Honors
(non major/minor)
The University Honors Program (UHP) provides enhanced educational opportunities for CLU’s most academically motivated students. The mission of the UHP is to challenge students at a higher level as they grapple with deeper questions of life, identity, and purpose within a global community. It encourages intellectual exploration and experimentation by involving students in an intensive study of works that bridge diverse historical contexts, cultural settings and fields of knowledge. By balancing tradition and innovation and discovering or creating links between areas of knowledge currently separated by disciplines and departments, the UHP encourages students to think holistically and critically about these works and the global issues they illuminate.
The UHP is open to students by invitation upon admission to CLU, although other admitted students may petition the Honors Committee for admission to the program. In addition, up to five transfers a year may petition to enter the Honors Program either during their sophomore or the beginning of their junior year.
First-year UHP students must attend one of two year-long foundational seminar courses. One of these courses is Humanities Tutorial, a course that explores a wide array of themes in literature and philosophy. From the origins of Western thought in Greek philosophy and literature to an extensive survey of contemporary themes (both Western and non-Western) in more recent writings, the Humanities Tutorial foundational seminar provides a stimulating atmosphere in which to explore important ideas in the humanities.
The second choice of foundational seminar is At Home in the Universe: a Scientific World View. This course affords students the opportunity to delve into some of the most important ideas in post-Enlightenment thought, and provides them with a modern, scientific understanding of man and nature. From cosmological theories for the birth of our universe to the intricate neurological underpinnings of human consciousness, the processes by which our current perception of the natural world has been elucidated will be explored.
During their second and third years, University Honors students must attend at least two honors seminars (preferably one in each year). In their final year, students must attend one capstone honors seminar course. With the successful completion of the capstone and seminars, the student will achieve University Honors. Transfer students will be required to attend at least four honors seminars and the capstone to achieve University Honors.
Requirements for completion of the Honors Program
Successful completion of 4 honors seminars (16 credits); successful completion of a capstone honors seminar. Students entering on or after the 2007-2008 academic year must maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA to sustain their membership in the UHP.
Courses
Lower Division
HNRS 101/102. At Home in the Universe. (4,4).
A scientific worldview encourages students to
delve into some of the most important ideas in
post-Enlightenment thought, and provides them
with a modern, scientific understanding of man
and nature. From cosmological theories for the
birth of our universe to the intricate
neurological underpinnings of human
consciousness, the processes by which our current
perception of the natural world has been
elucidated are explored.
on cosmology and astrophysics, including the
birth and development of our solar system. This
is followed by treatments of the essentials of
nuclear physics and chemistry and the strangeness
of the quantum world.
in the geology section of the course. The central
theme of biology, evolution by natural selection,
is explored by focusing on the mechanisms of
evolutionary change, the evolution of sex and
cooperative behavior, human origins and futures,
and the nature of consciousness and free will.
interdisciplinary environmental science. These
include discussions on the evolution of different
environmental viewpoints; major environmental
issues and the science behind them; and the
relationship between science, economics, politics
and ethics/philosophy with respect to
environmental science.
challenges to a scientific worldview, both
postmodernist critiques and those of theological
flavor. Throughout the course, students engage in
discussions that emphasize the relevance of
scientific discoveries to understanding what it
means to be human. In this sense, At Home in the
Universe offers a humanistic view of the
scientific enterprise.
HNRS 115. Humanities Tutorial. (4).
The year-long Humanities Tutorial begins with an
in-depth, one-semester study of the origins of
Western culture in Greek literature and
philosophy. The second semester continues with a
study of contemporary themes and concerns both in
Western and Non-Western thought. In addition to
providing practice in the skills of analysis,
argument, and critical and reflective
interpretation, the course aims to familiarize
students with the intellectual ideal of
illuminating the new by understanding the old.
(cross-listed with PHIL 115, ENGL 115).
HNRS 282. Selected Topic. (1-4).
Upper Division
HNRS 301. Globalizing the Feminine: Women in International Film. (4).
This course will consider issues in the
representation of women in film from a variety of
perspectives, using feminist as well as film
criticism to evaluate films drawn from world
cinema.
HNRS 303. Don Quijote and Modern Fiction. (4).
This course is designed to trace the influence of
Don Quijote on contemporary prose fiction and
film. It will involve the study of the work
itself as well as that of other select works from
Western literature for comparison purposes,
focusing on literary aspects as well as the
historical, social and cultural context.
Instructor's consent is required. (cross-listed
with SPAN 303).
HNRS 304. St.Augustine's City of God. (4).
On the City of God, written between 413-427 CE
by Augustine, bishop of Hippo in North Africa, is
arguably the most important and lastingly
influential Christian text of late antiquity. In
it, Augustine answers pagan critics of
Christianity, makes the case for Christianity's
compatibility with what he thinks is the best
part of ancient philosophy, develops a biblical
view of history, and makes sense theologically of
the greatest historical disaster he and his
contemporaries could imagine - the disintegration
of the Western Roman Empire.
close reading of the De civitate Dei in English
translation. Through the study of this massive
work in its historical and intellectual context,
students will be exposed to the culture of the
late Roman Empire, be led through the Christian
theology, philosophy and historiography of late
antiquity, and will develop a sense of
Augustine's enduring legacy in Western thought.
