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University of South Florida

Judy Genshaft Honors College

Tampa | St. Petersburg | Sarasota-Manatee

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Current students, fall 2022 honors college courses.

The Judy Genshaft Honors College offers courses located on all three USF campuses, as well as off-site locations. Judy Genshaft Honors College courses are open to students from any home campus. All courses require in-person attendance unless otherwise noted.

The following course numbers are considered Honors Core classes: IDH 2010, IDH 3350, IDH 3100, IDH 3400, IDH 3600, IDH 4200, IDH 4930 (in some cases), IDH 4950, & IDH 4970.

Location: USF Sarasota-Manatee campus

IDH 3400: Social and Behavioral Sciences

Latest trends in hospitality and tourism management IDH 3400-001 Instructor: Faizan Ali T/R 12:30-1:45

Hospitality and tourism management is an industry that draws on multiple disciplines in business management and behavioral and social sciences. As a result, the industry trends and issues in hospitality and tourism industry require interdisciplinary solutions informed by a variety of academic and cultural perspectives.

This course uses hospitality and tourism as a case to better understand the facets of a global economy. Students will analyze hospitality and tourism market dynamics, including geographic, demographic, and psychographic influences, geopolitical forces, technological shifts, legal developments, and social and environmental pressures. Students will assess trends in hospitality and tourism business management, including some of the hottest issues like marketing, data mining, corporate strategy, and safety and security, and sustainability using a variety of teaching methods including traditional lectures, day visits, guest speakers, and case studies.

In collaboration with some of the most prominent players in the hospitality and tourism industry (Aramark, Mainsail Lodging, McKibbon Hospitality, First Watch Restaurants, Visit Sarasota, Visit Bradenton), this class equips students with research and practical skills to understand some of the most recent and relevant trends and issues related to hospitality and tourism industry. Students will work on projects in collaboration with the above-mentioned players in the industry.

Location: USF St. Petersburg campus

IDH 3100: Arts and Humanities

History by Hollywood: Telling American Stories at the Movies IDH 3100-601 Instructor: Jason Vickers Wed. | 2:00pm-4:45pm

This class meets in person.

In this seminar we will examine a variety of episodes, or moments in American history, through the narrating lens of feature films dating from the early-20th to the early-21st century. Specifically, we will explore the cultural, social, and political work that movies about our national past can and often do. Films sometimes play a major role in shaping not just how we understand key events in the country’s history, but in defining identity, how we individually and collectively see ourselves as “Americans.” Change over time is a fundamental concept to historical inquiry – by contextualizing film productions, looking at them in the moment they were created, and how they have been viewed and remembered since, will help us to grasp, finally, the place that movies about the past have in making/shaping historical consciousness in the present.

Human Rights: The Idea of Our Time IDH 3400-602 Instructor: Thomas Smith Tue. | 2:00pm – 4:45pm

The legal scholar Louis Henkin called human rights “the idea of our time.” Henkin argued that there is now a working consensus that each of us “has a claim to an irreducible core of integrity and dignity.” This class examines the philosophy, history, and politics of this essential idea. We explore the roots of human rights in classical liberal thought and in the promises of the Enlightenment, the institutionalization of rights in the wake of World War II, and the more recent flourishing of human rights advocacy. We will also consider cultural critiques of the universality and even imperialism of rights. Particular modules will focus on human rights today in China, Russia, and Turkey. We will address classic rights issues such as torture, free assembly, and freedom of the press, as well as contemporary issues of healthcare, refugee rights, war crimes, and the unique challenges to human rights in the cyber age.

IDH 4200: Global Perspectives

Science in the Islamic World IDH 4200-601 Instructor: Tracey Maher Tue./Thur. | 12:30pm - 1:45pm

This course explores the vast scope of scientific activity in Islamic societies stretching from Spain to India from the 9th through 16th centuries. It considers the social, cultural, and institutional contexts in which science in the Islamic world emerged and was sustained. Scientific activity in medieval Islamic societies reached a level unmatched by any of its predecessors or contemporaries. Students will engage primary sources in translation as well as secondary sources, devoting particular attention to changing historical narratives of Islamic science. They will study trends in specific scientific disciplines including astronomy, mathematics, medicine, among others. In familiarizing students with the scientific enterprise of Islamic societies, this course will provide them with new perspectives on what science is, the relationship between science, religion, and philosophy, and the students’ own relationship to and engagement with science in their own place and time.

From Middens to Mermaids: Florida, A Cultural History of Place IDH 4200-603 Instructor: Catherine Wilkins Fri. | 11:00am-1:45pm 

This class will present a colorful cultural history of Florida, with an eye for examining the ways in which past and present overlap and interact to inform our contemporary experience of this place we call home. This approach to history will provide us with an opportunity to engage with current issues like immigration, natural resource conservation, community development, human trafficking, animal rights, and climate change from both a historical and a contemporary perspective, and a local and global context. We will examine how factors like population migrations, environment, politics, tourism, economics, and interactions with the broader world have shaped our weird and wonderful state, as well as led to the creation of a very diverse body of art, literature, music, and architecture about it. We will supplement readings and in-class discussion with firsthand experiences of the unique and varied landscapes we encounter in our own backyard. Field trips will include a Tocobaga village site, Gamble Plantation, Ybor City, and Weeki Wachee Springs.

IDH 4950: Honors Capstone (permit required)

Honors Capstone: Healing Art IDH 4950-601 Instructor: Catherine Wilkins Thur. | 2:00pm-4:45pm

This class meets in person at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art

In this collaboration between the USF Honors College and the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, Honors students learn by experience how interactions with the arts can benefit individuals on both sides of the healthcare equation – patients and physicians alike. By the end of the semester, students will have learned how particular methods of engaging with art can help participants access and express memories, improve communication skills, externalize emotions, relieve stress and anxiety, increase observation abilities, and promote positive feelings. We will consider how these benefits relate to people dealing with a range of medical conditions, providing therapeutic relief that we, too, might enjoy. We’ll practice facilitating these methods ourselves, in preparation for helping our community partner, the James Museum, develop a program for community members diagnosed with dementia, anxiety, depression, and/or other medical conditions. Finally, this capstone course will allow students to participate in furthering the research in these areas by providing an immersive experience at the intersection of art, medicine, and community engagement. Please note: this class will be held at the James Museum in downtown St. Petersburg, 5 blocks from campus. Please allow time in your schedule for traveling to and from the museum.

IDH 4970: Honors Thesis

Honors Thesis IDH 4970-601 Instructor: Thomas Smith F | 1:00pm - 2:00pm

St. Petersburg Students in the Judy Genshaft Honors College should register for this section of thesis.

Location: USF Tampa campus

IDH 2010: Acquisition of Knowledge

Acquisition of Knowledge

Ranging from classical philosophy to the digital age, this first-year honors course invites students to explore the different ways in which knowledge is created and consumed, how understanding is cultivated, the various relationships possible between knowledge and the self, and the implications of these in our contemporary world. Through an examination of common topics, studio experiences, and assignments, all sections of this course will explore different ways of knowing (e.g., historical, philosophical, scientific, creative, etc.)

Note: This freshman seminar is intended as an introduction to the Judy Genshaft Honors College community for incoming students. There are many sections of this Honors Core course on the Tampa campus, please work with your Honors advisor to select the time that is best for you.

IDH 2930: Special Topics in Honors (These courses are not a part of Honors core.)

Backstage Pass to Health Professions IDH 2930 - 051 Instructor: Tricia Penniecook M | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM 1 credit course

In our currently evolving health care system, there is a growing emphasis on team-based approaches. Such approaches require that health professions training focus on interprofessional education. This course provides students who plan to pursue a health profession an opportunity to see what happens “backstage” in the health care field by shadowing interprofessional teams. The students will rotate among interprofessional teams that may consist of: medical students, residents, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, health administrators, health educators, etc. The students will present their experiences during the class period and complete assignments in order to receive credit.

Global Experience Workshop IDH 2930-052 Instructor: Megan Braunstein T |3:30 PM - 4:45 PM 0 credit course that serves as one Honors Global Experience Requirement This course is designed to prepare students to understand different perspectives and communicate across cultures. Throughout the semester, students will collaborate on creative projects and engage in meaningful discussions on various global topics. Ultimately, we aim to understand our individual biases as well as to refine our abilities to evaluate and navigate new cultures and perspectives. 

 **Restricted to juniors and seniors.**

Rooted in Place: JGHC Community Garden Service-Learning Course  IDH 2930 - 054 Instructors: Meg Stowe/Kobe Phillips  T/R | 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM at USF Botanical Gardens  0 credit course that will satisfy the Honors Service Requirement

This experiential learning course explores current knowledge, issues, and innovation in community gardening, including food security/sovereignty, place-based gardening, community health, urban beekeeping, and sustainability. Students will learn factors of sustainable gardening including: 1) plant health and care, 2) companion planting, 3) ethnobotany, and 4) advancements in agriculture. Not only will students be a part of a valuable community, but they will reconnect with their agricultural roots, reforming a sustainable relationship with the Earth. Participants in this course earn 50 hours of community service through construction, planting, and harvesting of a community garden located in the USF Botanical Gardens. There are no pre-reqs for this course, and you do not have to have prior gardening experience. Completion of this course will satisfy the community service requirement for the JGHC and result in eligibility for the community service scholarship.

In the Judy Genshaft Honors College, we believe that the full potential of education is realized when classroom learning is paired with experiential learning, often defined as "the process of learning through experience, and more specifically learning through reflection on doing." The ability for students to participate in a diverse offering of this type of education is one of the factors that makes our college special. Service is at the heart of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. Care and concern for others motivates the administration, faculty and staff of the College, but we also seek to model for students how intellectually and professionally rewarding service can be. By participating in building our community garden, you have the potential to create a tight-knit community based on shared values: to contribute to your communities through service, leadership, and global citizenship. 

10 of 19 seats are reserved for students in the Honors College Living Learning Community. For a permit to enroll, send an email to Meg Stowe at [email protected]. Please note class sessions will involve getting dirty, so plan your schedule accordingly!

IDH 3100: Arts & Humanities

“Gotta Dance”: The Greatest Dancers IDH 3100-001 Instructor: Jeffrey Donley T/H | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM The phrase “Gotta Dance” comes from perhaps the greatest movie musical ever made, Singing in the Rain. Dancing is movement and movement permeates every aspect of life, whether within our bodies, minds, or the world around us. This class is an interdisciplinary integration of creative and critical methods for researching human movement that introduces the aesthetics and creative processes in dance and choreography. You will think critically about dance performance and you will be engaged in dance as a performing art form by transforming you into the roles of dancer, choreographer, audience member, and critic in relation to the realms of aesthetic questions, politics, identity, religion, and complex views of the human body. Students will also cultivate their critical thinking and observational skills in the ways that artists and scholars conceive of human movement as a way of knowing the world. Students will watch the greatest dancers perform primarily in dance film musicals, stage/television performances, and music videos. Through guided discussions, they will learn how to observe and analyze the choreography of Busby Berkeley, Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille, Michael Kidd, Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly, Robert Alton, and Bob Fosse, for their contributions of avant-garde films of the postwar period, translations of stage choreography to screen, architectural studies, cartoon animation, and music videos. Drawing on eclectic source materials from different dance genres, the focus of this class will be an examination and observation of dance in film from c. 1928 to the present, including the performances of male dancers Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, The Nicholas Brothers, Donald O’Connor, John Brasica, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Michael Jackson, and MC Hammer. Female dancers Eleanor Powell, Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron, Vera-Ellen, Mitzi Gaynor, Ann Miller, and Natalia Osipova will be analyzed. No prior dance experience necessary.

Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Music of a Generation IDH 3100-002 Instructor: Calvin Falwell M/W | 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM The history of popular music is often presented as a sequence of innovations and events. The aim of this course, in contrast, is to study popular music in the United States in order to understand significant social, economic, and cultural transformations during the past century. We will trace important developments in technology, business, social life, and popular culture through American popular music. Simultaneously, we will discuss how popular music has reflected shifting attitudes about race, region, gender, and class. Particular attention will be devoted to the role that popular music played in the forging of a mass culture that Americans, regardless of class, region, race, and gender, participated in.

All the World’s a Stage: Performing the Self and Culture IDH 3100-003 Instructor: David Jenkins M/W | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM Shakespeare observed that "all the world's a stage." Have you considered how we embody and put into action -- that is to say how we perform -- our identities, ideologies, and cultures? This course focuses on our individual and collective performances in the secular, sacred, and quotidian realms. Drawing from theater and performance studies, communication theory, sociology, and related fields, this course invites students to view human interaction as performances and to consider their significance and consequences. What happens when the taken for granted becomes our focus? This course uses qualitative research and performance forms (storytelling, mixed media installations, etc.) as both objects of study and methods of inquiry to illuminate everyday experience The view of life as a kind of theater is an ancient and enduring metaphor for human reality. There has been a resurgence of interest in this perspective and in performance-centered approaches to communication and culture. This course draws particular attention to the reciprocal relationship between everyday life and aesthetic performance. It examines human existence as a continuous performance, from the “ordinary” speech of individuals to the elaborate practices of groups. Through this, we hope to uncover how these construct, maintain, and disrupt culture.

Creator, Images and Sounds IDH 3100-004 Instructor: Tamara Nemirovsky Fridays | 12:30 PM - 3:15 PM In this class, students will learn how to produce a video art that reflects the understanding of current events and their own response to them through the creation of a fictional narrative. They will become creators of images and sounds that capture their own subjective interpretation of problems that local communities are facing today. This class will focus on concept development, image, and sound composition, research, storyboarding, film language, and construction of meaning through the creation of multiple visual layers and sounds during filming and editing as well as all technical aspects (camera, lighting, sound, editing software) required to produce a creative video. Students will collectively explore the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of images and sounds to evoke emotions and meanings in the viewer. They will research human-social problems (violence, guns, education, poverty, climate change, addictions, communication, Covid 19, etc.) affecting communities today and develop a video art piece that will question at the same time the audience’s and their own systems of beliefs. Students will develop their capacity to recognize how we create understanding through the production of a video step by step, and how creative and fictional work can address their current social and cultural concerns. This course does not require previous film/art knowledge or experience. You will use a DSLR camera or your smartphone (if you do not have access to a DLSR camera) to shoot.

Stop-Motion Animation IDH 3100-005 Instructor: Tamara Nemirovsky Thursdays | 2:00 PM - 4:45 PM In this course, students will create socially conscious stop-motion animation artwork. Students will explore textural imagery and conceptual animation filmmaking by developing their own creative research projects. Projects will examine community issues while incorporating multiple perspectives into production decisions when creating a meaningful and reflective stop-motion animation film. Students will collectively explore the cultural value, story, and emotional meaning of objects, materials, elements, and sounds to evoke emotions and meaning in the viewer by creating socially conscious stop-motion animation artwork. Emphasis is on animation film language, experimental stop-motion animation techniques, concept development, and narrative structures as well as all the production stages (pre-production, production, post-production) and technical aspect required to produce a stop motion animation film. This course does not require previous animation knowledge or experience.

Pilgrim in the Metaverse: Exploring Virtual Reality IDH 3100-006 Instructor: Csaba Osvath T/H | 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM This course invites students to immerse themselves into the rapidly expanding world of virtual reality and learn how this medium will continue to shape and impact various domains of life and work. Students will learn about the history of VR and how this technology facilitates immersive experiences. This course offers students an opportunity to engage with and critically examine various VR applications and experiences (e.g., immersive gaming, well-being/fitness, artmaking/creativity, spatial networks, or social VR). Of noted consideration in this course are the ethical and psychological dimensions explored when VR is employed to support lived experiences and relationships in alternative settings via virtual avatars to recreate narratives that have been broken (e.g., healthcare, wellness, and occupational training).

Art in Motion IDH 3100-007 Instructor: Tina Piracci M/W | 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM 

From the currents in our oceans, to the electrical current in our bodies, energy moves all things around us. In this course, we will explore how we harness these different energies to produce forms of kinetic artwork through the investigation of the expressive nature of computational approaches to art and design in order to create interactive works of kinetic sculptures or installations. Along the way, we will also look at a variety of strange, whimsical, and beautiful works created by historical and contemporary artists and technologists, and we will re-think computation from a poetic, provocative perspective. To create art that moves you, we will explore the locomotion at various scales, including the kineticism of small motors and actuators using microprocessors and the study of various hand operated, nature-driven or electrical mechanisms. We will introduce Arduino, an open-source library and integrated development environment (IDE) built for makers, students, hobbyists, artists, and professionals, as well as other means of kinetics. These tools will be utilized to explore various modes of creative expression.

Narrative Cartography: Mapping the Stories of Your Life IDH 3100-008 Instructor: Ulluminair Salim M/W | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM “You can kiss your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach; because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.”—Frederick Buechner, Author and Theologian

Cartography is the study and practice of map-making, and Narrative Cartography invites students to map the stories of their lives. Through reading, writing, and multilayered forms of journeying, students will tell stories that matter to them, from the mundane to the profound. This practice-oriented course leverages written narrative to visit personal places seldom explored such as the meaning in and of our names; how and why we hold the political values that we do; the stories that our bodies tell; death, dying, and remembrance; our personal foodways; and what it means to celebrate our failures, among other concerns. At its most expansive, this course is a foray into our shared humanity and recognition of the universal in the particular.

Refined Imaginations: A Poetry Workshop IDH 3100-009 Instructor: Deepak Singh M/W | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” – Robert Frost In this course, students will learn to use their own experiences and memories as a springboard for detailed imagery and emotions. One doesn’t need to have an exciting life to write poetry. Poetry can be about little moments that create strong emotions and most people have felt strong emotions at some point. During the first part of the semester, students will read and discuss poetry while becoming familiar with literary devices and sensitive to the sounds and rhythms of poetry. Students will be expected to interpret the assigned poems and come to class prepared to discuss them. Developing these skills will be important for the second part of the course, where students will submit their own poetry and workshop their peers’ poems.

Travel Writing & Literature IDH 3100-010 Instructor: Deepak Singh T/H | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM In this course, students will explore the prose genre of travel writing. They will closely read current and traditional short pieces, essays, and books and analyze them like writers. They will write essays and stories inspired by the readings, and/or their own travels. This course is especially suited to students who have studied abroad, plan to study abroad, or have experience as an international student; however, such experience or plans are not required. This course will give students the opportunity to engage with a variety of views of the world through the accounts of travelers from a variety of cultural and historical lenses. In the process, students will write a story of their own—fiction, non-fiction, or another genre—centering on the transformative potential of travel.

“Fight the Power:” Of Politics, Protest, Resistance, and Popular Music IDH 3100-011 Instructor: Angsumala Tamang Wednesdays | 2:00 PM - 4:45 PM Popular music, which began in the 1950s in the United States and England, has in the 21st century transcended borders to take the world by storm. Defined as a music produced for mass consumption by the music industry with catchy tunes, rhythms, lyrics, and instrumentation as comparable to art and folk music, its popularity can be deemed simply by looking at its world-wide audiences in today’s sonic market. However, despite its widespread appeal and a global fan-base, popular music as a boundary-defying genre does not limit itself to only entertainment and escapism as some might suggest. Rather, it has provided artists and the masses with an active space to articulate resistance via “symbolic creativity” as part of everyday living to forge counter-hegemonic narratives of the world.

Taking a relatively new area of academic interest called the “popular music studies,” which is predominantly marked for its interdisciplinary inquiry, experiential interactions, and critical thinking, this course will examine the role of popular music in negotiating, consolidating, contesting, and questioning structures of power between communities, cultures, and individuals. As such our studies will cover Afro-beat, jazz, rock, punk, hip-hop, Bollywood, Cairo-pop, J-pop, K-pop, raï, jali, etc. by grounding it within socio-political realities through readings on nationalism, place, ethnicity, postcolonialism, critical race theory, gender studies, queer studies, cultural studies, and ethnomusicology.

100 Days of Discovery: Cultivating Your Curiosity and Finding Relevance IDH 3100 –012 Instructor: Francesca Arnone-Lewis T/H | 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM “Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film.” - Ansel Adams

While facing the demands and routines of a degree program, you may not necessarily cultivate opportunities nurturing your awareness of the journey as much as your progress toward graduation. Drawing cultural, societal, and community connections aligned with their plan of study, this course affords each student the chance to construct a unique and personally meaningful 100-day project connecting their curiosities and passions to their interests and aspects of their desired degree outcomes. Coursework primarily encompasses daily maintenance and investment in the project. In so doing, the course emphasizes continuous reflection on the project process, encouraging students to investigate new directions and possibilities as their projects transform over the semester. Applying course prompts introduced throughout the semester will jumpstart creative thinking and, at times, project transformation.

Writing Resistance IDH 3100-013 Instructor: Dennis Mont'Ros M/W | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM “The singular power of literature lies not in its capacity for accurate representation of mass commonalities, but its ability to illuminate the individual life in a way that expands our understanding of some previously unseen or unarticulated aspect of existence.”  -Nicole Krauss, Writer

Resistance is a natural response to oppression. Natural instinct compels us to push back against factors that limit freedoms. In this course, students will practice creative writing while examining how contemporary and historical writers use fiction to respond against institutional and social oppression. Our primary emphasis will be exploration of the creative by learning about and practicing the craft of writing short fiction to enhance our ability to infuse message with meaning. Our secondary emphasis will be the contextual analyses of the motives and tools of oppressors: rhetoric, censorship, and propaganda.

This course will enhance students’ ability to recognize and utilize language as the most powerful of expressive modalities, while familiarizing them with the struggles of oppressed groups from cultures familiar and foreign. Coursework includes reading and analyzing contemporary and historical works from oppressed groups, and generating fiction and critiquing peer writing.  Projects will include a presentation on a creator or movement of resistance writing, and a portfolio of creative work which will be workshopped with peers.

IDH 3350: Natural Sciences

Microorganisms, Disease, and Host Responses IDH 3350 – 001 Instructor: Steven Specter T/H | 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM 

The course will exam how microbes interact with the body and how immune responses help protect us from infectious diseases. Through journal articles and interactive sessions, we will discuss how everyday life is impacted by disease. Additional topics will include evolutionary biology, innovations in science, and some molecular biology at a level that can be followed by science and non-science majors. The course will feature an individual oral presentation, a group presentation, participation in class discussions, and a term paper in lieu of exams.

Climb Every Mountain: Geology of the National Parks IDH 3350-002 Instructor: Judy McIlrath T/H | 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

We won't actually be climbing mountains, unless you participate in the optional field trip where we will climb some small cinder cone volcanoes. Instead, we will see how mountains are built along with discussing other geological processes occurring in varied landscapes as we journey through many of the National Parks across the country. Take an adventure with me to discover how these landscapes formed and how they've changed through geologic time, why some house explosive volcanoes and why others provide tranquil scenery. We'll discuss the basics of Geology and how they apply to park landscapes. It is said that the National Parks are America's greatest idea. During our travels through the parks, we'll contemplate the controversy and dilemma their very existence presents and learn some practical life lessons along the way. The optional field trip is offered so that you can experience some of the parks firsthand. Come fly with me, and I think you will agree that setting these lands aside for all people and for future generations truly is America's greatest idea.

