Honors Program Course Offerings
Honors Courses Spring 2026
HON100: Honors Connections I: Creativity in the Academic Journey: Find your Passions through Exploration and Performance Art
T/TH 5:00-6:15 PM, CRN: 22403
Anna Ursyn, Professor of Art & Design
This first-year honors seminar introduces students to the process of academic self-discovery through interdisciplinary exploration and a learning method that combines multiple subjects. It will create a new line of thinking by drawing upon various subjects simultaneously, and promote critical thinking by engaging in the solution of complex problems. Students will enhance their cognitive skills by learning how to recognize biases, think critically, embrace ambiguity, and analyze ethical concerns. They will investigate their personal interests, strengths, and values while learning about the breadth of academic majors and career pathways available. Through reflection, discussion, and research, students will develop their own ideas and opinions by integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines, gaining a comprehensive worldview, and approaching complex problems with confidence. Additionally, they will gain insight into their own strengths and discover their passions. We will begin by conducting online research and interacting via Canvas, then meet to develop a collaborative performance, where everyone will select their own production roles based on personal interests.
HON180: Great Ideas in Context: The Vikings
MWF 9:05 AM-9:55 PM, CRN: 23248 (LAC: LAA2, LAIS, LC3B, LC7)
Kristin Bovaird-Abbo, Professor of English
Norse culture and literature pervade the modern imagination, from our weekday terminology, multiple holidays, and by providing the inspiration for writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien. Our focus in this class will be on the surviving literature of the Viking Age (approx. 750-1100 CE). We will begin with Norse mythology and then move into the sagas. We will address issues such as the notion of the hero and the monstrous, gender roles, ethnicity, the impact of Christianity, social structure, globalization, myth vs. history, magic vs. divination, the afterlife, and the construction of identity. We will also consider how White Supremist movements in the United States have appropriated Norse mythology and culture.
HON200: Honors Connections II: Viewing Identity
MWF 11:15 AM-12:05 PM, CRN: 22692 (in person M/W, online F)
Nancy Matchett Professor of Philosophy
Use the history of film as a vehicle for exploring concepts of individual and group identity. Films will be used as primary texts and documents of self-formation, film lets us pay attention to the tension between us and others, appearance and reality, representation of self in reality and the real world.
HON267: Culture and Consciousness
MW 9:15 AM-10:30 AM, CRN: 24130 (LAC: LAA3, LC3C)
Michael Kimball, Professor of Anthropology
Conduct experiments on meditation, dream analysis, and illusions. Investigate how societies around the world understand awareness. Use cross-cultural research to approach the phenomena of consciousness.
HON395-003: Olympics in Society
Includes required trip to Italy during Spring Break*
T/TH 9:30-10:45, CRN: 24494
Eli Klyde, Professor of Communications, Media Studies
Learn about history, political science, economics, media, race, class, and gender through the lens of the Olympic Games. Travel to Milan, Italy-Home of the Winter 2026 Winter Olympics to understand how the Olympics affects cities. Create content for The Mirror, 猫咪tv鈥檚 Student Newspaper, during and after the trip.
STUDENTS MUST APPLY THROUGH Office of Global Engagement.
* The trip incurs additional costs in tuition to the student. Additional scholarship support is also available. Email loree.crow@unco.edu for a link to the Honors Program .
HON395-005: The Anatomy of Pessimism
MWF 12:20-1:10, CRN: 24133 (in person M/W online F)
Richard Bownas, Professor of Political Science
Take a tour of the 鈥榙ark side鈥� of the human experience, as illuminated in literature and philosophy from many historical and modern texts, from the Book of Job to Rick and Morty. These texts will help open our minds to new possibilities and create new understandings of everyday emotions.
Alternate path through Honors Capstone offered in Spring 2026:
HON420: Honors Research Methods:
Research for Institutional Belonging (Re)Design
Fridays 12:20-3:30, CRN: 24493
Stephani Etheridge-Woodson, Dean of Undergraduate Studies
This course is designed to provide Honors Students a structured opportunity to complete their honors thesis proposal. In this course, students will learn the ways in which research paradigms influence thesis projects, topics, and questions; they will learn how to utilize research methods most appropriate for their topics; and lastly, students will learn how to develop methodological data analysis systems to aid in successful thesis proposal. This is an applied course; students will finish the course with complete thesis proposal and IRB.
