1. University Honors Program
  2. Academics in the Honors Program
  3. Seminar

Seminar

Honors Seminar gives students the platform to share their best ideas

HONR 300: Honors Seminar is a one credit hour course that meets once a week in Griffin Hall, room 147 (the first floor auditorium). Because all Honors students are required to take Seminar, we offer multiple sections to accommodate various schedules.

Honors Seminar is the oldest tradition in the Honors Program. Before the Program was officially formed, proto-Honors students started gathering to discuss current events and share interesting things they were learning in other courses. 

These impromptu gatherings cemented into Honors Seminar, and we still carry on the tradition today. Creating opportunities for students to share their ideas and allow themselves to be influenced by the passions of their peers is the most fundamental pillar of what we do!

A historical photo of the very first Honors Seminar in 1973
Students gather for Honors Seminar in 1973

Most students are required to take six credits of Honors Seminar over the course of their degree. 

Check How Many Credits of Seminar You Need 禄

For Honors Students, by Honors Students

Students volunteer topics they would like to present to the class at the beginning of the semester. Then, the class votes for the topics they'd most like to watch a presentation about. The proctor makes a schedule of student presentations and these form the majority of Seminars for the semester. 

  • Students are never required to present at seminar. However, they are required to attend, be respectful, and engage with their classmates' ideas.
  • We give awards for the best Seminar from each section every semester!

A Shared Experience

Honors Seminar is a fantastic way to meet other Honors students! It brings students from all majors and at different points in their academic career together to share the things they are most excited about. 

The Seminar Book

  • The Honors Program chooses a theme to focus on in Seminar for the year.
  • Students vote for a book related to the theme every semester. Then, they take a quiz and participate in a book discussion during Seminar.
  • The theme and shared reading encourages students to work together to find creative approaches to big questions!
  • We also offer an optional Honors Book Club for students who want to dig even deeper into the Seminar book and theme.

Sage Advice

Students are ultimately in charge, but we also have two special editions of Seminar each semester: 

Alumni Week

  • Honors Alumni return to share what they've been up to since graduating, offer academic and career advice, and answer questions. 

Wisdom Week

  • The faculty or staff member proctoring gives their own presentation to their section of Seminar. Students have the opportunity to learn more about different academic disciplines, careers, or ideas they might not otherwise be exposed to.