IDH 3400: Social Sciences

Truth in the "Post-Truth" Era IDH 3400-001 Instructor: Patrick Casey M/W | 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Twenty-five years ago, observers predicted that the internet would improve the lives of millions by ushering in a golden age of democratization of information, and in many ways it has. Yet it has been accompanied by a plethora of careless misinformation and willful disinformation, much of it shared on social media by people we know and trust. This cascade of false information has had numerous consequences, such as: weakening our ability to fight climate change by obscuring a clear and unambiguous scientific consensus; facilitating the spread of dangerous conspiracy theories by asserting malicious connections between disparate events; compromising efforts to combat a global pandemic by attributing sinister motivations to public health officials; and even leading to an insurrection of the US Capitol by alleging what would have been the largest and most ambitious case of election fraud in history. This course on Truth in a Post-Truth Era explores the many ways that our shared understanding of reality is being undermined, and with it, our trust in institutions and in each other. Along the way we will learn how to distinguish between sense and nonsense, to separate fact from fiction, and to use this knowledge to understand how so many people have been seduced by pseudo-science and anti-intellectualism, and what we can do to reverse the trend.

Political Polarization IDH 3400-002 Instructor: Patrick Casey M/W | 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

When students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky attended a March for Life rally in the nation’s capital in 2019 they found themselves embroiled in a bitter controversy centered on issues of identity politics, power, and privilege in modern America. Media coverage of the incident portrayed the students in one of two ways consistent with the moral expectations of their reader/viewership: these students were either villains deserving of scorn and contempt, or victims deserving of compassion and understanding. This case, like many others, spotlights the deep ideological encampment so prevalent in America today. Yet why do people understand the same incident so differently? This course offers students a chance to engage with issues relevant to what observers have called the “culture wars,” the politicization of moral and social issues, most notably between what liberals and conservatives think should comprise American values, and the moral evaluations each group makes about the world around them. As this culture war rages, political polarization is on the rise, and the need for good faith discussions that can lead to mutual understanding between reasonable people is greater than ever. This course provides students with the resources and opportunities necessary to learn about the issues that Americans disagree on most strongly and consistently, the sociological and psychological roots of these disagreements, and the perspectives they adopt in evaluating the social and moral order of American society. Most importantly, class meetings will offer students a safe space outside the political echo chambers that make up so much of what we are exposed to from media and social media alike, to discuss these issues intelligently with the goal of increasing empathy and reducing polarization.

Fertility and the Future IDH 3400-003 Instructor: Holly Donahue Singh T/H | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM Medical Humanities

This course approaches family-making as a bio-cultural process, addressing claims to the universal and the particular in reproduction. How do gender, class, race, and religion shape reproductive ideals and practices around the world? How do difficulties in reproduction, ranging from infertility and pregnancy loss (miscarriage) to natural disaster and political upheaval, impact those ideals and practices? And how do examinations of fertility from afar through demography, politics, and ethics articulate with intimate, embodied (and dis-embodied) experiences of reproduction, from adoption and abortion to IVF and surrogacy? The course will examine these issues across a variety of geographic contexts and situate local examples within national and global struggles to (re)produce the future.

Music Mania: The Psychology of Music IDH 3400-004 Instructor: Jeffrey Donley T/H | 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

In this course, students will listen to and enjoy all genres of music. It will explore the scientific understanding of all psychological aspects of music. These include studies on listening, performing, creating, memorizing, analyzing, describing, learning, and teaching, as well as applied social development. Students will listen to/experience/and enjoy different genres of 18th – 21st century music for analysis such as: Classical, Opera, Theater Lyricist and Librettist, Blues, Vocal, Movie Musicals, Easy Listening, Country, Electronic, Folk, Hip-hop, Jazz, Christian, Metal, Disco, Latin, New Age, Punk, Reggae, Rock n Roll, and Rap. This course will expose students to cutting-edge “music as psychology” techniques and theories of psychophysics, cognitive psychology, psychophysiology, particle physics/super string theory, cognitive neuroscience, and music theory & analysis. The concept of the student as “listener” is thematic to our course, and inherently rich and diversified in its definition and application. Students will learn the factors of music listening: 1) to regulate arousal and mood, 2) to achieve self-awareness, and 3) as an expression of social relatedness. Students will learn not to just hear at a subconscious level, but to choose to listen by paying attention to the sound and register the meaning at a conscious level—thus focusing on sounds and using one’s mind to interpret their social and cultural meanings."

What is the Environment? IDH 3400-005 Instructor: Andrew Hargrove M/W | 11:00 AM - 12:15 AM

You may think the answer to the question “what is the environment?” is simple, but this seminar style course will critically explore the way the social construction of the environment has changed through history and how our conception of what the environment is affects how we treat it and what we determine is acceptable. In this course, we will take a global perspective on how the environment is perceived around the world, what we are doing about solving the many environmental problems globally, and how a shift in perspective can spark change. We will explore the environment from philosophical, sociological, psychological, and environmental science perspectives and discuss how such a simple concept is actually quite complex.

Women and Leadership Discourse IDH 3400-006 Instructor: Amaly Santiago M/W | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

What do organizations communicate to professional women? How are women advised to be leaders in organizational settings? How should a leader be? This seminar aims to cultivate the understanding of leadership by exploring women’s leadership discourse and the asymmetries in the workplace that dictate women’s career advancement. We will explore how organizational practices construct leadership discourse, how leaders are made in organizations, and how career barriers impact women’s advancement. This course will engage in leadership issues through readings, organizational practices, case studies, and interactive projects.

Careers and Working Life IDH 3400-007 Instructor: Amaly Santiago T/H | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Starting a working life is part of our growth as professionals. When it comes to your career, you want to be prepared, confident, and capable of managing real-life work situations. You want to excel in those future opportunities. Careers and Working Life is a practical course that will help students develop their communication and professional skills. Students will learn the foundations of oral communication by delivering speeches, creating effective presentations, and dealing with work engagements such as interviews, productive meetings, evaluations, conflict resolution, and other leadership tools. Multiple learning activities will allow students to creatively develop and analyze the core aspects of public speaking and presentations as they exist in real-life work settings. Students will consider audience, delivery, message, the visual story as well as other components of communicating in professional settings.

Emotions: Experience, Expression, and Understanding IDH 3400-008 Instructor: Lisa Spinazola T/H | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM Medical Humanities

What accounts for the differences in how we understand and experience emotions like guilt, love, shame, joy, gratitude, regret, hope, or anger? Knowledge and expression of emotions are impacted by how we are raised, culture, gender, personalities, style of interaction, and current life stressors. We will extend our understanding of emotions through various lenses and disciplines: psychology, sociology, biology, communication, and/or social construction. Cognitive Behavioral therapy posits if we change our ways of thinking, we can impact the emotions we feel, and ultimately change behaviors that cause disruption and distress in our lives. Can it be this simple? Paul Ekman studies the universality of emotions, physiological responses to (and causes of) basic or foundational emotional states, as well as the importance of displaying and expressing emotions to the formation and maintenance of interpersonal relationships. Deborah Tannen writes about the origins of, problems that arise, and ways to better understand the gendered language of emotions. Combining photography and electronic journaling, we’ll add texture and visuals to the expression of emotional states we’ll discuss over the course of the semester. For the final project, students will choose a relationship (and its various emotions) or an emotion (through various relationships) to write about and reflect upon to demonstrate how their understanding of emotions has changed and/or developed over the course of the semester."

Post-World War II History and the Concurrent Evolution of Television IDH 3400-009 Instructor: Daniel Ruth Fridays | 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM

This course will examine the relationship between the significant news events of Post-World War II and how they were covered by television. This course will explore how news events shaped the evolution of television and later other information platforms, which influenced the framing of public opinion. Students will trace this history from the Army/McCarthy Hearings, through assassinations and conflicts up to the present day.

Rediscovering Disney: A Critical Investigation IDH 3400-010 Instructor: Erin Gough M/W | 9:30 AM– 11:45 AM

 This interdisciplinary honors class will examine the ways in which viewers experience and interpret Disney films. We will investigate how the visual and verbal rhetorical choices encourage audiences to read the films in specific ways. How do the characters’ bodies, behaviors, experiences, expressions, relationships, personalities, song lyrics, and desires point to intended messages? How do those messages communicate to audiences about how, who, and what they should be? How do those messages contradict or support the intended reading of the films?  In order to dissect these messages, this class will explore theories from a myriad of disciplines such as film theory, communication studies, social learning theories, rhetorical theories, gender and cultural studies, and critical theories. Students will be asked to complete two major projects that will build upon one another. This class may alter your perception of the magic and fantasy often associated with the Disney corporation; however, the goal is that you will obtain skills to analyze beyond the escapism offered by the films and the enterprise as a whole.  

IDH 3600: Seminar in Applied Ethics

Biomedical Ethics* IDH 3600-001 Instructor: John Dormois M/W | 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM Medical Humanities

*7 Year BS/MD students only. For permit email Mr. Mejias.

This course uses a case-based approach to explore a number of ethical dilemmas that occur in medicine. Students will participate in groups of 3 to prepare class presentations, write summaries on those presentations, and write a 10-page research paper on a medical topic with ethical implications. Class discussions are an important part of the overall experience.

Ethics at the End of Life IDH 3600-002 Instructor: Brianna Cusanno T/H | 11:00 AM - 12:15 AM Medical Humanities

Death is a taboo topic in American culture, in spite of the 100% chance that every human will eventually experience it. This aversion to serious consideration and conversation regarding death, even among physicians, results in a lack of preparation for many people at the end of life. In this course in applied ethics, we will examine the intersection of medical ethics and end-of-life care. We will look at the history of ethics and decision-making by examining notable cases from U.S. history; consider multiple end-of-life contexts including pediatric illness, COVID-19, physician-assisted suicide, and institutional influences; and examine the tools used by healthcare professionals to address ethics at the end of life. This interactive course will engage students by using creative arts activities, reading responses, Socratic circles, debates, and more. 

The American Revolution: Ethics in a Time of World War, 1776-1783 IDH 3600-003 Instructor: Jefferey Donley T/H | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

This course is a seminar in applied ethics that includes new avenues that set the stage for the ethical lens of the colonial transformation that was caused and became inseparable from the American Revolution, creating a fundamental shift in ethical ideas that still remains today. The focus of this seminar-style course will be one of reading, reflection, writing, collaborative inquiry, and discussion. What made the American War for Independence (1775-1783) revolutionary? Students will investigate whether it was the ethical principle that rights are not the product of human will or historic development are inherent in all human beings by God’s design—a principle reaching back to the arguments of English philosopher John Locke and Scholastic philosopher Thomas Aquinas and explicitly well established as the point of division from the mother country at least fourteen years before the “shot heard round the world?” We will go on a journey of an interdisciplinary exploration of an “Ethics of Revolution” that integrates the “Just War Theory” of a nationalistic endeavor of honor, raw courage, and self-sufficiency of American exceptionalism in George Washington, Nathaniel Green, Daniel Morgan, Benjamin Franklin, etc. Students will decide if our Founding Fathers made the ethical decision of whether they had “the right to go to war” against Great Britain in that it was just ( jus ad bellum ) as well as whether the means employed in “the conduct/guidelines of engagement” were ethical ( jus in bello ). The ethical principle of “honor” will be thoroughly investigated in this course.