Prerequisites: sophomore standing, completion of
REL 100, HIST 101, and the Core 21
philosophy requirement, and at least one
additional upper-level course in Religion,
History, or Philosophy.
HNRS 306. Masterpieces of German Literature In Translation. (4).
The study and interpretation of selected major
works from German literature in English
translation, supplemented by outside reading and
individual reports. (cross-listed with GERM 306).
HNRS 320. The Science and Aesthetics of Science Fiction. (4).
This course will examine contemporary science
fiction film from a number of perspectives -
scientific, philosophical, and aesthetic. A
special focus will be placed on identifying the
limits of scientific fact and artistic license in
aesthetic production. In-class learning
activities will include both viewing of films
along with detailed, scene-by-scene cinematic
analysis through regular small-group (less than
5) mini-workshops.
HNRS 324. War, Politics and Cinema. (4).
Explore the political nature of cinema and the
ways in which war and political culture, issues
and themes are expressed in and through the
movies. Particular emphasis is placed in this
course on the historical dialectic between
"hawks" and "doves.".
HNRS 328. Cold War America. (4).
A close examination of modern United States
history during the Cold War and after. Class
sessions give attention to the political, social,
economic and international developments of what
has been termed "the Pax Americana." Focus is
specifically on the role of presidents and
policymaking, particularly the relationship with
the Soviet Union. (a/y). (Cross-listed with
HIST 328).
HNRS 402. Post-Modernism: Politics and Philosophy Of Art. (4).
Postmodernism explores the relationship between
art, science, and politics in contemporary
philosophy. The course begins with a
consideration of the legacies of Freud,
Nietzsche, and Marx and continues with an
analysis of such authors as Breton, Heidegger,
Benjamin, Cortázar, Borges, Derrida, Foucault,
Heisenberg, and Rorty. Uses film (including
students' own short surrealist films) literature,
and philosophical texts. Open to all students, it
also fulfills the Honors Capstone requirement.
(cross-listed with PHIL 402 and POLS 402).
HNRS 413. Music and the Civil Rights Movement. (4).
The purpose of this course is to examine the
southern civil rights movement (CRM) from 1954 to
1968. This course integrates discussion and
analysis of the CRM with music. Music was very
important to the movement because it inspired
both participants and supporters to continue the
struggle until several victories were won.
Emphasis in this course is on matching the music
with a political event, ideology and/or
individual. This course includes discussion on
the personal involvement in political and social
activities by the singers and performers
themselves. Tactics and strategies of the CRM are
examined and their relationships to music are
explored by relying on music with explicitly
political lyrics and messages as well as those
with lyrics and composition that convey spiritual
and festive elements. (cross-listed with POLS 413).
HNRS 432. Freud and Beyond. (4).
The purpose of this course is to introduce
students to psychoanalytic theory and the impact
of the psychoanalytic theory on society. Students
will examine the development of psychoanalysis
from an historical perspective beginning with an
in depth investigation of Freud, his life and his
classical theory. Next, the course will examine
the development of psychoanalysis and its
departure from traditional Freudian ideology.
Students will then consider the four major
branches of psychoanalysis including drive
theory, ego psychology, object relations, and
self psychology. Finally, students will examine
contemporary view of psychoanalysis with an
emphasis on the integration of psychoanalytic
theory and the neurobiology of attachment.
HNRS 435. Faith and Reason-Capstone. (4).
Team-taught by professors in philosophy and
religion, this course is an integrated and
interdisciplinary exploration of the perennial
tensions and cross-fertilizations between faith
and reason. Authors read include St. Augustine,
St. Thomas, Meister Eckhart, Luther, Descartes,
Hume, Kierkegaard, Newman and Rudolf Otto. The
course meets the capstone requirement for
philosophy and religion majors. Open to juniors
and seniors from all disciplines. Sophomores must
get permission of instructor. (cross-listed with
PHIL 435 and REL 435) (spring).
HNRS 477. Cityscapes. (4).
Through art, politics, and philosophy, this
course offers an in-depth study of the cultural
landscape of selected global cities. Along with
texts, films, and music from such centers as
Prague and Mexico city, students develop their
own "cityscape" from a region of their choice
(often based on their off-campus experience) as
their final projects. Open to all students, this
course fulfills the requirement for an honors
seminar and is the capstone for the Global
Studies major. (cross-listed with GLST 477 and
POLS 477).
HNRS 482. Honors Seminar. (1-4).
HNRS 498. Goodness, Truth, and Beauty: Capstone. (4).
This course examines the relationship between
contemporary philosophy and contemporary biology
in relation to the major triad of categories
dealing with aesthetics, ethics, and the search
for truth. (cross-listed with POLS 498).