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Spring 2023 Honors Course List

All courses 3 credits unless otherwise specified. Additionally, the prerequisite for all courses (unless otherwise stated) is admission to Honors College. Other prerequisites or co-requisites may apply. Verify that the foundations courses listed meet Foundational Studies/Disciplinary Lens requirements for your catalog year.

Honors Courses – Spring 2023

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Foundation of Humanities (FH)

PHIL 101-001 Introduction to Philosophy

Class # 10315, TuTh 12:00-1:15pm, Bronco Gymnasium, Rm 220, Brian Kierland

An introduction to some major issues in metaphysics and epistemology, such as free will, the existence of God, the rationality of religious belief, the mind/body problem, personal identity, skepticism about external world, and the problem of induction.

Foundations of Art (FA)

ART 100-001 Introduction to Art

Class # 13544, TuTh 10:30-11:45am, Boulder Hall, Rm 212, Muffet Jones

An introduction to the basic language of Visual Art.

FILM 220-4001 Cinema History and Aesthetics

Class # 13173, Online, Richard Klautsch

Designed to provide knowledge of the development of motion pictures with attention given to the elements and qualities peculiar to cinema which give it validity as a unique and multi-cultural art form.

Foundations of Oral Communication (FC)

COMM 101-039 Fundamentals of Oral Communication

Class # 14817, TuTh 10:30-11:45am, Honors College, Rm 166, Rebecca Robideaux

A theoretical and contextual overview of the communication discipline, including concepts and models of communication; verbal and nonverbal messages; communication ethics; perception; and listening in public, interpersonal, group/team, and mass communication contexts. Incorporates research, preparation, critique, adaptation, and delivery of informative and persuasive messages in public presentations.

Mathematics (Counts for Honors Flex Credits)

MATH 175-006 Calculus II

Class # 10856, MoWeFr 3:00-4:15pm, Honors College, Rm 166, Laurie Cavey

A continuation of MATH 170. Techniques of integration and calculation of antiderivatives. Applications of integration to physical models, including calculation of volume, moment, mass, and centroid. Informal convergence of sequences and series of real numbers. Taylor series, Taylor polynomials, and applications to approximation. Vectors, parametric curves, and polar coordinates. Credit cannot be earned for both MATH 175 and MATH 176. PREREQ: Prerequisite: MATH 143, MATH 144, MATH 170 or corresponding satisfactory placement score.

Foundations of Natural, Physical, and Applied Sciences (FN)

CHEM 112-003 General Chemistry II* (4 credits with Lab)

Class # 10567, TuTh 10:30-11:45pm, Multipurpose Bldg, Rm 203,  Chris Saunders

A continuation of CHEM 111 to include intermolecular forces, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium in solution, acids and bases, oxidation-reduction, electrochemistry, and complex ions. PREREQ: MATH 143 or successful completion of the CHEM 111 Math exam, CHEM 111 and CHEM 111L. Co-requisite: CHEM 112L.

NOTES:  Must also take CHEM 112L Section 003 or Section 011. Students who do not attend the first session of their enrolled lab will immediately be dropped from both the lab and lecture.

CHEM 112L-003 General Chemistry II Lab

Class # 10709, Tu 1:30-4:15pm, Science Bldg. 361, Katri Swanson

Lab to accompany CHEM 112. COREQ: CHEM 112.

CHEM 112L-011 General Chemistry II Lab

Class #10760, Th 1:30-4:15pm, Science Bldg. 361, Katri Swanson

Lab to accompany CHEM 112. COREQ: CHEM 112.

PHYS 105-002 Stars and Cosmology* (4 credits with Lab)

Class # 14840, WeFr 1:30-2:45pm, Multipurpose Bldg, Rm 101, Tiffany Watkins

An exploration of star formation and evolution, black holes, galaxies, and cosmology. Explores how the ideas of Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and others form our understanding of the universe. Requires evening labs and/or planetarium visits. COREQ: PHYS 105 Lab A.

PHYS 105-A Stars and Cosmology Lab

Class # 10394, Tu 9:00-11:00am, Multipurpose Bldg, Rm 301, Brian Jackson

Lab to accompany PHYS 105. COREQ: PHYS 105-002.