Environmental Ethics: Who is Responsible, to Whom, and Why? IDH 3600-004 Instructor: David Garrison T/H | 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

How should human beings relate to the natural world? Do we have moral obligations toward non­-human animals and other parts of nature? And what do we owe to other human beings, including future generations, with respect to the environment? This course will examine such questions in light of some current and classical ethical theories: considering what those theories suggest regarding the extent and nature of our environmental obligations. While we will pay some attention to these questions in a general philosophical sense, in this course we will focus on specific topics of interest as chosen by the students. We will emphasize interdisciplinary scholarship and how technology, politics, cultural, and social concerns impact our understanding of the environment and of our ability to negotiate appropriate relationships to and with our environment.

The Ethics of Visual Rhetoric IDH 3600-005 Instructor: Meredith Johnson M/W | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

For over 2,000 years, the art of rhetoric has equipped speakers and writers for public participation. Visual rhetorics, ranging from political yard signs to protest posters to Instagram posts, are an important part of public participation. We’ll examine and produce visual texts to better understand how visuals act rhetorically, disrupt privilege, and promote equity. In this class, we consider visual rhetorics as: • a means to solve communication problems. How can designed texts use color, typography, illustrations, layout, and media to achieve rhetorical goals? Which design practices are the most inclusive and produce accessible texts that allow all our users to achieve their goals? • agents of knowledge making, action, or change. How do the designed aspects of documents shape what we are able, allowed, or made to see? How do visual rhetorics influence decisions about what counts as a public problem and which problems are significant? How do visual rhetorics invite (new) behaviors and attitudes? Students read and analyze theories of ethics and visual rhetoric that are based on research in behavioral economics, communication, human-computer interaction, persuasion, design, and more as they study and produce visual texts.

Authoritarianism, Policing and Civil Disobedience IDH 3600-006 Instructor: Gregory McCreery M/W | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

In this course, we will review a number of influential texts and case studies that provide theoretical reflection upon what authoritarian governance is, the history of policing (in the United States and beyond), riots, and civil disobedience. With such theoretical considerations in mind, we can focus on relevant, current practices, and the extent to which they succeed, particularly concerning the conflict between authoritarian governance and nonviolent resistance. The aim is to gain an understanding of how nonviolent resistance is thought to work as a mechanism toward positive, political change, as well as to gain an appreciation for non-authoritarian governance and what it is. We will look at works produced by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Gene Sharp, Erica Chenoweth, Todd May, Hannah Arendt, and others who theorize how nonviolent civil disobedience does and does not successfully work against other kinds of violence, such as the violence of the state (“police and military violence”), structural/systemic violence, and symbolic violence. We will also look at case studies in which the political power of the people has successfully stood against authoritarian governments that sustain conditions constitutive of social injustices. We will aim to gain a comprehensive grasp of many ways in which we can produce real change in the world via kinds of resistance that have the potential to transform oppressive conditions and the governments that uphold them.

The Ethics of Political Grievances, Freedom, and the Responses to Tyranny IDH 3600-007 Mondays | 5:00 PM - 7:45 PM IDH 3600-008 T/H | 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM Instructor: Stephanie Williams

This course will examine the questions surrounding the concepts of political grievances, freedom, and tyranny through the study of conservative, centrist, and liberal-leaning political speeches. These readings include politicians and political activists from the Revolutionary War and the founding of America through the Biden Administration. Students will discuss what it means to express and hold political grievances and debate what a "just" society must look like. The class will also look at the issue of ethics through their arguments related to political freedom from the right to vote, the right to be free from political violence, the right to determine which citizens have “the right to rise," who may make demands of our political systems through protest, who may make changes to government policies and institutions that don’t serve their political interests, and who may make demands to preserve tradition and culture. By the conclusion of the course, students will improve their skills in political discourse by learning how to research and articulate the major topics that shape our national values. The professor ensures that all students of all political views are engaged in productive conversations that are civil and fair by allowing students of all political views to be heard in class in a respectful environment.

IDH 4200: Geographical Perspectives

Food and Culture in the Arab and Eastern World IDH 4200-001 Instructor: Raja Benchekroun M/W |11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Food often carries significant social and cultural magnitude to many societies. In this course, we will learn about Food in the Middle East and North Africa, their intrinsic identification as Arab Cuisine, and the paradox this identification causes in the face of the region’s multicultural identities from East to West. We will explore how recipes and dietary practices transmit knowledge from one generation to the next, what stories Food tells, and how it preserves cultural heritage and restores family values. Students will learn about the Eastern cuisine in Tampa Bay communities. What does Food tell us about the nature of its people and the identity of its origins? How had taste traveled across the Arab region and to the west? And how “comfort food” conserved its authentic flavors and cooking techniques? We will explore the journey Food took to tell us about critical historical events in the Eastern world and agricultural hardships, celebrations, religion, and diet? Students will learn how to navigate cultures through Food and networking with diverse community members and engage in field trips to local food festivals and Arab and Eastern restaurants in the Tampa Bay area.

Arab Literature, Culture and Film IDH 4200-002 Instructor: Raja Benchekroun M/W | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Ahlan Wa Sahlan! Welcome to the Arab Literature, Culture and Film, a gateway to the Arab World based on scholarly research, authentic voices, textual, translated resources, media, and literature by authors of Arab origins. The course will introduce the variety of languages, dialects, and cultures in the region, which comprise a kaleidoscopic wealth of the world’s most ancient societies and major past/ current events that transformed the Arab region. This course explores how the interconnectedness of diverse spaces, places, and peoples constitute a community. By examining locales, historical periods, and the people who inhabit them, students will take an interdisciplinary approach to the local, regional, and global relationships to create intentional learners.

Health and Culture in the Dominican Republic: Beyond the Classroom* IDH 4200-003 Instructor: Lindy Davidson M/W |9:30 AM - 10:45 AM Medical Humanities

*Students must be accepted to the ten-day service trip to the Dominican Republic prior to enrolling in the course. Travel will occur at the end of the semester from December 11-21, 2022. There are additional costs associated with this trip.

Students will explore the many factors contributing to health in the Dominican Republic. Throughout the semester, we will consider political, economic, environmental, structural, and cultural perspectives that impact health in the Dominican Republic. At the end of the semester, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Honors Service Trip to the Dominican Republic, where we will work with the Kerolle Initiative for Community Health. On the trip, students will serve in mobile medical clinics, stay in homes with community members, and participate in service projects to improve the overall health of the communities in and around Sosúa. Click here for more information and to apply. Application deadline is April 15.

Women in Conflicts in the World IDH 4200-004 Instructor: Raheleh Dayerizadeh T/H | 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM

In overlooking the important roles that women have had during wars and the aftermath, women have been depicted historically, as having no agency and as victims. This course examines major issues concerning international conflicts and peacebuilding, particularly through the eyes of women. It is designed to further student abilities to think critically about international relations and feminist studies to re-explore contemporary questions and debates surrounding conflicts in the world. Among the cases of conflicts to be discussed are Argentina, Algeria, Bosnia, Guatemala, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Pakistan, and Rwanda. The role of women as fighters, survivors, leaders, peacemakers, and activists will be examined. This course will be treated as a seminar, allowing each student to actively participate and facilitate with class discussions, individually present to class, work on group projects, and write a final research paper.

Access to Justice IDH 4200-006 Instructor: Alma Dedic-Sarenkapa T/H | 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

People need protection from possible harm inflicted on them. All of us can find ourselves in harmful situations, especially when we engage in disputes or conflicts of interest. In these situations, we start looking into actions or remedies we can use to redress the harm. When remedies are guaranteed by law, they are called legal remedies. Legal remedies involving a third party such as a legal institution lead to resolving disputes mostly through compensation or restitution. The ability of people to access and seek remedies through different mechanisms is the main concern of the Access to Justice concept. In this course, we will explore different models of Access to Justice and human rights standards linked to them in the Americas, Europe & Asia, and Africa. We will also look at the connection between access to justice and social justice. This connection can be examined from different perspectives such as equal or unequal opportunities, privileges, and economic justice. Following current events and news shaping the world we live in students will better understand (human) rights protection in the country and around the world. Students will engage in facilitated discussions, team presentations, student-led working groups, and final research.

Collaborative Service-Learning in Ghana: Transforming Spectators into Problem-Solvers IDH 4200-007 Instructor: Elizabeth Doone T/H | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

The purpose of this course is to foster a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge about real-life issues that challenge communities. Utilizing a multi-disciplinary lens, students will collaboratively select a shared concern with a global peer mentor, generate ideas and responses, critically weigh options and create an action plan. This course is relevant for honors students desiring to immerse themselves in a cultural exchange of ideas and understandings while honing their communication and problem-solving skills.

How to Save a Planet: Individual Action and Systemic Change IDH 4200-008 Instructor: Andrew Hargrove M/W | 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

We are currently in a state of emergency about the future of our relationship with the natural environment. We are experiencing the 6th mass extinction, global warming over 1.5 degrees Celsius, ecological damage, rising sea levels, more natural disasters, and population displacement. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer size, scale, and scope of these crises. Our natural inclination may be to feel hopeless and powerless. BUT you do not have to feel this way! This class will discuss the many facets of the climate change problem, how people are ALREADY working on addressing it, and what YOU can do to contribute to making the world a better and safer place for us all to live. We will engage with the scientific literature, with calls for action, with NGOs around the world, and with people right here in our own community fighting climate change. Join us and learn how to save a planet!

Contemporary Middle East IDH 4200-009 Instructor: Nazek Jawad T/H |3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

This course aims to provide students with an authentic understanding of the diversified multi-layered facets of the Middle East, and to expose them to the breadth of Middle Eastern cultures, and their political and cultural landmarks within historical and contemporary contexts. This course discusses the main social, economic, and political developments in the Middle East from the 19th century onward. Besides, this course also highlights the Middle East abundant culture, and introduces students to countless contributions of Middle East countries to human civilizations in a wide range of areas, including science, arts, architecture, and music. Recently, the Middle East is conceived as a region that breeds fundamentalism and an area of long-lasting conflicts. Due to the distorted notions and misrepresentations of the Middle East circulated and promoted in corporate media, and in conventional media outlets as well, this course is set into a great mission.

The aim of this course is to broaden students’ intellectual perspective by introducing them to the geography, history, politics, political economy, culture, and arts of the Middle East. Another equally important goal of this course is to impart appreciation of cultures other than their own, by introducing them to the diversified cultures of the Middle East.

The Politics of The Russian Federation: From the Second Chechnya War to the Invasion of Ukraine IDH 4200-010 Instructor: Arman Mahmoudian M/W | 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

In this course, we will learn about the Politics of the Russian Federation with a major focus on Moscow's foreign policy. This course will begin with discussing why Russia's peaceful transition to democracy after the collapse of the Soviet Union Failed. Then, we will move forward to review all of Russia's struggles from the local level to the international level. We start with Chechnya War which was the first local/domestic crisis that Russia had to face, then we will learn about Russia's regional struggles with Giorgio and Ukraine, and later we will study Russia's involvement in international crises such as in Syria and Libya.

In the end, we will endeavor to discuss the implication of Russia's foreign policy for Russia's long-term national security.

The Long-lasting Struggles of Arab Middle East: From the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Dawn of Arab Spring IDH 4200-011 Instructor: Arman Mahmoudian M/W | 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM

The purpose of this course is to help students to understand the roots of the current instability in the Arab world by reviewing the formation of current borders by the Sykes-Picot agreement, as the aftermath of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. After realizing the impact of errors in the nation-building process in the region, we will step forward to learn about the rise of authoritarianism in the region which eventually led to more instability.

