at least five honors-level course credits, senior thesis, and an independent research project.

Adapting a non-Honors Course through an Honors Course Agreement

Specific requirements may vary by department or program, but the following general guidelines should apply to any adaptation of a non-honors course to course for honors credit. A student and instructor, with the support of the honors program director, may adapt the expectations of a “regular” course in with enhanced content. 

Regardless of the individual structure of honors course agreements, they are all likely to share one or more of the following characteristics: 

• Provision for additional consultation between student and instructor. 
• Inclusion of data sources or a laboratory investigation beyond that routinely required in a course. 
• Evaluation methods, which should be specific and rigorous.  The VALUE rubrics provided by the American Association of Colleges and Universities is recommended.
• Choice of subject matter, project or laboratory problem within the sphere of interest of the student and instructor.

Students pursuing honors credit by course agreement are responsible for all regularly scheduled work in a course in addition to any special honors course agreement requirements. 

The form for documenting the adaptation of a non-honors course to a course for honors credit can be obtained from the Isabella T. Jenkins Honors Center.

Senior Thesis/Capstone Project

The thesis project is usually completed in the context of the senior seminar or capstone course in the student’s major. Capstone projects are opportunities for students to display their mastery of a particular set of standards established for their majors. An honors thesis/capstone project should aim, in addition, for the creation of original work of graduate-level quality in the particular discipline. Evidence that such aims have been achieved includes: 

• An intellectual/creative problem of some significance, 
• A relatively sophisticated understanding of the materials involved and the relevant research and artistic methodologies, and 
• A high level of clarity and organization, as well as felicity of presentation, in the finished work.

Departments have specific guidelines for the senior thesis projects completed by majors. These supplemental guidelines may be obtained from the academic departments. 

All students planning to complete the senior thesis must submit the proposal form for the Senior Thesis/ Capstone Project. 

If the senior thesis/capstone project is done outside of the department’s capstone course, students need to consult with their project advisor and department chairperson/program director to make an appropriate plan that will fulfill the capstone project requirement. Any student completing the capstone project outside of the capstone course in the major must take an additional honors program course. 

Double Majors are required to complete only one capstone project for honors credit.  

Independent Study

Students are expected to engage in research during their time in the honors program. Independent research can be conducted independently by students outside of classes, within independent study courses, and through faculty student mentoring relationships. 

Students may register for independent study or research-based courses in their major or minor, register for the independent study course offered through the honors program, or present independent or faculty-mentored research at a research conference. Those who complete the independent study outside of a classroom context must complete the Honors Independent Study form.