Honors Curriculum

The Gordy Honors College fosters academic excellence through creative inquiry, independent research, and global citizenship. In this process, the Honors College promotes strong relationships with faculty members, academic community with other students, and students' intellectual, personal, and professional development.

Requirements in the Honors College include the following types of coursework:

  • Honors and additional sections of liberal arts courses to deepen student learning in core subjects
  • Honors-specific courses that focus on high-impact learning experiences, including interaction with guest thinkers and leaders, study in interdisciplinary topics, field experiences, study abroad or away, and service learning
  • Senior independent study in which students design, complete, and present projects in their fields under the guidance of faculty committees

The Honors College has curriculum requirements for

All students must meet GPA requirements to remain in good standing.

Four Year Curriculum

Four-year honors students deepen their liberal arts experience and complete honors-specific coursework that promotes intellectual curiosity, high-impact experiences, and original research.
Students take at least two Honors sections of courses from MUW's General Education Curriculum. Honors sections of courses vary each semester and are designated in the published course schedule. With the approval of the Honors Director, students may also substitute a 300- or 400-level course outside the student's major or minor.
Students also take an Honors section of Philosophy or a 300- or 400-level Philosophy course. 

In addition, to deepen their learning in the General Education curriculum, Honors students complete either Foreign Language courses or Additional Math/Science/Social Science courses:

  • B.S., B.S.N., B.B.A., and B.A.S. students: 2 Foreign Language Courses (a 2-semester sequence)*
  • B.A. students: 2 courses in Science, Mathematics, or Social Sciences (in addition to the requirements in the General Education Curriculum and only one of the two may be in Social Sciences)
  • B.F.A. and B.M. students: 2 Foreign Language Courses (a 2-semester sequence)* or : 2 courses in Science, Mathematics, or Social Sciences (in addition to the requirements in the General Education Curriculum and only one of the two may be in Social Sciences)

*International students who are citizens of a country where English is not the first language may fulfill this requirement by meeting MUW's admission standards for English proficiency.

Students in the four-year honors curriculum also take the following honors-specific courses: four hours of HO 101 Honors Forum, four hours of HO 303 Special Topics Seminar, HO 401 Independent Study I, and HO 402 Independent Study II, for a total of 14 hours.

Recommended Curriculum Timetable for Entering Four-Year Students

Semester 1

HO 101 Honors Forum
Honors Core Course (Philosophy)

Semester 2

HO 101 Honors Forum
Honors Core Course

Semester 3

HO 101 Honors Forum
Honors Core Course
Foreign Language or Math/Science/ Social Science Course

Semester 4

HO 101 Honors Forum
Foreign Language or Math/Science/ Social Science Course

Semester 5

HO 303 Special Topics Seminar

Semester 6

HO 303 Special Topics Seminar

Semester 7

HO 401 Independent Study I

Semester 8

HO 402 Independent Study II

Individual cases may vary. Email honors@muw.edu for more information on any aspect of the four-year curriculum.

Residential Honors Program

The required courses for students in the Residential Honors Program are the same as for four-year students with the following differences:

  • The number of General Education Honors Courses is increased to four and is not required to include a section of Philosophy (non-religion).
  • The two sections of HO 303 - Special Topics Seminar are offered as part of the Honors Study Abroad experience in the summer after the sophomore year.

Students in Residential Honors also have additional programming opportunities. 

Transfer Curriculum

Transfer students also deepen their liberal arts experience and complete honors-specific coursework that promotes intellectual curiosity, hands-on experiences, and original research.

Transfer students with at least 60 hours take:

  • HO 101 - Honors Forum (one semester)
  • B.S., B.S.N., B.B.A., and B.A.S. students: 2 Foreign Language Courses (a 2-semester sequence)*
  • B.A. students: 2 courses in Science, Mathematics, or Social Sciences (in addition to the requirements in the General Education Curriculum and only one of the two may be in Social Sciences)
  • B.F.A and B.M. students: ◦ 2 Foreign Language Courses (a 2-semester sequence)* or 2 courses in Science, Mathematics, or Social Sciences (in addition to the requirements in the General Education Curriculum and only one of the two may be in Social Sciences)
  • HO 303 - Special Topics Seminar (2 semesters)
  • HO 401 - Independent Study I
  • HO 402 - Independent Study II

Transfer credit may be used to meet the HO 101, HO 303, and foreign language or additional math/science requirements.

*International students who are citizens of a country where English is not the first language may fulfill this requirement by meeting MUW's admission standards for English proficiency.

Transfer students with fewer than 60 hours also complete:

  • HO 101 - Honors Forum (2-4 semesters under the guidance of the Honors Director)

Two of the following courses:

  • Honors section of a course in MUW's General Education Curriculum (which vary each semester and are listed as HO sections in the published course schedule)
  • a 300- or 400-level course outside the student's major or minor
  • a different approved course with the approval of the Honors Director

Transfer credit may be used to meet the HO 101, HO 303, and foreign language or additional math/science requirements.

Email honors@muw.edu for more information on any aspect of the transfer curriculum.

Honors Courses

Honors-specific courses include:

  • HO 101: Honors Forum (1 credit hour). This course promotes intellectual curiosity, community with other motivated students, and leadership development. It features faculty and guest lectures, films, performances, and group discussions of current issues. Four-year students take four semesters of this course, preferably in the first two years. Transfer students take at least one and up to four semesters depending on previous coursework and under the guidance of the Honors Director. 
  • HO 303: Special Topics Seminar (2 credit hours). These interdisciplinary seminars are taught by faculty from across campus. Topics vary by semester and often include field experiences and/or service learning.  Honors students take two of these seminars, preferably in their junior year. Students in the Residential Honors Program take two sections of HO 303 in an intensive format during their required study abroad program after the sophomore year, as do any other honors students participating in the study abroad program. 
  • Honors Independent Research Project. The independent study is the capstone learning experience in the Gordy Honors College and has long been a distinguishing feature of honors education at The W. Relying on published work for models in the discipline and with the guidance of a faculty committee and the Director of the Honors College, the student works independently over the course of two semesters to produce a substantial original research project. At the end of the proposal stage and again after the project is completed, the student presents the work to the campus community and may also choose to present it at conferences and submit it for publication.

The following courses provide the formal structure for this research project:

  • HO 401: Independent Study (3 credit hours). Students undertake the first phase of an original research project of their own design under the supervision and guidance of a Project Committee made up of an advisor in their field, a discipline reader, and an honors reader.
  • HO 402: Independent Study II (3 credit hours). Students complete their original research project under the supervision and guidance of their Project Committee.
    Students completing HO 401 and 402 and all other honors requirements graduate with honors in their major area of study.

GPA Requirements

All honors students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 through the junior year. If a student falls below the required GPA at the end of a given semester, that student will be placed on honors probation for one semester. If by the end of the subsequent semester in which the student is enrolled at MUW, the student does not have the required GPA, the student will be dismissed from the Honors College. The student will receive written notification from the Director of the Honors College at the beginning of the probation period and at the time of dismissal.

To enroll in the senior independent study (HO 401 and HO 402), students must have a GPA of at least 3.30.