Honors Program

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Honors Curriculum

Honors students admitted as freshmen participate in an alternate general education program, which completely substitutes for the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum (LACC) that is required of all non-Honors students at WOU.

Not counting the thesis, participating in Honors does not require any additional credits towards graduation. Students in Honors take the same number of credits as students who complete the non-Honors general education core/LACC.

During the first two years, students in the program become acquainted with major philosophic, literary, artistic, sociological, and scientific traditions. In later years, they complete their electives and senior projects. While a cohort structure is maintained in order to foster a sense of community, students from different classes are welcome to take classes out of sequence when desired or necessary. Course substitutions, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits are all allowed, when appropriate, in the program.

Because of the nature of Honors classes, which are generally seminar-style and writing-intensive, enrollment in the Honors Program automatically satisfies WOU's writing-intensive (6 credits) and Introductory Composition (WR 135, 4 credits) requirements, mandatory for all non-honors students. The public presentations of the Honors theses also automatically satisfy WOU's COM 111 (3 credits) requirement, mandatory for non-honors students. Honors students are also exempt from requirements in Health and Physical Education.

First and Second Years

Creative Arts (9 total credit hours)
Literature (8 credit hours)
Philosophy (6 credit hours)
Social Science Sequence (8 credit hours)
Non-Honors Social Science Elective (3-4 credit hours, from the non-honors curriculum)
General Science (12 credit hours, including labs; science majors take non-Honors courses to satisfy this requirement)
Honors Electives (6 credit hours minimum, may also be taken during 3rd and 4th years)

Third and Fourth Years

Honors Seminar (3-4 credit hours)
Thesis/Senior Project Orientation Seminar (1 credit hour)
Thesis/Senior Project Development Seminar (1 credit hour)

Honors Program total: 57-59 credit hours

Contact

Honors Program

(503) 838-8519 | or e-mail: honors@wou.edu