Academics

These colloquia are the core of the Special Honors Curriculum. Although they change every semester, all attempt to demonstrate how knowledge gained from a variety of disciplines can be related and integrated in an effort to understand complex processes and phenomena. Fostering the capacity for such integrative thinking is the primary goal of the THHP and a key to achievement in many careers. You must take a 200-level colloquium by your second semester in the Program. You must also subsequently take a 300-level colloquium. The third colloquium may be at either the 200- or 300-level. You may not take more than one colloquium in any one semester. If you are a part-time student, you must take the first colloquium by your third semester in the Program. While the specific content of these courses varies from semester to semester, the underlying principles remain the same.

1. The 200-level colloquium is always taught by one professor who approaches a specific problem using materials and methodologies of two or more disciplines.
2. The 300-level colloquium involves either a course taught by two professors from two different disciplines who focus on a given topic from different perspectives, or a course taught by one professor, along with several invited guest speakers from different disciplines.
3. For a colloquium to be counted toward the requirement of three, you must have earned the grade of B- or higher.

For purposes of this requirement, we consider the College of Arts and Sciences course offerings to be divided into Science and Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Humanities and Arts.

You are required to take a set of three related courses from the same division (usually the same department) of Arts and Sciences. The 3 courses should constitute a coherent concentrated area of study and must be in a division other than that of your major or primary concentration. For example, if your major is in the Social Sciences, your "mini-concentration" must be either in the Humanities and Arts or in Sciences and Mathematics; if your major is in the Humanities and Arts, this "mini-concentration" must be either in the Social Sciences, or in Sciences and Mathematics; if your major is in Science and Mathematics, your “mini-concentration” must be either in Humanities and Arts, or Social Sciences. This usually means 3 courses in a single department; 2 of which are at the 200- or 300-level, or above. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that you do not over-concentrate in closely related disciplines and that you achieve more than an entry-level knowledge in at least one field or discipline from a second of the three major disciplinary groupings of the Arts and Sciences.

Note: Courses that have "Introduction to..." in the title are generally considered intro courses even if the course number begins with 200NN. This means that only one will count as the "Intro course." If you are unclear about this, you should speak with a THHP advisor.

If you are planning to complete a departmental minor and it is in an academic division other than the one to which your disciplinary major belongs, see a THHP advisor to see whether it also satisfies our “mini-concentration” requirement. The "mini-concentration" must be approved by a THHP advisor. Since all courses for the mini-concentration must be entered into Degree Works manually by the Program Coordinator, you must contact her once you have decided what you intend to use for your mini-concentration. You should have completed at least one course in your “mini-concentration” by the time you are reviewed for certification.

Humanities

• Art;
• Classical and Oriental Studies;
• English;
• Foreign Languages;
• Philosophy;
• Music;
• Dance;
• Film & Media (some - check with advisor), Theatre;
• Religion

Social Sciences

• Economics;
• Film & Media (confirm with advisor);
• Political Science;
• History;
• Psychology (except for neuroscience, which is physical science);
• Sociology;
• Cultural Anthropology (ANTHC);
• Geography (some might be physical science);
• Urban Policy & Planning

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

• Physical Anthropology (ANTHP);
• Biological Sciences;
• Chemistry;
• Computer Science;
• Mathematics & Statistics;
• Physics and Astronomy;
• Psychology (neuroscience), Geology (part of the Department of Geography)

Multi-disciplinary (need to confirm specific courses with advisor)

• Asian American Studies;
• Africana, Puerto Rican, Latino Studies;
• Women & Gender Studies - Can include humanities, such as literature, art, dance, theatre, and social science, such as political science, sociology;
• Human Biology - Includes physical science and social science

You are required to meet with a THHP advisor for general academic advising at least once per semester.

In their departmental major, students must do honors work as defined by their department.

Although the Thomas Hunter Honors Program is considered a major and will appear as such on your final transcript (it will state "Special Honors Curriculum" when you graduate), most students in the Program also complete one, or sometimes even two, departmental majors. If you want to major in English, for example, you declare a major with the English Department and are responsible for completing all departmental requirements. You are expected to sign up for "honors" work in at least one of your major departments, if it is available. Find out what your major department requires for honors when you declare the major. Do not wait until your senior year to do so. It is important that you consult with a Thomas Hunter Honors Program advisor about how you intend to complete this requirement.

Should you prefer to create your own personal, interdisciplinary major instead of doing a departmental major, you must work out and submit an academic plan and have it approved by a Thomas Hunter Honors Program advisor. This may not be done at the last minute, and you must submit a proposal by the time you have completed 90 credits, or no later than the second to last semester before you intend to graduate. You may not decide just before graduating that you are going to have only an interdisciplinary Honors major.

In addition, if you choose this option, you must complete HONS 301.99 and produce a substantial piece of writing that reflects and pulls together the knowledge acquired in the interdisciplinary course of study you have been pursuing. If you choose this option, only "Special Honors Curriculum" will appear in the slot for majors on your final transcript. If you have several majors, they will all appear. You do not have to formally declare your Individual Major but you do have to complete and submit to a THHP advisor the "Contract for Individual Major", which is available in the THHP office.