exploring the great books and the enduring questions
joining a community of enthusiastic students like yourself
taking courses designed not to make you do more work, but do the
kind of work that will help you become a thinking leader
earning the "Honors Scholar" designation and seal on your diploma
and transcript
participating in special events, such as an annual honor dinner hosted
by President Foley
having frequent access to honors faculty
benefiting from honors roundtable designed to help students prepare
for and apply to graduate school, seek grants and scholarships, and
pursue post-graduate career opportunities.
The program
is open to all majors in all of the University's school and colleges
schedules courses to make it easy for students to complete the program
without adding extra courses to their major
centers on a four course cycle for seminars (EN111, EN211, EN212)
which take the place of freshman and sophomore composition and literature
courses
offers a variety of honors sections of basic core curriculum courses
If you are interested, fill out the information form. Students with a 27 or higher ACT will automatically be enrolled in the honors seminar, and other promising, motivated students are welcome to apply.
The heart of the honors program is the four-course cycle of seminars
on western thought and culture:
EN 111: Ancient World
EN 112: Medieval - Renaissance
EN 211: Enlightenment - Romanticism
EN 212: Twentieth Century
These classes are interdisciplinary courses team taught by faculty chosen
for their expertise in the works and era. In three sessions of EN 112,
for instance, you might have a lecture on Dante by a literature professor,
one on St. Augustine by a philosophy professor, and one on Leonardo da
Vinci by an art history professor.
The large class is regularly broken into discussion sections for raising
questions, exploring ideas, and debating issues.
Each semester only one of the honors seminars is offered so that for
your first two years you have one class with all the other honors freshmen
and sophomores.
The other nine hours required to receive the Honors designation on your diploma are classes that you would have to take in the basic core curriculum, so you do not have to take extra courses, regardless of your major.
Simply sign up for the honors designated sections of those basic core courses when you register.
Every two years, we will offer honors courses in history, political science, philosophy, English, biology, and Christian studies, in addition to other offerings. Save at least nine hours in your core requirements to be filled by honors classes in these areas.
Students who complete the first two years of the program can choose to go on to write an honors thesis in their major as upperclassmen. They discover a topic in their junior year and select a faculty director for the thesis who will help guide their work. In their senior year, they sign up for two independent study courses that allow them time to research, write, and defend their thesis.
This optional upper-division portion of the program provides excellent
preparation for graduate work and looks great on resumes and applications.
You will also be encouraged and supported by select honors faculty who
will be on hand if you have questions about your schedule, choice of a
major, why Hamlet can't make up his mind, or which kind of coffee should
be served at Caffeine & Conversation on Tuesday afternoons.
You are given flexibility. You can sign up for the honors program, and
if you discover at some point that it is not for you, you may switch to
the regular program and keep the honors designation for courses you have
already taken. We do ask, though, that you go ahead and register for
honors for your first semester so that you are already on track with your
group.
Honors students enjoy the Colosseum on the annual
Honors Greece and Italy Study Tour in 2006.
Pictured L-R are Laura Shrock, Kara Lynn Morris, Bryce Landwehr,
Rebekah Hobson, Rachel Williamson, and Marshall Black (rear).
If you have questions about the program, or about your studies in general
at the University of Mobile, the Honors Faculty would love to hear from
you!
Dr. Douglas Mitchell, Director of the Honors Program can be reached
at 251-442-2308 or at douglasm@mail.umobile.edu.
Dr. Katherine Abernathy, Assistant Director of the Honors Program, can
be reached at 251-442-2467 or at uofmkate@msn.com.
EN 111: Ancient World