This course supports what is typically an individual process of student work. It is fast paced and will require significant work outside of a traditional 3-credit-hour course. Students should expect to invest significant time and effort to ensure they are in line with their goals for the Honors program.
Course Context: Research for Institutional Belonging (Re)Design. In Spring 2026, HON 420 students will serve as an interdisciplinary honors research team supporting 猫咪tv鈥檚 Belonging (Re)Design initiative 鈥� a campuswide effort to examine and reimagine how institutional systems shape belonging and thriving.
LEAD200 Fundamentals of Leadership
MWF 2:30 PM - 3:20 PM, CRN 23271
Tom Endres, Professor of Communications
This course, which provides experiential learning opportunities, explores the core concepts of risk and change that inform the complex nature of engaged leadership in local, national, and international contexts.
LEAD497 Senior Leadership Seminar
M 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM, CRN 22470
This course is designed to provide an opportunity for students to synthesize information learned throughout the program by focusing on application in diverse contexts. Juniors and Seniors in Leadership minor or Leadership Certificate or President's Leadership Program scholars or any student at senior level with approval may enroll. Email Loree.crow@unco.edu for course override.
HON351 Honors Capstone Design
M 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (alternates every other week with LIB251)
Corinne Wieben, Schulze Chair for Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies
Students will take HON351 & LIB251 concurrently. You will begin your honors capstone project including developing you project design, finding a faculty mentor, and writing your proposal. Sophomores or above. Must be taken concurrently with LIB251 unless specific Honors Program approval has been provided. Variable credit 1-3 credits.Most students should enroll in 1 credit.
Must be taken Concurrent with LIB251:
LIB251 Research As Inquiry
M 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (alternates every other week with HON351)
Annie Epperson, Professor of Library Science
This course assists students in exploring their Honors Capstone topic. Students will produce either a literature review for a research topic or a background research paper for an applied or creative project. This course further develops the student's scholarly writing skills. Sophomores or above. Must be taken concurrently with HON351 unless specific Honors Program approval has been provided.
HON451 Honors Capstone
Days/Times: variable.
Corinne Wieben, Schulze Chair for Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies
Variable credit - you may enroll in 1 to 4 credits.
Students will work independently in this course primarily with their Honors Capstone Advisor and will meet at least once a month with other students as a full class meeting with the instructor. Prerequisite: HON351.
Most students enroll in 1 credit per semester over 2 or more semesters. However, please check to see how many credits you need to be full time in your semester, and how many credits you need to graduate. Max repeatable total number of credits is 4. No set class meeting time until the semester begins, and then it is flexible around your schedule.
HON 492 - Honors Internship or Study Abroad
LEAD 492 - Leadership Internship
Variable hours, no set meeting time
Loree Crow, Executive Director for U-Engage
Consent of instructor is needed to take this class; please email loree.crow@Unco.edu to request this course. This course offers variable credit in an approved study abroad and/or internship for the Honors Program. The specifics of what is required for credit in HON 492 is worked out ahead of time with the Honors department- contact the office about internship/study abroad opportunities on an individual basis. Repeatable, maximum of 6 credit hours. Can be taken for credit for HIP, UHP or University Honors.
- 1 Credit Hour = 2.5 hours per week x 15 weeks (35 hours total)
- 2 Credit Hours = 5 hours per week x 15 weeks (70 hours total)
- 3 Credit Hours = 7.5 hours per week x 15 weeks (105 hours total)
Several internship options are available to Honors Students, or students can find their own internship and bring it to the class. The class meets virtually once a month.
Honors Courses Offered Fall 2025
ENG122-110 College Composition
Honors Section (Section 110 with Tara Wood)
Tara Wood TR 11:00 AM--12:15 PM LAC: LAW1
Extensive practice in writing clear and effective academic prose with special attention
to purpose, audience, organization, and style. Instruction in critical analysis and
revision. Honors Only Section.
