What are Honors courses?
Honors College courses are offered in a small class setting with some of the best faculty members on campus who emphasize innovation and individualized instruction. These courses are not designed to be more difficult or time-consuming but to deepen and refine the undergraduate experience.
The Honors College offers a number of courses to supplement offerings provided in our students' majors. Students use theses course to develop robust academic portfolios; departments use these courses (such as the HNRS Thesis) to enhance their offerings for accomplished students.
You might take Honors College courses like...
Social Entrepreneurship (HNRS 401/501)
Investigate how community-based organizations use appropriate management practices and embrace innovation in fulfulling their social missions.*
EVMS/Honors College Apprenticeship in Academic Medical Research (HNRS 226)
Develop skills in research and information literacy through active involvement in ongoing research programs under the supervision of a faculty mentor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.*
Peer Education & Leadership (HNRS 200)
This course prepares students for work as peer mentors and tutors. Skills in information literacy and research are developed as they learn how to create and implement individualized student success/academic plans.
* Tuition scholarships are available for Honors College students interested in these courses.
The Honors College offers a number of courses to supplement offerings provided in our students' majors. Students use theses course to develop robust academic portfolios; departments use these courses (such as the HNRS Thesis) to enhance their offerings for accomplished students.
You might take General Education Honors courses like...
Crisis Communication & Climate Change (Honors Tech Writing)
Investigate how community-based organizations use appropriate management practices and embrace innovation in fulfulling their social missions.*
Philosophy, Identity & Film (Honors Philosophy)
Develop skills in research and information literacy through active involvement in ongoing research programs under the supervision of a faculty mentor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.*
Entrepreneurship & Creativity (Honors Literature)
This course prepares students for work as peer mentors and tutors. Skills in information literacy and research are developed as they learn how to create and implement individualized student success/academic plans.
Disruptive Technologies in Health Care (Honors Information Literacy)
This course prepares students for work as peer mentors and tutors. Skills in information literacy and research are developed as they learn how to create and implement individualized student success/academic plans.
Contract courses give students a unique opportunity to work collaboratively with a faculty member to facilitate their learning in a manner that allows them to delve deeper into material that is not covered extensively in class. The student is fully expected to go beyond the basic requirements of the class, but honors contract courses are not meant simply to increase the student's workload. If it is appropriate to do so, some faculty offer the student the option of completing an agreed upon project in lieu of another requirement for the class.
Any student with a minimum GPA of 3.25 may petition a professor to designate an upper division course as "honors" for that student. Students must earn at least a B to receive honors designation for the course.
Past honors contract courses have provided students with several exciting opportunities, and our alumni have reported that their honors contract courses and the projects associated with them have given them an edge with future employers and graduate school admissions.
Contract Honors Course Examples
- One of our marketing majors created an advertising campaign for a local store for one of her contract courses.
- Another student co-facilitated a two-week leadership workshop for Navy managers, assisting with the administrative tasks of delivering the workshop as well as the development and presentation of the workshop materials.
- Students have also worked in faculty laboratories, and others have developed and practiced marketable skills and products (such as videos, websites, or a portfolio of work to share with a possible employer).
The student obtains an Application for Honors Course Designation. Applications are also available from the Perry Honor College office in the Student Success Center, Room 2000A.
- The student, in conjunction with the professor, will develop the honors components for the course. The application form and the letter to faculty provide information regarding the development of appropriate honors activities.
- The student and instructor complete and sign the Application for Honors Course Designation.
- The students submits the completed application to the Honors College office by the end of the third week of classes.
- Following the course's final exam, the instructor notifies the Perry Honors College office, via perryhonorscollege@odu.edu, of the student's grade and successful completion of the honors component for the class.
- The Office of the Registrar will then assign the prefix of "Honors" to the title of the course on the transcript thirty days after the end of the semester.
The Honors College offers a number of courses to supplement offerings provided in our students' majors. Students use theses course to develop robust academic portfolios; departments use these courses (such as the HNRS Thesis) to enhance their offerings for accomplished students.
You might take Honors College courses like...
Social Entrepreneurship (HNRS 401/501)
Investigate how community-based organizations use appropriate management practices and embrace innovation in fulfulling their social missions.*
EVMS/Honors College Apprenticeship in Academic Medical Research (HNRS 226)
Develop skills in research and information literacy through active involvement in ongoing research programs under the supervision of a faculty mentor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.*
Peer Education & Leadership (HNRS 200)
This course prepares students for work as peer mentors and tutors. Skills in information literacy and research are developed as they learn how to create and implement individualized student success/academic plans.
* Tuition scholarships are available for Honors College students interested in these courses.
The Honors College offers a number of courses to supplement offerings provided in our students' majors. Students use theses course to develop robust academic portfolios; departments use these courses (such as the HNRS Thesis) to enhance their offerings for accomplished students.
You might take General Education Honors courses like...
Crisis Communication & Climate Change (Honors Tech Writing)
Investigate how community-based organizations use appropriate management practices and embrace innovation in fulfulling their social missions.*
Philosophy, Identity & Film (Honors Philosophy)
Develop skills in research and information literacy through active involvement in ongoing research programs under the supervision of a faculty mentor at Eastern Virginia Medical School.*
Entrepreneurship & Creativity (Honors Literature)
This course prepares students for work as peer mentors and tutors. Skills in information literacy and research are developed as they learn how to create and implement individualized student success/academic plans.
Disruptive Technologies in Health Care (Honors Information Literacy)
This course prepares students for work as peer mentors and tutors. Skills in information literacy and research are developed as they learn how to create and implement individualized student success/academic plans.
Contract courses give students a unique opportunity to work collaboratively with a faculty member to facilitate their learning in a manner that allows them to delve deeper into material that is not covered extensively in class. The student is fully expected to go beyond the basic requirements of the class, but honors contract courses are not meant simply to increase the student's workload. If it is appropriate to do so, some faculty offer the student the option of completing an agreed upon project in lieu of another requirement for the class.
Any student with a minimum GPA of 3.25 may petition a professor to designate an upper division course as "honors" for that student. Students must earn at least a B to receive honors designation for the course.
Past honors contract courses have provided students with several exciting opportunities, and our alumni have reported that their honors contract courses and the projects associated with them have given them an edge with future employers and graduate school admissions.
Contract Honors Course Examples
- One of our marketing majors created an advertising campaign for a local store for one of her contract courses.
- Another student co-facilitated a two-week leadership workshop for Navy managers, assisting with the administrative tasks of delivering the workshop as well as the development and presentation of the workshop materials.
- Students have also worked in faculty laboratories, and others have developed and practiced marketable skills and products (such as videos, websites, or a portfolio of work to share with a possible employer).
The student obtains an Application for Honors Course Designation. Applications are also available from the Perry Honor College office in the Student Success Center, Room 2000A.
- The student, in conjunction with the professor, will develop the honors components for the course. The application form and the letter to faculty provide information regarding the development of appropriate honors activities.
- The student and instructor complete and sign the Application for Honors Course Designation.
- The students submits the completed application to the Honors College office by the end of the third week of classes.
- Following the course's final exam, the instructor notifies the Perry Honors College office, via perryhonorscollege@odu.edu, of the student's grade and successful completion of the honors component for the class.
- The Office of the Registrar will then assign the prefix of "Honors" to the title of the course on the transcript thirty days after the end of the semester.
Interested in undergraduate research?
Students who register for the Undergraduate Research Honors Scholar (URHS) program will receive notifications about undergraduate research funding, information about research opportunities, and other research-related resources.