At last, we will analyze how competition between non-Arab regional powers such as Iran, Israel, Turkey, and International Power including the US, Russia, and China in the Arab Middle East has escalated the current tension in the region. 

French Revolution (1789- 1794) and Iran Islamic Revolution 1979: A Comparative Perspective IDH 4200-013 Instructor: Parandoosh Sadeghinia M/W | 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM

In this course students will learn about French Revolution 1789-1794 and Iran's Revolution 1979 and the similarities in the elements that formed both revolutions. During this course we will discuss the role of art, artists, literature, secret societies, political perspectives (authorities vs oppositions), education agencies, etc. on how they all played crucial roles in both revolutions. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of cultural pluralism, interconnectedness among different groups of societies, and social movement theories through the lens of constructivist comparison. In addition, they will be encouraged to apply socio- political theories to problem- solving oriented class activities, group and individual projects, and a final paper.

UN Sustainable Development Goals and Global Competencies IDH 4200-014 Instructor: Parandoosh Sadeghinia T/H | 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM

In 2015, all United Nations members shared a blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet with an agenda to achieve specific goals by 2030. This blueprint is known as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In this course, students will engage in high impact activities related to each goal. This course is designed to help students critically acknowledge global issues and systematically analyze global challenges, leading them to work towards feasible and sustainable solutions. Students will develop an in depth understanding of cultural pluralism, efficacy, global centrism, and interconnectedness through the lens of global competency. In addition, they will be encouraged to apply socio- political theories to problem- solving oriented class activities, group projects, and a final paper.

Beasts and Burdens: Survival, Imagination, and Risk in the (Global) South IDH 4200-015 Instructor: Ulluminair Salim Tuesdays | 9:30 AM - 12:15 PM Medical Humanities

"Can the subaltern speak?" --Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Beasts and Burdens: Survival, Imagination, and Risk in the (Global) South will investigate health (inequality) and risk through the artistic lens of women and children in southern, postcolonial spaces, examining their critical, creative, and unconventional responses to subjugation. Through thematic and geographic “travels,” students will examine axes of inequality, subalternity, and survival among people across the globe. Beasts and Burdens will leverage audio, video, imagery, and narrative as windows into the social imaginary. Guiding Questions for the course: What are ways in which women’s voices emerge in the humanistic social sciences, and how do their voices circulate? How can students and scholars of the (global) south envision alternative narratives and intervene upon existing characterizations? That is, what are elsewheres and elsewhens of representing power and agency in southern spaces? Finally, what are ways in which we can critically theorize gender inequality, health, and resilience in risky spaces? How can we map them and map onto them? As such, the study of (gendered) violence, power, and socioeconomic and environmental conflict are central to the issues that this course seeks to examine. While the course privileges the stories and lived experiences of women and children of the (global) south, it welcomes students of all gender identities.

Organizational Culture and International Perspectives IDH 4200-016 Instructor: Amaly Santiago M/W | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Organizational Culture and International perspectives (IDH 4200) Organizational culture is the set of shared beliefs, values, and norms that influence the way members think, feel, and behave. Cultural interpretation is one of the best ways of understanding a broad spectrum of aspects of management and organization. This seminar examines organizational culture's development, nature, classifications, and characteristics while exploring the interaction of individuals, groups, organizations, and the environment. The course navigates in cultural understanding, which encourages problem-solving and problem-awareness. This course engages in a broad communication perspective by studying aspects of organizational culture internationally. This course will engage in an analytical framework for what goes on in organizations and management through readings, practical organizational examples, case studies, and special projects.

Sub-Saharan Africa IDH 4200-018 Instructor: Fenda Akiwumi M/W | 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

This class will look at culture, societies, and development in Sub-Saharan Africa, in historical and contemporary context. It will be a broad interdisciplinary introduction to the study of this part of the African continent. Africa’s history, politics, cultures, and societies are rich, diverse, and complex yet generalizations and negative stereotypes about Africa by the media, academics, and policy makers are common (apocalyptic scenarios of civil war, poverty, famine, diseases such as AIDS and failed states, for example). Using selected case studies we will explore political, economic, and socio-cultural characteristics of both modern and traditional Africa and through critical evaluation of course materials obtain a more balanced portrayal of the continent and its development.

(Global)2 Perspectives of Health: Exploring Components of Holistic Health in the Global North & South IDH 4200-019 Instructor: Lydia Asana Thursdays | 9:30 AM - 12:15 PM Medical Humanities This course focuses on comparative explorations of holistic health in the Global North and Global South. In this course, students will identify existing narratives of health in terms of the Global North and South while becoming familiar with four primary components of holistic health namely: Body, mind, spirit (faith/culture) and environment (geographical/societal). Students will explore the significance of the four primary components with respect to a selected country and will be challenged to objectively compare and contrast predominant narratives and alternative perspectives in light of course content and independent research findings. Towards the end of the course, students will each present their findings and collaborate to bring forth conclusions and contributions to the understanding of, and approaches to, addressing holistic health around the world.

Anticipated outcomes of this course include expanded knowledge through instruction and contributions from global experts including guest speakers and sharpened critical thinking through interactive, guided discussions leading to informed perspectives on holistic global health. Students will foster their research skills, enhance their communication skills, expand their intellectual and professional skills, and deepen their appreciation for the benefits of collaboration.

IDH 4930: Special Topics

Honors Seminar in Pharmacy IDH 4930-001 Instructor: Yashwant Pathak 3-hour course counts as Honors Core requirement.

Learn about innovation in the pharmaceutical sciences directly from faculty researchers of the Taneja College of Pharmacy! In this seminar, you will have the opportunity to hear first-hand experiences about technological advances in pharmacy, basic sciences in pharmacy, pharmacogenomics, geriatrics, and drug discovery. You will work on a culminating project with mentorship by faculty of the Taneja College of Pharmacy.

Global Politics* IDH 4930-002      Instructor: Gus Bilirakis Fridays | 2:00 PM - 4:45 PM                                        3-hour course counts as Honors Core requirement.

*Due to the Congressman’s responsibilities in Washington D.C., this course will be delivered in a hybrid modality. Some weeks will meet in-person, and others will meet synchronously via Teams.

Identity, Democracy, and Citizenship in the Evolving International Order IDH 4930-003 Instructor: Henry McLeish F |12:00 PM - 3:15 PM 1 credit course, satisfies one Global Experience Requirement

Honors students have a unique opportunity to take this 1-credit 4-week course from Friday, September 9 through September 30 taught by The Right Honourable Henry McLeish, a Scottish politician, author and academic who served as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish Labour Party. Since leaving politics, McLeish has written several books, lectured widely in the United States, and voiced his opinion in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and the 2016 UK referendum on EU membership. Hear from an international politician on his engagement with what it means to be a global citizen. **Restricted to juniors and seniors.** Please email Mr. Kevin Lee ([email protected]) for a permit.

IDH 4950: Honors Capstone

New Capstone Process: Registration for capstone courses will be available to seniors beginning March 28 and to juniors and seniors beginning April 4. All other students must request a permit from their honors advisor.

Perspectives in Performing Arts Healthcare IDH 4950-001 Instructor: Nancy Burns Fridays  | 9:30 AM - 12:15 PM  Medical Humanities   

This course provides an overview of the physical and mental health issues of performing artists as a vulnerable and underserved population and explores evidence-based solutions to advance the health care and health access to this population. Completion of the course will leave students with specific knowledge and an empathetic approach to caring for performing artists that can translate into caring for the general population.  

Connections: Mental Healthcare, Community Engagement, and Art IDH 4950-002 Instructor: Ulluminair Salim Thursdays | 1:00 PM - 3:45 PM Medical Humanities Location: Off-campus at the Tampa Museum of Art

In this collaboration between the Judy Genshaft Honors College and the Tampa Museum of Art, Honors students learn about medical conditions such as dementia, depression, substance use disorder, and PTSD and are trained to facilitate interactions with works of art for patient groups dealing with these diagnoses.  Students will learn how to deliver therapeutic interactions with art that allow participants to give their own personal interpretations without fear of judgment or failure.  The methods utilized in class have been found to help patients access and express memories, improve communication skills, externalize emotions, relieve stress and anxiety, and promote positive feelings. This class will also instruct students in the practices of observation, deep listening, and critical thinking, build empathy and understanding, and engage students with the community.  This capstone course will allow students to participate in furthering the research in these areas by providing an immersive experience at the intersection of art, medicine, and mental health.   Please note that this class meets at the Tampa Museum of Art – allow time for traveling back and forth when you are planning your schedule.  Transportation is not provided but parking fees will be covered.

Transitional Justice         IDH 4950-003 Instructor: Alma Dedic-Sarenkapa            T/H | 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM

In the realm of international politics, countries in transition from an authoritarian regime to democracy or from war to peace often face multiple transitions and different challenges, for instance, the challenge of overcoming past abuses of human rights such as political executions, ethnic cleansing, mass murder, or genocide. Such societies at times reach for transitional justice mechanisms to redress past atrocities and human rights violations. Transitional Justice (TJ) mechanisms consist of judicial and non-judicial measures, including truth-seeking mechanisms, reparation programs, and institutional reforms. This complex set of measures if applied in counties in transition can offer reconciliatory elements for grieving and often divided societies on their path to democracy and global trends.

This course will offer an exploration of Transitional Justice mechanisms using real-life experiences. Yet together we will reach even further and look into our own society and communities we live in. What can we learn from societies in transition? Can we apply such measures and experience is our own society and communities? In this course, students will practice how to bridge the gap between academic concepts, and real-life experiences in a complex environment using a problem-solving approach and TJ tools. Through a series of thematic sessions, case studies, and student-led workshops students will learn how to obtain input for project ideas they wish to work on.

Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice IDH 4950-004                      Instructor: Holly Donahue Singh M/W | 11:00 AM - 12:15 AM      Medical Humanities              

This course examines contemporary social movements around reproductive health, rights, and justice in global historical contexts. The historical and cross-cultural examination of debates about, and advocacy around, reproduction will ground students' research into current medical, legislative, and social reform movements aimed at changing the ways people imagine human futures and work to create them through policy, education, and activism. Students' research will serve as the basis for creating their own projects aimed at increasing public understanding of their topics in the form of a public event, a podcast, an exhibition, a website, a course syllabus, a documentary, or another form.   