HON100 Honors Connections I: Surviving to Thriving in the 21st Century
Chelsea Romulo & Mike Kimball TR 09:30 AM 鈥� 10:45 AM
The goal of this innovative, interdisciplinary class to help students navigate their own path to becoming a global citizen in a continuously interconnected world. This course blends perspectives from anthropology, geography, sustainability, and mindfulness practices to help students develop the cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills needed to thrive in our increasingly complex world. Through engaging discussions on climate change, environmental justice, and sustainable practices, students will learn to analyze "wicked problems" - those with interconnected causes that require diverse approaches and collaborative solutions. The course emphasizes hands-on learning through case studies, storytelling, and real-world applications, preparing students to become effective global citizens who can both understand and help address 21st century challenges. These topics are universal and we expect to honor the authentic human experience of students in the course and are open to any major or discipline
HUM122-001 Popular Medievalisms (Medieval Tolkien)
Kristin Bovaird-Abbo CRN: 14315 TR 11:00 鈥� 12:15 PM LAC: LAA2, LAIS
This class examines J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth through a medieval lens. We will read and discuss some of the medieval sources that influenced Tolkien alongside The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings trilogy in order to explore how these medieval sources and themes have been adapted for modern audiences. Major topics will include the heroic quest, the nature of evil, nationalism, gender, and religion.
HON180 Great Ideas in Context: Love, Death, & Destruction: Defining What is Best for Humanity in the Modern World
Nakeeza Wilson MWF 1:25 PM 鈥� 2:15 PM LAC: LAA2, LAIS
Description: Explore the profound and enduring impact of the industrial revolution on the globe as we move from the Enlightenment to the aftermath of the World Wars. We will delve into the dark underbelly of progress by examining how advancements in industry and technology often brought about unforeseen consequences, including social upheavals, environmental degradation, modern warfare, the rise of authoritarianism, and the dangerous potential of scientific progress in a world driven by consumerism and instant gratification. Throughout the class, we will explore these topics through a variety of great works including poetry, short-stories, essays, and novels including the banned books of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World to uncover commonalities within the human experience. We will discover how, in the face of great adversity and rapid change, all humans share common fears, hopes, and dreams for the future. By the end of the course, you will be able to present your own vision of humanity's future in a creative project to answer the enduring question: What is best for humanity?
HON185 Religions & Worldviews
Tom Smith MWF 2:30 PM -- 3:20 PM LAC: LAA3
Description: Explores major religious and non-religious worldviews by examining the history, literature, rituals, and teachings of a selection of religious traditions and worldviews, as well as influential ancient and modern critiques of religion. We will also consider the ways in which people construct worldviews, as well as the possibilities for inter-religious dialogue.
LEAD100 Fundamentals of Leadership
Jarae Fulton MWF 09:05 AM 鈥� 9:55 AM
Description: Fundamentals of Leadership introduces students to key leadership theories, styles, and skills essential for effective leadership in various settings. Through case studies, self-assessments, interactive discussions, guest speakers, and community and research projects, students develop critical thinking, communication, and decision-making abilities. The course emphasizes teamwork, communication, awareness, and adaptability as key skills for leadership success.
UNIV101 Foundations for Learning and Teaching
Angela Vaughan LAC: LAB3
Any section allowed for Honors - Sections are set up for specific majors/cohorts as follows:
- Psychology Sections: UNIV101-001, UNIV101-102, UNIV101-101, UNIV101-104
- Chemistry Sections: UNIV101-015
- Exploring/Undeclared: UNIV101-054, UNIV101-052
- CHE Students (includes dual CHE/Honors): UNIV101-105, UNIV101-056
- For Honors students not in one of the above majors/cohorts:
- UNIV101-116 MWF 8:00 - 8:50 a.m. or
- UNIV101-103 MWF 10:10 - 11:00 a.m.
This course focuses on theoretical models and their application for intellectual, personal, and professional growth, focusing on reading, writing, critical thinking, and communication skills, fostering independent, strategic learning. University 101 students participate in Research Nights, a culmination of their semester's work and introduction to 猫咪tv's scholarly community. Around 500 freshmen present research posters, attracting support from 猫咪tv students, faculty, staff, student family, and the Greeley community.
HON395 Cultural Depictions of Middle Earth (currently full)
Janice Dickensheets TR 1400 鈥� 1515
J.R.R. Tolkien's novels, particularly the Lord of the Rings, havecaptured the imaginations of multiple generations and sparked diverse artistic creations from graffiti to films. Explore this Middle Earth cultural phenomena through the study of music, film, visual art, and essays.
