University Honors Courses
University Honors students can complete their UH course enrollment one of two ways:
- Complete one UH course per year.
- Complete two UH courses in either the first or second (sophomore) years. If a student chooses this option, they can combine the remaining two UH courses in any way that works; however, it is not an option to complete two courses a second time.
In summary, students must take at least one class their first and second year. Below is an outline that displays five UH course completion options:
| Year in School | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Option 4 | Option 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Second | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Third | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fourth | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Fall 2026 Courses
BIOL 2001, Section 550 - Our Food: Science and Production (3 credits)
Class # 13117
Natural Sciences & Sustainability
MWF 9 - 9:50 am, M W Alworth Hall 191
Dr. Paul Bates
This course will examine 3 large aspects of the food we eat: food science, human nutrition, and agricultural production methods. We will look at the main components of food, and how manipulation of food molecules creates different flavors, textures, and structures. We will then focus on the relative nutritional value of different foods and their effects on the human body, including illnesses related to poor nutrition. Finally, we will explore modern agricultural practices and discuss ways to enhance stability and sustainability in our food supply.
COMM 3625, Sect. 550, Rhetoric of Globalization
Class #33639
Global Perspectives
Wed. 3:30 - 6:30 pm, UH Classroom (KAML 119)
Dr. David Gore
Study and reflection of global civil society, with special focus on the ways that new and changing forms of communication have altered the meaning of a democratic press, civic participation, human rights and shared experience.
HON 3303, Section 550 – The World of Surfing (4 credits)
Class# 33290 | capped at 14 students
Global Perspectives
Mon & Wed. – 9:15 am – 10:45 am, UH Classroom (KAML 119)
Dr. Scott Laderman
Surfing is one of the world's most popular cultural phenomena. While the number of actual surfers is relatively small – probably between five and ten million people – the sport's reach has historically extended far beyond the limited community of wave riders, influencing everything from fashion and music to film, photography, tourism, and marketing. This class will explore how a pastime commonly associated with mindless pleasure has in fact been implicated in some of the major global developments of the last two-hundred years, such as empire-building and the "civilizing mission" in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Hawai'i, modernization and economic development in the so-called Third World, the growth of international tourism following the Second World War, political mass movements and the antiapartheid struggle, American foreign relations and Cold War cultural diplomacy, and the surf industry and corporate globalization. The course also has an experiential component; to develop an appreciation for the subject and for why millions of people have planned their lives around the sport, you will learn to surf.
HON 3341: Encountering Death and Grief (3 credits)
Class #33334
Thursday, 3:30 - 6:20 pm, UH Classroom (KAML 119)
Cultural Diversity in the US
Dr. Mitzi Doane
This class incorporates field trips and guest speakers who come from different cultures, religions or death experiences (such as loss due to suicide, murder, accident). Students have an opportunity to explore death via reading and discussion including such topics as capital punishment, the right to die, war. The class is not a lecture, it is a seminar where there is a free give and take.
HON 3496: Ancient History, Today (3 credits)
Class # 33309
MWF, 11 - 11:50am, UH Classroom (KAML 119)
Global Perspectives and Humanities
Dr. Elijah Fleming
Ancient civilizations around the world had profound effects on the development of human technology and the evolution of society, but why do we tell our history the way we do? Especially in America, the ways in which we talk about our classical history directly inform the ideals and goals we wish to achieve. Ancient wisdom is not an inherited moral compass, it is another tool we can use–or abuse. Using archaeological investigations, primary sources in translation, and modern secondary sources, this course will track the impacts of retelling our ancient history, today.
IS 3401 - 550 Engaging Voices, Building Communities
Class #33050
WF 9:30-10:45 am - UH Classroom (KAML 119)
Social Science
Dr. Aparna Katre
This is a community-engaged course and requires off-campus meetings and engagement in situ with community partners. The course is designed to facilitate long-term collaborations between the University and the Twin Ports community to respond to community issues. It provides a framework for thoughtful, sustained engagement where responses to community issues are developed organically, collaboratively, and with grassroots participation. Supported by academic theories about systems thinking, intersectionality, community development, and social change, students immerse themselves in projects to strengthen the community. The emphasis is on building a sound grasp of the topics by connecting them to community issues and social change projects.
This semester, students will work with the Nourish program to build their Food Box service, which supports low-income households on their journey toward healthier eating habits. This video provides information about the course and the experiences of previous Honors students.
Credit will not be granted if already received for HON 3495 Special Topic course by the same name.
Note: The 45-credit prerequisite is waived for Honors students. Please email the instructor with your student ID and your intention to register for the course. The instructor will issue permission, after which you can sign up for the course.