Quality makes ¢ent$: Healthcare Research & Quality Outcomes  IDH 4950-005 Instructor: Donna Ettel Gambino Tuesdays | 2:00 PM - 4:45 PM  Medical Humanities               

What ethical and legal obligations do hospitals have to patients? What challenges and issues arise while conducting healthcare quality projects? How are quality of care and cost of delivery related? Using literature (Foucault's The Birth of the Clinic, Gawande's Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, and others) and film (The English Surgeon, Malice, and others), this course purposes to instill the knowledge of community needs through cultural enlightenment, interdisciplinary practices, and real-life experience. This course will primarily focus on clinical outcomes and process change, and will emphasize analysis of the patient care process to identify specific interventions. Students will learn to incorporate the research process as they conduct an actual healthcare outcomes study utilizing a quantitative research approach. Students will be prepared to present findings and practical applications to hospital administrators. Designed for students interested in interprofessional healthcare delivery, this course seeks to assist students with developing competencies expected of professional programs. Additional topics include an overview of accreditation standards; licensure agencies; reimbursement systems; legal/ethical issues; healthcare computerization; documentation, quality, compliance, and regulatory requirements and HIPPA compliance. Visual Narratives IDH 4950-006 Instructor: Tamara Nemirovsky Fridays | 9:30 AM - 12:15 PM    

In this class, you will have the opportunity to work collectively in producing a documentary. You will learn how to: Pre-produce (developing story ideas, research, developing a proposal and pitching, writing a treatment, script, writing questions to interview participants) Produce (the logistics of filming well planned and well execute interviews and shoots that include conceptual aspect as framing, types of shots, etc. as well as technical aspect like camera use, light, sound, etc.) and Post-produce (editing concepts, process and use of editing software) In learning these concepts, you will be able to turn your project into a documentary that re-tells the stories of our community in a meaningful and reflective way. During the semester, you will explore how to produce a short documentary about Tampa Bay’s communities’ stories through visual narration. If you pay attention, you can see that your knowledge of what is happening around you is  communicated over and over through images, either through photography, videos, or movies. Your generation is perhaps the one that most frequently uses visual elements to create social memories. Most of the time this process is not evident, and you may not reflect on its social function. This Honors class will teach you to do precisely that. You can decide to work on science, sports, politics, media, fashion, music, generational issues, or whatever you might like to investigate to know it better within Tampa Bay’s local events and/or communities. This course does not require previous film knowledge or experience. You will use your smartphone to shoot.

Civic Literacy and Current Events - Getting In Touch With The World IDH 4950-007      Instructor: Daniel Ruth Fridays | 12:30 PM - 3:15 PM

This class is designed to give students an enhanced understanding of world events and civic institutions that influence our lives. Students will read daily newspapers as well as follow news events across a variety of information platforms.

The goals of this course are two-fold. First students will become better informed and thus more aware of stories that shape their world view. Second, students will gain a keener appreciation of the journalistic challenges associated with keeping them informed. This class will also require a Capstone writing project of about 3,000 words.

Exploring Behind the Veil: The New Honors Building       IDH 4950-008     Instructor: Atsuko Sakai T/H | 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM

The construction of our new home is moving forward! Let’s use this rare opportunity to capture a unique moment in the history of our Judy Genshaft Honors College. While observing parts of the building structure being constructed, we will explore the concept of architectural design and imagine the future of our innovative learning environment. This course will take you to a backstage tour of the multi-year design process we have gone through, and you will be exposed to various design features that support the complex building systems and functions through readings, review of visual documents, hands-on design exercises, site visits, and interactions with different specialists from the large design & construction team. In addition to learning about the physical design elements (i.e., what’s in the building such as structure, lighting, building materials, and landscape), we will discuss how we actually experience 3-dimensional spaces and the effects of our surroundings on our behavior, mood, and learning in particular. In order to examine both human factors and environmental factors, we will be actively exchanging ideas on a variety of topics including: nature and sustainability; neuroscience and environmental psychology; and disability and accessibility. No previous architectural knowledge or design experience is required and students from all majors are welcome!

Systems Thinking for Sustainability IDH 4950 – 009 Instructor: Kebreab Ghebremichael T/H | 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Sustainability has become an important topic of discussion as humanity faces existential threats. Conventional approaches of analysis and decision making have not been able to address the complex nature of the challenges we face. Hence decisions based on systems thinking and multidisciplinary approaches are required. In this course we will use systems thinking to explore interdependencies in the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic, and environmental), and develop solutions driven by trade-offs between these pillars. We will use real life case studies to describe systems and understand the various components and their interactions to develop solutions to sustainability related problems. This course will use social science field methods to demonstrate how one can develop culturally appropriate solutions by engaging community members/organizations throughout a project’s lifecycle. The course will provide students an in-depth engagement with colleagues and peers from multiple disciplines through group projects.

CAM Co-Lab IDH 4950-010 Instructor: Leslie Elsasser Fridays | 9:30 AM – 12:15 PM

The artistic lens can provide ways of knowing and a means of understanding everyday realities. CAM Co-Lab offers an innovative curriculum through an active course of study that is grounded in USF Contemporary Art Museum’s exhibitions dedicated to socially engaged artistic practices. In this trans-disciplinary arts-based course, Honors students will learn the latest skills and practicum to facilitate a 21st-century tour at the USF Contemporary Art Museum, through object-based and interpretive learning, and practice in the museum. The course addresses pertinent issues of our day, diverse perspectives, and blurs the boundaries between artmaking, education, and anthropological, sociological, economic, historical, and medical issues facing us today. The arts are powerful tools. They highlight our social contexts and have a role as a catalyst that can trigger ideas, stories, conversations and give each person a voice that needs to be heard. They offer the potential to improve tangible, transferable skills necessary within emerging interdisciplinary and interprofessional professions, including enhanced perspective, mindful reflection, research, visual literacy, sharpened analytic and diagnostic capabilities, increased tolerance for ambiguity, and improved teamwork and communication. 

Honors Thesis I & II

IDH 4970-001 IDH 4970-002 Instructor: Atsuko Sakai 

The Honors Thesis consists of Thesis I & Thesis II. It is a two-semester program where students will conduct an independent study under the guidance of their own thesis chair selected by each student. The thesis process mirrors a mentorship system common in graduate schools (e.g., dissertation for a Ph.D. program). By closely working with your own chair, you will come up with a research topic, develop research methods, and produce your own creative work such as a research paper, artwork, a business proposal, etc. It is a great opportunity to create your own unique research project, learn from faculty about the research process, and gain research skills. We recommend that students who are interested in the Honors Thesis prepare early. Permit required. Please go to Honors Thesis for more information, or  compare different Research Track options. 001 for first-semester thesis; 002 for second-semester thesis.  

University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Main navigation, honors college.

Students in the Judy Genshaft Honors College represent every major on campus and contribute their diverse knowledge, expertise and life experiences to a lively classroom environment. The special interdisciplinary courses give students the opportunity to learn from each other while collaborating with expert faculty to discuss, problem-solve, serve and see the world in a new way. Dynamic conversations, project-based learning and work in the field are all hallmarks of our honors educational experience.

THE HONORS COLLEGE AT USF ST. PETERSBURG

On the St. Petersburg campus, the Judy Genshaft Honors College is housed in the historic Snell House, a Dutch Colonial mansion built in 1904 by St. Petersburg pioneer Perry Snell. This unique location symbolizes the close relationship between the campus and thriving downtown St. Petersburg, where museums, tech and hospitality businesses and concert venues are just a few walkable blocks away. Honors students engage with the community at the St. Petersburg campus while appreciating a close relationship to the natural waterfront environment. The Honors College takes advantage of this amazing location and offers courses such as Marine Life and Why They Matter or Healing Art at the James Museum .

Students receive personalized and holistic care from a dedicated Honors advisor and the opportunity to reside in an exclusive Living Learning Community at the heart of campus. The USF St. Petersburg campus Honors College Student Council provides opportunities to connect, make friends and have fun through signature trips and events such as Game Night to Beach Day to Trunk or Treat. We welcome students to join this warm and friendly community. Those with curiosity, a love of learning, open minds and a desire to be involved are encouraged to apply.

Follow the Honors College at USF St. Petersburg on their Instagram channel for the latest news, information and happenings.

ADMISSIONS FOR THE HONORS COLLEGE

Judy Genshaft Honors College students, regardless of their home campus (Tampa, St. Petersburg or Sarasota-Manatee), receive the benefits of early registration, travel scholarships, small interdisciplinary classes, as well as a plethora of opportunities to learn and grow both inside the College and throughout the community. Prospective students have the opportunity to join the Judy Genshaft Honors College as first time in college (FTIC) or upper-level (transfer/continuing) students by submitting the appropriate application.

For questions or to learn more, visit the Judy Genshaft Honors College .

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Honors College Essay: Tips, Prompt Examples and How to Write

Writing honors college essay

An honors college essay is an academic paper that students typically complete to establish entrance into an honors college, program, or division. An honors paper seeks to test students’ research skills and focus their analytical abilities on a subject of academic interest. 

Due to the specialized focus of the paper, students benefit from serious attention to the college essay topics, which are vital in developing the essay.

An Honors College essay is unique in terms of its requirements, structure, and background. The purpose of this article is to provide advice on writing and structuring an Honors College essay.

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Which Universities do Ask for Honors College Essay

1. uci (university of california irvine) .

The UCI has two programs, the Academic Honors Program and the Honors Program. Both are popular with many members. They are not mutually exclusive, but they have different requirements and different goals.

The Academic Honors Program is for students who want to get recognized by their professors for academic achievement. It does not require an essay but several letters of recommendation from faculty members.

You should not apply to either program if you are only interested in one or the other because there is no guarantee that either program will accept your application or that you will gain acceptance into either program.

2. VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University)

The applicants must complete the 500-word Essay on Honors. The essay should address the following topics:

• Your interests and goals, especially as they pertain to your intended major(s) and career path(s). How do you feel about being a lifelong learner?
• Your ideas about leadership, including h
• How you would define leadership, what your leadership style is, how you would use your abilities as a leader to positively impact your community in and out of college, and how you would lead if given the opportunity.

3. NJT (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

NJT requires you to write an essay and submit it along with your application.

These honors college essays usually focus on your intellectual interests and experiences, using specific examples to illustrate your points. It’s essential to select an area you are interested in and know about. 

You should also pick something that you can write about easily; it will be evident if you are writing a research paper or other academic work instead of an honors college essay, so don’t try to fake it!

4. Purdue University

Purdue University’s Honors College focuses on scholarship, leadership, research, and engagement by integrating residential and co-curricular learning opportunities with academic classroom experiences.

Your college application essay needs to breathe life into your application. It should capture your genuine personality, explaining who you are beyond a series of grades, test scores, and after-school activities. 

Take a minute and think about the college or university admission officers who will be reading your essay.

5. Stony Brook University

The Stony Brook Honors College provides an exceptional opportunity for students who want to pursue a challenging course of study in the company of talented peers. Your essay should be no longer than three double-spaced pages and should address certain questions.

It is an opportunity to explain an event that took place on any day in history; what would that event be? Discuss why you chose this particular day. Also, as this question, what do you hope to learn/experience by being present?

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How to Write a Good Honors College Essay

Honors college essays follow a formal style with a clear structure. To get your honors college essay, follow these tips:

• Think about the prompt and what you want to say.
• Brainstorm.
• Organize your thoughts into a logical outline.
• Write your introduction.
• End with a conclusion that sums up the main points of your argument and connects those points back to the prompt.

Technically, the honors college essay can be a five-paragraph essay, but it should be more than that.

It should be closer to a 10-paragraph essay, with an introduction and conclusion paragraph that are each about four or five sentences long.

The introduction and conclusion paragraphs should be about the same size. The middle of the essay should be about three paragraphs long, and each of them should be about four to five sentences long.

1. Introduction 

The introduction should have a hook which is a catchy sentence or two that gets the reader interested in reading your essay. Furthermore, it should have an explanation of why you want to go to Honors College: This is usually possible in one sentence. 

Also, there should be a thesis statement. This is usually evident in one sentence at the end of the paragraph. The thesis statement tells the reader what you plan to write about in your essay. For example: “I want to attend honors college because of their strong pre-med program.”

Write the body of your paper using transition words to connect your ideas and explain the connections between them.

The middle paragraphs should include an explanation of why you have chosen your career path and why you are interested. 

3. Conclusion

End with a strong conclusion that ties together everything you discussed within your paper, providing important takeaways for readers as well as leaving them feeling satisfied with what they just read.