University Foundations

UF 200-002 Foundations of Ethics and Diversity - Freedom of Thought

Class #12179, Mo 6:00-8:45pm, ILC, Rm 204, Nafees Alam

There’s a growing perception that education and indoctrination are synonymous with one another. This course section addresses that perception by employing the point-counterpoint teaching philosophy to explore the ethics related to the inclusion of ideological diversity. This approach encourages students to consider counterpoints to their points of view, focused not on agreement, but understanding. The expectation isn’t that students change who they are, but get to know who they are at a deeper level. Actively practicing our freedom of thought, we’ll be covering a myriad of topics from a variety of opposing and conflicting perspectives. A word of warning – enrolling in this course section means understanding that the classroom environment may not always be an emotionally safe space, but an intellectually brave space. PREREQ: ENGL 102, UF 100, and sophomore status.

UF 200-022 Foundations of Ethics and Diversity: Deviance

Class # 15313, MoWe 1:30-2:45pm, ILC, Rm 204, Carrie Seymour

Using ideas from philosophy, cultural anthropology, and sociology, this course section will explore the moral and ethical implications of how labels and stereotypes perpetuate outmoded or limited ideas about the nature of “acceptable” social traits and behaviors throughout the world. By looking at various “deviant” categories, and studying the social codes and contexts that inform the perception of those categories, we will then look at how the penal system in America is a case study of how those perceptions play out for 2.26 million people every day. PREREQ: ENGL 102, UF 100, and sophomore status.

UF 200-037 Foundations of Ethics and Diversity: Food in the US

Class # 11197, TuTh 12:00-1:15pm, Riverfront Hall, Rm 309, Erik Hadley

In this course section we will investigate how the concepts of ethics, diversity and human rights apply to the specific issue of food access, quality, safety and production. In short, we will examine how food is produced and distributed in the United States and the ethics behind the American food industry and workforce. Through an analysis of food, we will encounter other major ethical debates in modern American life. In addition, we will analyze the meaning of the term ‘diversity’ as it applies to American food workers and consumers. PREREQ: ENGL 102, UF 100, and sophomore status.

Other Honors Courses

HONORS 198-001 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 11195, We 9:00-10:15am, Education Bldg Rm 223, Chris Hyer

This course assists students in preparing for success in the Honors College at Boise State University. An interactive approach is utilized to encourage students to develop positive relationships in the classroom with other Honors students as well as to help acclimate students to expectations the Honors College, Boise State University, and beyond will have of them.  This class is required for all Honors students who have been admitted for the spring semester. 

HONORS 290-001 Honors Seminar: Leadership (1 Credit)

Class # 15730,  Time and location TBA, Chris Hyer & Madison Cunningham

Group discussion of issues built around a specific leadership theme/s. This course is open to Honors House Council and Honors Student Association leaders. Because themes change from semester to semester, seminar may be repeated. Recommended that the students have a successful application to Honors Leadership position.

*NOTES: Course is restricted to students in Honors Leadership positions. Students need the permission of the instructor to enroll in this class.

HONORS 390-001 Crafting Professional Narratives (1 Credit)

Class # 12163, January 9-February 24, 2023, HYBRID,  Emily Jones

This one-credit, seven-week course refines students’ writing and speaking skills while challenging them to carefully consider their pathway through college and their steps after graduation. The course will cover diverse forms of written and oral communication, including essays, proposals/grants, personal statements, and presentations. What each topic has in common is the need to persuade its intended audience in a polished yet accessible manner.

*NOTES: This course is a (1st) 7-week course and runs from 01/09/23-02/24/23. This course is exclusively for students with upper-division standing who are 1 to 3 semesters from graduation.

REQUIREMENTS: Though this is a hybrid course, most of your grade will be determined by the in-person sessions which take place over one weekend. Attendance is mandatory on Friday, February 3 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, February 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Also, this one-credit hybrid course includes online work. There is a $50 course fee associated with this section.