HON351 Honors Capstone Design
Corinne Wieben
Mondays 4 pm - 6 pm (alternates every other week with LIB251)
Must be taken Concurrent with LIB251:
LIB251 Research As Inquiry
Annie Epperson
Mondays 4 pm - 6 pm (alternates every other week with LIB251)
These courses examine how to begin an honors capstone project including writing skills for the literature review and exploring various project designs. Emphasis is on developing an honors project proposal for research, applied or creative works project, and beginning work with a faculty mentor. This course further develops the student's scholarly writing skills. Sophomores or above
HON451 Honors Capstone
Corinne Wieben
Students will work independently in this course primarily with their Honors Thesis/Capstone Advisor and will meet at least once a month with other students as a full class meeting with the instructor. Prerequisite: HON351.
HON 492 - Honors Internship
Consent of instructor is needed to take this class; please email loree.crow@Unco.edu to request this course. This course offers variable credit in an approved study abroad and/or internship for the Honors Program. The specifics of what is required for credit in HON 492 is worked out ahead of time with the Honors department- contact the office about internship/study abroad opportunities on an individual basis. Repeatable, maximum of 6 credit hours. Can be taken for credit for HIP, UHP or University Honors.
- 1 Credit Hour = 2.5 hours per week x 15 weeks (35 hours total)
- 2 Credit Hours = 5 hours per week x 15 weeks (70 hours total)
- 3 Credit Hours = 7.5 hours per week x 15 weeks (105 hours total)
Several internship options are available to Honors Students, or students can find their own internship and bring it to the class. The class meets virtually once a month.
Past Honors Courses
HON100 Honors Connections I: The Quantum World to the Cosmic Expanse
Quantum mechanics is simultaneously the most confounding and magical, yet precise and useful, field of study in all of science. This branch of physics concerns itself with the nature of the very small, and exhibits behavior unlike anything that we experience in everyday life. Matter behaves like waves, particles exist everywhere at once, and merely observing something can change its reality. On the other hand, cosmology is the study of the unimaginably large, both in scales of time and space. From the birth of the universe with the Big Bang, to the formation of the elements that make up everything we know, to the evolution of billions of galaxies, the study of cosmology seeks to answer the biggest questions humankind has dared to ask. In this course we will study these seemingly disparate fields of science, finding connections between the incredibly small and the inconceivably large, and finding meaning behind the biggest discoveries in modern physics. We will also explore the connections between these areas of scientific study to interpretations and representations in philosophy, art, religion, and culture. While this course is very heavy on the science, it is light on the math, and is appropriate for any student that is curious about the biggest questions in science and is ready to be challenged to learn more.
HON 180: Great Ideas in Context: Endurance of Transitory Narrative: Spoken, Lived, and Printed Stories
An introduction to global intellectual and cultural traditions through reading and discussion of classic works of literature. The premise of this semester's course is to examine the fleeting nature of narrative within the contemporary era. As humanity is embedded in a post-digital era, we must recognize ritualistic traditions and long-form narrative are consistently competing with the short-term burst content of social media and large language model Artificial Intelligence content generation. Remaining human in the age of big-data and AI is becoming a more complex situation for humanity to navigate. For us to stride into a future of limitless information and potential AI consciousness, we must be willing to consider the necessity to preserve personal narrative in a multitude of forms. The premise of this course is to introduce the student to the importance of both communal and personal narrative and its fleeting nature. Given the fast-paced nature of the contemporary era, stories seem to slip into the cracks of fast paced scrolling and disappearing imagery through the virtual lens. This course will examine the importance of narrative within a structure of the greater community through storyteller listening sessions involving a multitude of local storytellers from various backgrounds, as well as investigations into public and private art pieces depicting and preserving narrative. Students will also have a hands-on experience with traditional paper making, bookbinding, and letter press printing to create upcycled handmade matrixes to document and share lived experience story telling.
HON180 Great Ideas in Context: "Love, Death & Destruction: Legacies of Industrialization through Cold War"
Explore the profound impact of industrialization on society during the Cold War era. Students will delve into the dark underbelly of progress, examining how advancements in industry and technology often brought about unforeseen consequences, including social upheaval, environmental degradation, and the threat of nuclear warfare.