Takeaways 

• You are writing an essay, not a text message. In other words, please use complete sentences and correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If proper English is not your strong suit, enlist someone proficient at it to help edit your essay.
• Be specific about what you want to study and why. Do not just say that you want an education; tell the reader what kind of education you want and why. This is particularly important if you plan to study something that you did not find at your high school. 
• The readers do not expect you to know everything about the field you plan to enter. They expect that you give serious consideration to it and explain why you want to pursue it beyond the fact that “it sounds interesting” or “it pays well.”
• Proofread your essays before sending them in. Errors will distract from whatever else is in those essays and may give us a negative impression of your abilities.

Things to Remember about Honor Essays

The honors essay is one of your best chances to stand out in a meaningful way from other applicants, so be sure to invest time in crafting a great response.

The admission office is looking for the following:

• The office wants to know that you understand what makes the honors program special. We have a diverse group of students and faculty who are passionate about learning and interacting across disciplines.
• What do you think this will mean for you? How will you take advantage of being in an environment that values interdisciplinary thinking?
• Your accomplishments. Let the audience know your talents. Have you excelled academically? What leadership roles have you taken on, or awards have you won? They want to discover what drives your passion for learning, leadership, and service.
• Your plans for the future. The honors program will prepare you for success beyond your skills, whether that’s graduate school or medical school, or a career in a completely different field. 

People Also Read: NJHS Essay: How to Write a Winning Piece from Ideas to end

Examples of Honors College Essay Topics

• Considering your lifetime goals, explain how your present and future academic activities will assist you in achieving your goals. 
• Settle for an issue of importance to you, whether it is political, personal, local, or international related. Then, craft an essay to explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your community, and your generation. 

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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University of South Florida

It’s time for your next big chapter. Where will it begin? Take charge of your success story at the University of South Florida. We’re a dynamic university re-writing the rules of what’s possible every single day – and you can, too. Whether you’re drawn by our exceptional academics, diverse learning environment, affordable costs or unparalleled location on the Gulf Coast of Florida, USF is an ideal launching pad for what comes next.   With more than 200 undergraduate majors and concentrations, USF is the perfect university to discover your passions, develop your talents and realize your potential. High-achieving students benefit from numerous program options, including the Judy Genshaft Honors College, which offers small, discussion-based courses, accelerated degree programs, special housing options, career development, leadership activities and more. USF is proud to offer one of the lowest tuition rates in the country, supported by an array of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study opportunities. Even if you live out of state, our costs are often competitive with the in-state rates at your local university.

Academic programs.

• ASL Interpreting and Deaf Studies
• Advertising
• Africana Studies
• Aging Sciences
• Anthropology
• Architecture
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• Behavioral Healthcare, Biology, Biomedical Engineering
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• Government/Political Science
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Student experience

• Co-op/Internship Opportunities
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• Distance/online learning
• Intramural/Club Sports
• LGBTQIA Services
• Military/Veteran Services
• Night Class Offerings
• On-Campus Housing
• ROTC Program
• Religious Affiliation
• Study Abroad
• Undergraduate Research
• Veteran Fee Waiver

Application information

Find out about requirements, fees, and deadlines

You may apply to USF as early as July of your senior year in high school. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis beginning mid-November. Applications are considered for the spring, summer and fall semesters. First-year students who submit a complete application and all required application materials by Dec. 1 will have the best chance of admission. Applying after Dec. 1 may limit your choice of campus or semester start date. Students have different dates and deadlines to track based on their applicant type. Review our admission requirements and deadlines for domestic first-year students or international first-year students to help you submit your application.

Domestic first-year students International first-year students

Required Application Materials

• A nonrefundable $30 application fee or fee waiver
• Official high school transcripts
• Official SAT or ACT test scores
• Certified English translations of high school transcripts (international students only)

Additional Information

We encourage you to visit our website and schedule a visit.  

Admissions office

4202 E. Fowler Avenue , SVC1036 Tampa , FL 33620 , United States of America

[email protected]

Phone number

813-974-3350

For first-year students

Admissions website.

www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/

Financial aid website

www.usf.edu/financial-aid/

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, college essay prompts: complete list, analysis, and advice.

College Admissions , College Essays

When talking about college essays, we tend to focus on the Common Application prompts , and it's true that many students will need to write a Common App essay. However, there are actually quite a few schools, including both public and private universities, that don't use the Common App and instead ask applicants to respond to their own college essay prompts.

Luckily, college essay prompts tend to be pretty similar to each other. In this guide, I'll list all the college essay questions for popular schools in the US (and a few abroad) and then break down the patterns to help you brainstorm topics and plan how to approach multiple essays efficiently. After reading this guide, you'll be able to strategize which essays you'll write for which colleges.

Feature image: Mayr /Flickr

Why Do Colleges Ask For an Essay?

The short answer: the essay gives admissions committees a sense of your personality beyond the statistics on the rest of your application. The essay is your chance to show the committee your unique perspective and impress them with your maturity and insight.

College application essay prompts are written with this goal in mind. Admissions officers want to give you the chance to share your interests, aspirations, and views on the world, so most prompts ask about how your experiences have shaped you or what you're excited about studying or doing in college. I've collected a ton of examples below and provided some analysis to help you begin planning and crafting your own essays.

Keep in mind that the personal statement alone won't be enough to get you in— your grades and test scores are still the most important factors in your application . That being said, a stellar essay can help bring a borderline applicant over the top or give an excellent but not extraordinary student the opportunity to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.

As such, the essay tends to matter most for very competitive schools. Non-competitive schools generally don't ask you to submit an essay.

Complete List of College Essay Prompts

This list collects the 2022 college essay prompts for major state universities, top-50 schools, and other popular schools which have their own unique questions. They're divided by region, with all optional essays listed at the end.

I left off the Common App supplements, as those often require a substantially different approach. I also stuck to four-year schools, meaning I didn't include special two-year programs, such as Deep Springs College or Miami Dade College's Honors Program (both of which require essays).

Finally, note that these prompts are for freshman applicants, so the requirements might be different for transfer students .

General Applications

There are three general applications you can use to apply to many different schools at once:

Common Application

Universal college application, coalition application.

Each application has its own personal statement requirement. Some schools will ask for additional supplemental essays.

Many more schools accept the Common App than they do the UCA or Coalition Application , though some will accept more than one of these applications.

For the Common App essay, you pick one of the prompts and write 250-650 words about it. Here are the prompts for the 2022-2023 school year:

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

The UCA essay prompt is completely open ended and has a 650-word limit. Here is the 2022-2023 prompt:

Please write an essay that demonstrates your ability to develop and communicate your thoughts. Some ideas include: a person you admire; a life-changing experience; or your viewpoint on a particular current event.

For the Coalition Application, you'll pick one of five prompts listed below. While there is no hard word limit, the range guidelines are 500-650 words. Here are the prompts for 2022-2023:

What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?

Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?

Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?

What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

Now that you know the essay requirements for the three general applications, let’s look at the application essays for specific schools . To keep things organized, we’ve grouped schools based on the region of the US in which they’re located.

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic

The Great Dome at MIT

Georgetown University

Georgetown asks applicants to write one short essay (about half a single-spaced page) and two longer essays (approximately one single-spaced page each). Each applicant must respond to the first two prompts and can choose among the other four based on the specific program she's interested in.

Short Essay: Briefly (approximately one-half page, single-spaced) discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.

All Applicants: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Applicants to Georgetown College: What does it mean to you to be educated? How might Georgetown College help you achieve this aim? (Applicants to the Sciences and Mathematics or the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics should address their chosen course of study).

Applicants to the School of Nursing & Health Studies: Describe the factors that have influenced your interest in studying health care. Please specifically address your intended major (Global Health, Health Care Management & Policy, Human Science, or Nursing).

Applicants to the Walsh School of Foreign Service: The Walsh School of Foreign Service was founded more than a century ago to prepare generations of leaders to solve global problems. What is motivating you to dedicate your undergraduate studies to a future in service to the world?

Applicants to the McDonough School of Business: The McDonough School of Business is a national and global leader in providing graduates with essential ethical, analytical, financial and global perspectives. Please discuss your motivations for studying business at Georgetown.

For more Georgetown application tips, check out our articles on the Georgetown essays and how to get into Georgetown .

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT doesn't ask for a single personal statement but rather asks applicants to respond to a series of questions with just a paragraph or two of about 200 words each .

We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.

Describe the world you come from (for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town). How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?

MIT brings people with diverse backgrounds and experiences together to better the lives of others. Our students work to improve their communities in different ways, from tackling the world’s biggest challenges to being a good friend. Describe one way you have collaborated with people who are different from you to contribute to your community.

Tell us about a significant challenge you've faced (that you feel comfortable sharing) or something that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?

For more details on how to get into MIT , read our other articles on the MIT application process , tips for MIT essays , and an example of a real MIT acceptance letter !

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Indiana University Bloomington

IU asks for 200-400 words on your plans and interests.

Describe your academic and career plans and any special interest (for example, undergraduate research, academic interests, leadership opportunities, etc.) that you are eager to pursue as an undergraduate at Indiana University. If you encountered any unusual circumstances, challenges, or obstacles in pursuit of your education, share those experiences and how you overcame them. Please note that this essay may be used in scholarship consideration.

University of Illinois

The University of Illinois asks for two essays (or three only if you selected a second-choice major other than what's noted on your application). All responses should be approximately 150 words.

You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program, and if you've selected a second choice. Each response should be approximately 150 words. If You're Applying to a Major: 1.  Explain, in detail, an experience you've had in the past 3 to 4 years related to your first-choice major. This can be an experience from an extracurricular activity, in a class you’ve taken, or through something else. 2.  Describe your personal and/or career goals after graduating from UIUC and how your selected first-choice major will help you achieve them. If You're Applying to Our Undeclared Program in the Division of General Studies: 1.  What are your academic interests and strengths? You may also include any majors you are considering. 2.  What are your future academic or career goals? If You've Selected a Second-Choice Major (Including Undeclared): Please explain your interest in your second-choice major or your overall academic or career goals.

If you're applying to UIUC, check out our UIUC essay tips article as well!

University of Wisconsin–Madison

All applicants must complete two essays for UW–Madison. The essays should be 250-650 words in length and may be used for scholarship and campus program review.

If you apply through the Common Application, you’ll be asked to reply to one of the freshman Common Application essays in lieu of the first essay prompt below, but you’ll be required to respond to the second prompt below. 

If you apply through the UW System Application, the following two essays are required:

This part is all about you. Tell us about something you've done — academically or personally — and what you've learned from it. Was it a success or a challenge? Did it represent a turning point in your life? How did this particular moment in your life influence you, and how will it continue to influence you as you pursue your college education?

Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided please describe your areas of possible academic interest.

Kyle Field at Texas A&M ( Ed Schipul /Flickr)

The ApplyTexas application is used by all Texas public universities and some private colleges. There are four ApplyTexas essay prompts. Which ones you need to respond to will depend on where you're applying. UT Austin, for example, requires applicants to submit at least one essay responding to Topic A on the ApplyTexas application. .

While there's no set word limit, the online application will cut off each essay at 120 lines (~1000 words).

Topic A: Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Topic B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

Topic C: You've got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

Topic D: Please Note: The essay in this section is specific to certain college majors and is not required by all colleges/universities that accept the Apply Texas Application. If you are not applying for a major in Architecture, Art, Art History, Design, Studio Art, Visual Art Studies/Art Education , you are not required to write this essay.

Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

We go into all the ApplyTexas prompts in detail here !