HONORS 390-4001 Crafting Professional Narratives (1 Credit)

Class # 12654, 03/06/23-04/28/23, ONLINE, Emily Jones

This one-credit, seven-week online course refines students’ writing and speaking skills while challenging them to carefully consider their pathway through college and their steps after graduation. The course will cover diverse forms of written and oral communication, including essays, proposals/grants, personal statements, and presentations. What each topic has in common is the need to persuade its intended audience in a polished yet accessible manner.

*NOTES: This is a (2nd) 7-week course and runs from 03/06/23-04/28/23. This course is exclusively for students with upper-division standing who are 1-3 semesters from graduation.

REQUIREMENTS: Excellent time management and computer/Internet literacy skills. Regular access to a computer with reliable/high-speed Internet access. For courses lasting 5-7 weeks, expect to spend between 5.5-9 hours per credit each week on classwork and interacting with students and instructor. Read course introduction email sent from the instructor to your BroncoMail account by the first day of class. 

Honors Colloquia

HONORS 392-002 Storytelling Translated

Class # 14225, WedFri 1:30-2:45pm, Honors College Rm 166, Amela Karadza

Scholars and commentators often speak about America as an idea, a nation forged out of principles of government not from the received authority of tradition. The idea of America and the meaning and practice of its core principles has been shaped by essential texts authored by a variety of voices. This course explores selected texts from the nation’s founding through recent history, allowing students to read the evolution of democratic thought and practice.

HONORS 392-003 Storytelling

Class # 15691, MoWe 3:00-4:15pm, Honors College Rm 165, Sarah Lausch

What do the Brothers Grimm, Oprah Winfrey, your trusted hairdresser, your grandparents and you, yourself, have in common? Stories. Margaret Atwood, author of the famous book, The Handmaid’s Tale, said “You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built in the human plan. We come with it.” Stories are not only an important and basic form of communication and transmitting information. Before the alphabets, and much later the bookpress, were developed, stories were the primary way to share information and our lives. Humans carved and painted their stories on cave walls. Later, stories spread from the great oral tradition to platforms represented in books, dance, music, theatre, etc. This course will offer students the opportunity to explore the interdisciplinary field of storytelling as it relates to history, culture, and society. The class will consider how this ancient art form can strengthen learning, communication, cultures, families, corporations, environmental education, and entertainment. An active and collaborative learning approach is utilized to provide students with an involved learning experience.

HONORS 392-004 Compelling Writing through Fellowship Apps

Class # 15692, We 4:30-7:15pm, Honors College Rm 165, Kate Huebschmann

We know good writing when we read it, but what makes it that way? Is there a magic formula to follow? Is it all luck? These questions are even more pressing in high-stakes writing contexts such as fellowship applications. How, in 2-3 pages, do you encapsulate your life story and convince a stranger you’re the perfect candidate for an award? This intensive writing course will examine these questions by guiding you through the application process for a fully funded year of study, research, or English teaching abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The application you complete during this course will be submitted in Oct. of 2023.

*NOTES: Instructor consent is required. You must graduate no later than spring 2024 to meet Fulbright eligibility requirements and enroll in this course.  

HONORS 392-005 Life, Death, and Meaning

Class # 14228, Mo 9:00-11:45am, Honors College Rm 167, Shelton Woods

How are we to understand the most profound experiences we have as humans? We will provide perspectives on how to answer this question from the works of Sigmund Freud, C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, and Ernest Becker among others. Following the spring semester, the course will continue for those who wish to study at Oxford University from June 25 to July 18.

HONORS 392-006 Democracy: Age of Identity Pol

Class # 14229, TuTh 12:00-1:15pm, Honors College Rm 167, Matthew Recla

‘Identity’ has become the standard means for understanding ourselves and for engaging in public discourse. We classify according to racial, gender, religious, and political identities (among others) and use these identities to navigate social issues. While individual and social identities provide a tool to understand complex problems, identity-based solutions are controversial in a diverse, democratic society. Should certain religious traditions receive political privilege because of their historical legacy? Should greater material resources be directed toward geographic areas on the basis of a predominant racial demographic? Should people be “cancelled” on social media because they express ideas deemed “phobic” to a particular identity? In short, is engaging in identity politics the best way to balance liberty and justice in a democratic society?

