Honors Curriculum
The honors program at the University of the Incarnate Word is a four-year program that begins in the fall semester of the incoming freshman year and culminates in the senior year with an independent project within the student's major.
Honors Courses
In addition to the senior project the honors curriculum includes nine courses which explore the theme “What does it mean to be human?” Each course fulfills the core curriculum requirements over a variety of academic disciplines; six of those courses (13 credit hours) are required of all honors students with three others available as needed to meet graduation requirements.
Since they are upper level classes, honors courses may also be used to fulfill elective requirements in degree programs.
Sample courses include:
- The Intellectual Quest
- Seminar on Social and Political Thought
- The Human Story through Literature
- Human-Dominated Eco-Systems (interdisciplinary science w/lab)
- Inquiries into Human Stories of the Modern World
Other Academic Benefits
Honors students will acquire mentors by the end of the sophomore year to prepare them for the honors senior project, an opportunity to explore a topic in depth within their major.
Mentors will be key to helping each student to obtain relevant experience to prepare them to do their best work on the senior project. That includes exposure to current work in the field, assistance with placement in appropriate internships, and guidance on study abroad programs to enhance their studies. Mentors will also locate the best places for students to present their project findings; many professional and research organizations solicit student presentations and provide excellent networking opportunities for future work and study.
More Benefits for Honors Students
Honors students receive other privileges on campus. These include priority registration for classes each semester, assistance in housing requests beyond freshman year, and dedicated academic advisors to the Honors Program. Honors students also have access to research funds when they get ready to begin their senior projects.
