To enroll in honors courses, students must be members of the Honors Program or granted approval by the appropriate Honors Coordinator in consultation with the faculty teaching the course. Honors courses require coursework that is more challenging and enriching for honors students; projects and assessments that offer more opportunities for creativity and problem-solving; assignments that include more intensive reading, writing, and research; and increased opportunities for co-curricular activities that complement course content. Honors sections may involve team-teaching or an interdisciplinary approach to the topics.

HONS U101 The Life of the Mind. (3) A facilitated seminar taught by multiple faculty members with an interdisciplinary theme centered around the life of the mind, including questions about the nature of education, knowledge, and the self. Introduction is provided to various academic fields through interdisciplinary projects and problem solving and significant interactions with honors faculty and other USC Upstate departments and resources. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U120 Honors Fine Arts and Humanities. (3) An interdisciplinary approach to introductory fine arts and humanities studies. A critical introduction to these fields is achieved through the exploration of an interdisciplinary theme. Themes may include art therapy, ekphrasis, or the history of religious art. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U121 Honors Natural Science and Mathematics. (3) An interdisciplinary approach to introductory natural science and mathematics studies. A critical introduction to these fields is achieved through the exploration of an interdisciplinary theme. Themes may include the history of physics, introductory bioinformatics or the statistics of gender. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U122 Honors Social and Behavioral Sciences. (3) An interdisciplinary approach to introductory social and behavioral science courses. A critical introduction to these fields is achieved through the exploration of an interdisciplinary theme. Themes may include the psychology of elections, sociology of relationships, or work and economics. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U199 Honors General Education Tutorial. (3) An introduction to one or more of the disciplines included in select general education distribution areas (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences) that addresses applications of the field/s of study and or takes an interdisciplinary perspective.  Examples include introductory legal philosophy, biomedical ethics, or behavioral economics.  Prerequisite:  Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U201 Self and Society. (3) An interdisciplinary seminar centered on community, leadership, and societal problem solving through projects and community-based problem-solving. Scholarly reflection on service projects and significant interactions with community leaders. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U250 Honors Travel. (1-3) Visits to and study of international or US sites of historic, cultural, and/or literary significance. Content and itinerary will vary depending on the instructor’s area of interest.  Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U301 The Ethical Factor. (3) A seminar with an interdisciplinary theme centered on ethics and ethical problem solving. Examples include America’s evolving moral landscape and civil rights, or science, ethics and religion. Interdisciplinary research projects and problem solving, scholarly reflection through written and oral communication, and interactions with guest speakers from the University and the wider community foster leadership and advanced academic skills. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U350 Honors Travel. (3) Visits to and study of international or U.S. sites of historic, cultural, scientific, and/or literary significance.  The focus and work product for the course vary depending on the instructor’s area of interest.  Prerequisite:  Admission to Honors Program or overall GPA of 3.25 at USC Upstate or accredited institution with permission of the Director of the Honors Program.

HONS U398 Honors Special Topics. (3) Interdisciplinary approaches to enduring issues or current topics. Technology-based and/or presentation-based projects may be required. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director.

HONS U399 Honors Tutorial. (3-4). Directed research and reading of a complex and comprehensive nature in keeping with individual interests and goals and culminating in a final project and/or written report. Research may involve both primary and secondary sources in one or more disciplines. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director. May be repeated with the consent of the Director of the Honors Program for a total of no more than eight hours of undergraduate Honors credit.

HONS U400 Honors Internship. (1-4) Directed hands-on practicum experience in keeping with individual interests and goals. Honors interns complete additional research and reading and prepare a written report at the end of the term. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director. May be repeated with the consent of the Director of the Honors Program for a total of no more than eight hours of undergraduate Honors credit. A University contract must be completed with all required signatures.

HONS U401 The Process of Progress. (3) A seminar with an interdisciplinary theme centered on the nature of research and research-based problem solving. Tracing the process of design and discovery of a documented well-known research project leads to the application of that model to individualized honors projects. Example project models might include the human genome project and its implications for the limits of humanity, or the TED movement. Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors Program or consent of the Honors Program director and 9 Honors credits.