HONORS 392-007 Character and Leadership

Class # 14239, Mo 4:30-7:15pm, Honors College Rm 167, Gregory Zickau

This colloquium includes self-assessment and development of character and leadership qualities through exploration and discussion of historic persons and leadership theory. Students will learn to identify and understand various leadership theories, to apply theory to practical scenarios, and to consider and evaluate potential outcomes of specific techniques.

HONORS 392-008 The Science of Being Human

Class # 14240, Th 6:00-8:45pm, Honors College Rm 167, Warren Bean

This course will take you behind the scenes of scientific and human development by exploring how personalities affect science, and how science affects personalities. Topics will range from the incomprehensibly small world of quantum physics to how you choose a path to the supermarket, with some metaphysics and rebel geology sprinkled in between. In the process we will try to uncover how our often-irrational minds try to make sense of a mostly-rational world. No science or mathematics background required—just a curiosity about how things and people work.

HONORS 392-009 Global Citizenship & Social Responsibility

Class # 16408, Tu 4:30-7:15pm, MCMR, Rm 105, Tony Songer

A collaborative approach for addressing the global issues of poverty and inequity from the context of integrated health, business, education, and engineering systems. Requires an international service learning experience; acceptance into Study Abroad required. The required service trip will occur during the week of Spring Break.

HONORS 392-010 Personal Financial Health: College-to-Career-to-Capital

Class # TBA, Mo 9:00-11:45am, Location TBA, Nafees Alam

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” (Jay-Z, 2008) You are the most important business you’ll ever run, you owe it to yourself to build your brand and stand out in an ever-competitive marketplace and this course intentionally prioritizes personal finance, viewing higher education as a financial investment, retrospectively assessed to be worthwhile if/when that investment results in improved personal financial health as a direct result of higher education (a.k.a. ROI: return on investment).

Honors Graduation Tracks – Senior Capstone Options

HONORS 498-001 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 12649, TuTh 12:00-1:15pm, Honors College Rm 165, David Jones

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (1st) 7-week course and runs from 01/09/23-02/24/223.

HONORS 498-002 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 12650, We 4:30-7:15pm, Honors College Rm 167, Annal Frenz

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (1st) 7-week course and runs from 01/09/23-02/24/23.

HONORS 498-003 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 12651, TuTh 10:30-11:45am, Honors College Rm 166, Chris Hyer

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (1st) 7-week course and runs from 01/09/23-02/24/23.

HONORS 498-004 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 12652, TuTh 10:30-11:45am, Keiser Rm 104, STAFF

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (2nd) 7-week course and runs from 03/06/23-04/28/23.

HONORS 498-005 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 13687, TuTh 12:00-1:15pm, Honors College Rm 165, David Jones

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (2nd) 7-week course and runs from 03/06/23-04/28/23.

HONORS 498-006 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 13688, MoWe 1:30-2:45pm, Honors College Rm 165, Kevin Starcher

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (2nd) 7-week course and runs from 03/06/23-04/28/23.

HONORS 498-4001 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 11523, ONLINE, Reginald Jayne

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. This version of the course will be conducted fully online using the Blackboard course management system. The course takes place over seven weeks. You will complete two modules per week. You can plan on spending about 3 hours working on each module. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (1st) 7-week course and runs from 01/09/23-02/24/23.

ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Excellent time management and computer/Internet literacy skills. Regular access to a computer with reliable/high-speed Internet access. Read the course introduction email sent from the instructor to your BroncoMail account by the first day of class.

HONORS 498-4002 Honors Seminar (1 Credit)

Class # 13684, ONLINE, STAFF

This course provides a capstone experience for Honors seniors by asking them to reflect on their education at Boise State and by assisting their transition into the world beyond the University and the Honors College. This version of the course will be conducted fully online using the Blackboard course management system. The course takes place over seven weeks. You will complete two modules per week. You can plan on spending about 3 hours working on each module. The course is designed for Senior students who plan to graduate either this semester or next.

*NOTE: This course is a (2nd) 7-week course and runs from 03/06/23-04/28/23.

ONLINE REQUIREMENTS: Excellent time management and computer/Internet literacy skills. Regular access to a computer with reliable/high-speed Internet access. Read the course introduction email sent from the instructor to your BroncoMail account by the first day of class.