University of Georgia

For UGA, applicants must write two essays, one 200-300 words and one 250-650 words . Both essays are required for all applicants. The longer personal essay uses the Common Application prompts for 2023 ; the prompt for the shorter essay is as follows:

The c ollege admissions process can create anxiety. In an attempt to make it less stressful, please tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself from your high school years that you have not already shared in your application.

For a more detailed discussion of the UGA essays, read this article .

The Campanile at UC Berkeley

University of California

Students applying to the UC system must respond to four out of eight short personal insight questions. The maximum word count for each response is 350 words.

• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time.
• Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side.
• What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time?
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.
• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
• Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom.
• What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?
• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?

Learn more about the UC essays , the UC application , and how to choose which UC schools to apply to with our complete guides .

University of Oregon

Applicants to the University of Oregon are required to submit one essay of 650 words or fewer. You also have the option to write a second essay (maximum of 500 words), but it’s not required.

The essay prompts are as follows:

The UO is interested in learning more about you. Write an essay of 650 words or less that shares information that we cannot find elsewhere on your application. Any topic you choose is welcome. Some ideas you might consider include your future ambitions and goals, a special talent, extracurricular activity, or unusual interest that sets you apart from your peers, or a significant experience that influenced your life. If you are applying to the UO's Robert D. Clark Honors College, feel free to resubmit your honors college application essay.

Optional second essay: As you've looked into what it will be like to attend Oregon, you've hopefully learned what makes Ducks Ducks. No two are alike, though, so tell us what makes you you, and how that connects to our campus community. We are interested in your thoughts and experiences recognizing difference and supporting equity and inclusion, and choosing one of these two options will guide you in sharing those thoughts. You can learn more about equity and inclusion at Oregon by visiting the Equity and Inclusion website . Maximum statement length is 500 words. This statement is not required.

University of Washington

In addition to its specific prompts, the University of Washington gives specific advice about what its admissions officers consider to be good writing before the prompts:

"At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best, and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Essay Prompt (Required): Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped shape it. Maximum length: 650 words.

Short Response (Required): Our families and our communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW. Maximum length: 300 words

You can also find more tips on the University of Washington essays in this blog article .

International

Generally speaking, international schools are less likely to ask for an essay, since admission tends to be heavily focused on grades and test results. However, a few popular international schools do ask for a personal statement as part of their application.

Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UK Schools)

UCAS is a general application for UK schools (similar to the Common App in the US). There's no specific prompt for the personal statement—instead, applicants are required to write an essay describing what they want to study, why they want to study it, and what they bring to the table. There is a 4,000-character/47-line limit.

University of British Columbia

UBC asks applicants to fill out a personal profile consisting of five to seven short-answer questions that vary depending on the program you're applying to. Answers should be 50-200 words.

Depending on which degree program you apply to, you’ll be asked to answer some or all of the following questions on the UBC application:

• Tell us about who you are. How would your family, friends, and/or members of your community describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are most proud of and why.
• What is important to you? And why?
• Family/community responsibilities
• Creative or performing arts
• Work/employment
• Service to others
• Tell us more about one or two activities listed above that are most important to you. Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response.
• Additional information: You may wish to use the space below to provide UBC with more information on your academic history to date and/or your future academic plans. For example: How did you choose your courses in secondary school? Are there life circumstances that have affected your academic decisions to date? What have you done to prepare yourself specifically for your intended area of study at UBC?
• Please submit the names of two referees who know you well and can comment on your preparedness for study at UBC. Examples of referees include an employer, a community member, a coach, a teacher/instructor, or anyone who knows you well. One of the referees you select must be able to speak to one of the activities/experiences described in one of your long-answer responses above. For applicants who are currently attending a high school, one of your referees must be a school official (e.g., Grade 12 or senior year counsellor, teacher, or IB coordinator). Neither referee should be a friend, family member, or paid agent.

Some programs of study may ask applicants to respond to the questions above and some additional, program-specific questions when completing the personal profile.

University of Cambridge

Optional Essays

Some schools don't require an essay from all applicants but do recommend or require an essay for certain programs. I've listed a selection of those prompts below.

Arizona State University

Students applying to the Barrett Honors College at ASU must submit one essay of 300 to 500 words in response to one of the following prompts (your response may be critical or creative):

Prompt 1 Discuss how a specific piece of art (painting, literature, photograph, etc.) or popular culture (song, comic book, etc.) helped you realize something new about yourself or the world. What was that realization, and how did the piece of art or pop culture bring about this change in your thinking? Do not simply describe the piece of art or pop culture; instead, focus on its effect on you and how it makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience. Prompt 2 Tell us about a habit or way of thinking that others would recognize as “uniquely you.” This is something you value and would hesitate to give up because it is a distinct part of who you are or what makes you different - why is it so? Be sure to share how this aspect of your identity makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience.

City University of New York

Applicants to Macaulay Honors College must write two essays: an “about you” essay, and an essay describing your plans for college. Each response should be around 500 words, give or take a few within reason.

Essay 1: About you. (Select one of the options below.) Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. OR Tell us about an area or activity, outside of academics, in which you have invested a lot of time and effort. Tell us why. What did you learn? How was it meaningful?

Essay 2: About your plans for college. Please discuss all points below. Why do you want to go to an honors college ? There are many benefits of being a Macaulay student, such as the Macaulay community, special courses, Honors advisement, cultural passport, opportunities funds, and other financial benefits. Please describe how these features will shape you and your college experience, including, what you expect to bring to the college community and what you expect to get out of your college experience.

Florida International University

Only applicants who don't meet the criteria for automatic admissions and whose applications undergo holistic review will need to submit a 500-word essay:

Students requesting appeal or additional review of their admission status must submit a written statement including:

Your goals and educational or professional objectives

A summary/explanation of past academic performance

Information and/or circumstances that may have affected past academic performance

• Any other information the student wishes to have considered

Ohio University

For the Ohio University application, students who've been out of school for more than a year must submit an essay explaining what they've done in their time off from school.

Applicants who have been out of high school for more than one year must submit an essay detailing activities since graduation.

Additionally, applicants to the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism are encouraged, though not required, to submit an essay detailing how they want to help shape the future of journalism.

For all other applicants, submitting an essay here is optional; however, if you do wish to write an essay, the application suggests that you describe any academic challenges you’ve faced, academic and career objectives, or involvement in community affairs (recommended length is 250-500 words).

Those interested in Ohio University's OHIO Honors Program (including the Cutler Scholars Program) are required to answer the following essay prompt (limit 250 words):

Students in the OHIO Honors Program represent all majors on campus and take engaging honors courses while applying what they learn outside of the classroom. Students choose from classes and experiences across three pathways: community engagement, research and creative activity, and leadership . Students in OHP can move among the three pathways as their interests evolve and they develop their goals. What pathway is most exciting to you right now, and why?

Finally, those interested in the Honors Tutorial College are must answer the following two essay prompts (in about 500 words each):

HTC Question 1: Please explain why you have chosen your particular program(s) of study.

HTC Question 2: We expect that one reason you seek a tutorial education is for the one-on-one interaction with faculty, but other than that, what interests you about pursuing a tutorial-based undergraduate education? What aspects of your education and life experience have prepared you for a tutorial education with its emphasis on research and creative activity?

Type 1: Questions About a Meaningful Experience

This type of college essay question is the most common. The exact focus of these prompts can vary quite a bit, but they all ask you to reflect on an important experience. Some questions specify a type of experience whereas others don't, simply opting to have applicants write about whatever matters to them.

There are three basic sub-types that you'll see when dealing with these prompts. Let's look at an example of each.

#1: Overcoming a Challenge

These prompts ask about how you dealt with a particular challenge or solved a problem. Below is a typical example of this question type from the MIT application:

Tell us about the most significant challenge you've faced or something important that didn't go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?

To address a question like this, you need a topic that has real stakes —that is, something that you genuinely struggled with. Even though it can seem as though you should only discuss positive experiences and feelings in your college essay (you want to impress your readers with how awesome you are!), unwavering positivity actually hurts your essay because it makes you seem fake.

Instead, be honest : if you're writing about a negative experience, acknowledge that it was unpleasant or hard and explain why. Doing so will just make your overcoming it that much more impressive.

#2: Engaging With Diversity

Questions about diversity ask how you interact with those who are different from you . See an example below from the Common Application:

When approaching this type of question, you need to show that you're thoughtful about new ideas and perspectives. Colleges are full of students from all kinds of backgrounds, and admissions officers want to know that you'll be accepting of the diversity of other students, even if you don't necessarily agree with them.

Also, make sure to pick a specific instance to focus on. Writing a general essay about how you accept others won't impress admissions officers—you need to show them an example of a time that you did so.

#3: Growing Up

Finally, this type of prompt asks about a transitional experience or rite of passage that made you feel like an adult. I've reprinted another example from the Common App:

For these types of prompts, you want to show personal growth. Explain to the reader not just who you are but also how you've changed . (Really, this is a good idea no matter which prompt you're addressing!)

College can be challenging, so admissions officers want to know that you have the maturity to deal with (likely) living on your own, managing your own life, and planning for your future.

Regardless of the exact prompt, the key to this type of college essay is to show what you've learned from the experience. Admissions officers don't care that much about what happened to you—they care about what you think and feel about that event. That's what will give them a sense of who you are and what kind of college student you'll make.

Once you write a first draft, put it in a drawer for a week. Taking some time away from it will allow you to come back to it with fresh eyes. Then, try to read your essay from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you. Would they be able to understand the story? Do you explain clearly what you learned? Does your intro grab the reader's attention?

It can also be helpful to ask someone you trust, such as a parent, teacher, or peer, to read your essay and give you feedback. Really listen to what they say and think about how you can improve your writing.

Finally, try reading your essay aloud. This will help you catch any weird or awkward phrasings.

What's Next?

If you're struggling with how to approach your personal statement, consider looking at some college essay examples .

The essay is just one part of the college application process. Check out our guide to applying to college for a step-by-step breakdown of what you'll need to do.

Finally, if you're planning to take the SAT or ACT , consider taking a look at our expert test-prep guides for some helpful advice on whatever you might be struggling with.

Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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University of San Francisco | USF’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Diversity short response.

We are interested in learning more about you. Please respond to the prompt below with a response of no more than 200 words. This response should be different and distinct from the one used for your main Common Application essay.

The University of San Francisco‘s Jesuit tradition emphasizes community engagement and education for social justice, inspiring our students to become passionate agents for others. How do you see yourself becoming a part of this mission?

Nursing (BSN) Short Response

What will be your responsibility to others as a Jesuit-educated, BSN professional registered nurse?

St. Ignatius Institute Prompt 1

Please explain why you would like to join the Institute.

St. Ignatius Institute Prompt 2

SII tries to foster solidarity in action to honor the Jesuit ideal of being people with and for others. Can you give an example of service you performed in the past? What did you do and why?

St. Ignatius Institute Prompt 3

What does spirituality mean to you? Please specify if you currently or formerly have a faith tradition and any religious formation experiences.

St. Ignatius Institute Prompt 4

What do you know about the Jesuits?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Honors Program Essay Prompts

Since I have not seen these posted, here are the honors essay prompts (for applicants looking to also apply to SCU honors)

Write one from each of the two category of prompts

Choose one (300 words): How would you like to change Santa Clara University during your time here?

What gives you hope for the future, and how does the University Honors Program fit in with it?

By joining the University Honors Program you join a new community of people who have different backgrounds, experiences, and stories. What is it about your background, experience, and story that will enrich the University Honors Program community?

Choose one (300 words): In your opinion, what are some marks of an educated mind?

If you gave a presentation to University Honors Program students about anything of your choosing, what would you talk about and why?

What word in common usage is the most versatile and why?

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