HON 182: Confluence of Cultures: Costume & Identity
An exploration of African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, Native American or U.S. immigrant cultures from historical, literary, and artistic perspectives. This semester's course is an in depth examination of the role costume can play in representation and identity. Arenas covered include cosplay, historical reenactment, drag, busking, pin-up/burlesque, national culture, and fandom communities such as Ren Fairs and the Society for Creative Anachronism. Distinctions will be made between assigned costumes/uniforms (e.g., theatrical productions, theme park assignments) and those costumes that are personal and conscious choices about clothing, recognizable as outside the everyday norm, worn in public or select locales in order to communicate a message. Factors of identity examined include age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, levels of ability/disability (and intersections thereof).
HON185 Religions and Worldviews
Explores major religious and non-religious worldviews by examining the history, literature, rituals, and teachings of a selection of religious traditions and worldviews, as well as influential ancient and modern critiques of religion. We will also consider the ways in which people construct worldviews, as well as the possibilities for inter-religious dialogue.
HON200 Honors Connection Seminar II: Culture & Consciousness
Drawing on an interdisciplinary array of readings and other information sources, this course will examine relations between culture (what different groups believe about and value in their world and how they engage with it) and consciousness (the spectrum of human subjective experience). Students will explore mindfulness based practices along the way on their journey of exploring various worldviews and ways of thinking about consciousness.
HON 395 Honors Special Topics: Navigating International Business in Greece
This seminar will examine the field of international business including the implications of working with organizations involved in global operations. The course is interdisciplinary in nature, looking at how all factors impact global business, focusing on Greece. Students will travel to Greece during Spring Break to see the historic sites as well as meet with Greek businesses. Contact the education abroad office for more information about applying for the program. Email loree.crow@unco.edu for the application for the Barbara Heidger International Learning Awards whic are available to cover airfare with a few additional scholarships to cover the full cost of the trip package.
Included Weeklong trip to Greece during Spring Break
HON 395 Honors Special Topics: Healthcare in the Holocaust
This course explores the intersection of medicine, ethics, and history. Through a combination of historical analysis, ethical inquiry, and critical thinking, students will examine the complex relationship between healthcare professionals, medical/scientific institutions, and the Nazi regime up to and during the Holocaust.
HON395 Honors Special Topics: Sound Art and Sound Studies
This class examines several uses of sound that are crucially related but often considered separately: the burgeoning field of sound art and the various practices by which sound shapes our everyday lives, which have come into scholarly analytical focus via the emerging discipline of sound studies. While examining instances of sonic art, we鈥檒l also explore how we use different kinds of sound, from earbud audition to the programming of 鈥榖ackground music鈥� in public spaces, to various ways of understanding and managing 鈥榥oise pollution.鈥� We鈥檒l listen to and read about such cultural practices as sound ecology, gender and early telephone culture, radio listening communities in post-colonial Algeria and Latin America, the acoustic design of early-20th century concert houses and medieval churches, and the circulation of cassette sermons in the context of the Islamic revival in Cairo.
HON395 Honors Special Topics: Sultans, Eunuchs & Harems
This variable titled 3-credit course will examine some of the social, cultural, and political histories of the Ottoman Empire, from its origins in the 13th century as a Turcoman principality until its end following World War 1. Centered in Asia Minor, this sultanate became the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. The geographical area it encompassed over time included North Africa from Egypt to Morocco, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, southern Europe into Austria, and lands surrounding the Black Sea that comprise parts of current-day Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. The Empire鈥檚 gradual decline saw the loss of Libya and Kuwait in the early 1900s and most of its European territories in 1912. The rise of the Young Turks and Mustafa Kemal Atat眉rksaw the start of the Republic of Turkeyon October 29, 1923. In this course students will also examine some of the diverse populations that comprised this sultanate that included not only Muslims (primarily Sunnis as well as Shiites and Sufis) but also Jews, Catholics, Africans, Circassians, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, Arabs, Macedonians, Turks, Serbians, Bulgarian Orthodox, Kurds and a host of others. Sultans ruled the Empire from its capital at Constantinople and its House of Felicity, the Inner Palace of the Topkap谋 Palace. That isolated 鈥渋nner sanctum,鈥� guarded by African eunuch slaves who also amassed significant power, was the seat of government. From 1566 until 1723 was 鈥淭he Sultanate of Women鈥� era when the sultans鈥� wives and mothers ruled the Empire from their apartments in the Harem.
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