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Curriculum
Core Curriculum Each semester a new set of courses is offered providing students with multiple chances to choose courses of specific interest in different disciplines over a four-year period. All Honors College core courses satisfy the general education requirements of Oakland University, and some core courses may also satisfy the ethnic diversity and Writing in the Gen Ed (WIGE)requirement. Students in The Honors College work toward completing the requirements in conjunction with a departmental major from the College of Arts and Sciences or from one of the five professional schools. Honors College students majoring in a department in the College of Arts and Sciences are exempt from the College of Arts and Science's distribution requirements. (See undergraduate catalog under College of Arts and Sciences.) The following courses make up The Honors College core curriculum:
Learning Communities The focus of The Honors College Learning Community is for students to pursue the same curriculum of studies for any given academic year. “Building learning communities requires investments in faculty development and ongoing venues for faculty collaboration,” according to a recent report in Academe. Learning Communities bring faculty together to develop new and creative courses that ask “fundamental questions about what is important and how students can best learn what they need to know.” They also provide a “comprehensive framework for change that gets beyond the piecemeal nature of most [curriculum] reform efforts.” Learning Communities “address several important issues in higher education”; participation in them is “positively related to diversity experiences, student gains in personal and social development, practical competence, general education, and overall satisfaction with the undergraduate college experience.” The Honors College seeks to gain from all of these benefits from Learning Communities. Core offerings for the 2008-2009 academic year will be designed around the theme of "Cities" in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences' theme. Course Requirements In addition to achieving a minimum GPA of 3.50 to graduate from The Honors College, students must take at least three Honors College core courses in three different general education field categories (HC 201, 202, 204-208). Beginning in Fall 2008 all incoming freshmen will be required to take HC 100. This First Year Experience course is designed to build community and to provide an education in areas fundamental to the making of a bright, curious, engaged student, ready to undertake the challenges and responsibilities of an academically prepared Honors College student. Students may take more than three core courses, in which case the additional courses will count toward satisfying the overall university general education requirements. Students should take at least one core course during their freshman year. It is expected that course requirements will be met by the end of their junior (third) year. Foreign Language Requirement Honors College students must complete a foreign language requirement. This is done by choosing one of the four Honors College language track options (see HC Foreign Language Requirement) Students choosing track 1, 2 or 3 are encouraged to take the online foreign language placement test to determine where to begin. It is possible to meet some of the requirements by demonstrating proficiency on the placement exam. Foreign language courses are offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and are not restricted to Honors College students. (see Department of Modern Languages and Literatures for specific languages offered) Community Service Honors College students must complete a community service requirement. Students graduating from The Honors College are required to fulfill one semester or a six-week period in the summer of an approved community service project. Prior to beginning the service requirement, students must fill out a Community Service Form. Students may access this form by clicking on this link (Community Service Form) or picking one up from The Honors College office in 112 E. Vandenberg Hall. The form must be signed by the student, the service supervisor and The Honors College director. Good Standing Students must maintain good standing in The Honors College at all times. For details see the Good Standing Guidelines and Good Standing Application. Honors Thesis Honors College students must produce an Honors Thesis (independent project). Every student must undertake a work of substantial scholarly or creative achievement. Most often, this activity is carried out in the student's major area of study, e.g., biology, English, economics, business, engineering. The student, together with a faculty sponsor/mentor, develops a proposal of the project, submits it to The Honors College Council for approval, and carries out the work. There is wide latitude regarding the nature of the projects, since it is recognized that substantial differences exist across disciplines. The end result is a written thesis – however, it could include a creative performance, dance recital, engineering project, or another type of creative activity. The proposal must be approved by the mentor and The Honors College Council. Students should begin thinking about the thesis during their freshman and sophomore years, complete the Thesis Preparation (HC390) course by the end of their junior year and submit the proposal at the end of the course. Thesis deadlines are outlined in the thesis package. Hard copies will be on display in the Honors College office. The proposal has a title and a narrative describing the nature and scope of the project, along with the rationale, methodology and goals. The Honors College Council must review and approve the proposal. The thesis should be at least 20 pages (double-spaced, typewritten) and should contain a bibliographic style appropriate to the discipline in which the study is conducted. There should be clear evidence that the paper far exceeds a simple report,and is more than the result of a classroom assignment. It must exhibit originality, critical analysis and creative thinking.
The deadline for submission of the thesis is January 15 of the same year for students planning to graduate in May. If a student is graduating in December, the thesis is due by September 15 of that year. At this time the mentor will have approved the final product and written a paragraph describing the work by the student. Thesis Research Grant The Honors College Research and Travel Grant is available to students seeking financial support to complete the research portion of their thesis. The application must be submitted with the thesis proposal or following the proposal's approval by the HC Council. Applicants may request up to $1,500 toward research expenses including travel, equipment, supplies, printing, etc. The application is available online Thesis Grant Application or in The Honors College Office. All equipment purchased with Oakland University funds remains the property of the university. Suggested First Semester Classes HC 100 Freshman Colloquium (required) Rhetoric 150 or Rhetoric 160 (depending on placement) A foreign language (level of the course will depend on results of placement exam) These three classes constitute full time enrollment, however, a course of your choosing, perhaps an introductory course in your departmental major may be added. For example, if a Biology major, we recommend an introductory course in Biology or Chemistry. Note: It is very important that you take the foreign-language placement exam before attending orientation (unless you will begin a new language). The Honors College requires that you complete the second-year (215) level or demonstrate second-year language proficiency. Academic Partnerships The Honors College continually seeks partnerships with other academic units and co-curricular programs.
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