Enriching interdisciplinary curriculum through smaller, interactive classes
On average, students take one Honors class per semester.
Honors classes commonly overlap with the university's core curriculum requirements and/or a student's major or minor. Students also complete their own senior thesis research project for the Honors Program, which they present publicly during their senior year and may publish it on Digital USD.
Upcoming Honors Courses
Explore our upcoming semester's Honors Courses, the different options for earning Honors units and how you can stay on track to graduate with Honors!
Honors Requirements
In order to successfully complete the Honors Program and graduate with the distinction of Honors, students must:
- Complete a minimum of 24 Honors units
- Complete HNRS 295: 2nd-Year Seminar*
- Complete at least two Interdisciplinary Courses
- Note: One must be a team-taught course; the other may be either a linked course or a team-taught course.
- Note: Unit waivers may be applied to the overall Honors Program unit requirement
*HNRS 295 is not required for students who joined the Honors Program before Fall 2023
At the culmination of your Honors experience, you will be required to complete an Honors Thesis choosing a research topic that encapsulates your academic experience at USD alongside a faculty advisor of your choice. In order to support you, the Honors Program will provide a structured class, HNRS 495: Honors Senior Thesis Seminar, to guide you through the process.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to present your research at the Honors Colloquium and publish your research.
- To remain in good standing, students must:
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.4 or above
- Demonstrate progression in the Honors Program by earning at least one Honors unit within two consecutive semesters
- Note: The unit requirement is waived for students who study abroad for a year or who take an official leave of absence.
- Note: Students who are not in good standing will be removed from the Honors Program. Exceptions may be granted with the consent of the Honors Program Director.
Recommended Program of Study
There are many possible variations for achieving required Honors units. A typical student might complete the Honors curriculum by the following sample path (among many other possible paths) to achieving the 24-unit requirement.
Types of Honors Courses
Honors students can earn units through various opportunities. Here are a few...
All first-year students who enter the Honors Program in fall take two Honors LLC courses: one in the fall semester and another LLC course in the spring semester. These LLC courses are offered within various departments across the university, and they all fulfill at least one Core requirement. The instructor for students' fall LLC course serves as their academic advisor until they declare their major. First-year students who enter mid-year may choose to take a spring Honors LLC course if they wish, but are not required to do so.
HNRS 295 - Expedition Inquiry: The Honors 2nd Year Seminar aims to actively move students from an appreciation of scholarship (ideally developed through their First-Year LLC experience) to engagement and consideration of scholarly inquiry at a more personal level. Gleaning from inspiring guest speakers, provocative readings, dynamic discussions and out-of-the-classroom excursions, the seminar will cover such topics as: how scholars generate ideas for scholarly pursuit, where to find opportunities to engage in research and to identify faculty with whom to speak, and how to find scholarships, fellowships, and other funding sources. Students will be guided to think about possible project areas of personal intrigue, majors that complement their interests, and to create an action plan for involvement in undergraduate research, study abroad, leadership and community service. The seminar will encourage students to begin imagining and even planning for their senior honors thesis project by familiarizing them with the array of tools, courses, opportunities and people they might turn to in their scholarly journey ahead.
This is a 1-unit course taken Pass/Fail and is required for 2nd-year students beginning 2023-2024.
Students can earn Honors units by taking an Honors section of a course taught by an individual instructor within a particular department. These courses vary from year to year, but typically include courses that meet Core requirements and that Honors students frequently need (e.g., Theology and Religious Studies courses). Students earn credit for the course itself, as well as units toward the Honors requirements.
A team-taught Honors course is one in which two individual faculty members from different disciplines co-instruct a single Honors course, offering students an interdisciplinary understanding of a common topic or problem. These classes provide a multi-faceted perspective on life, as issues and problems in the real world are seldom addressed by a single subject. The creative and experiential nature of these courses makes them one of students’ favorite features of the Honors Program
The Honors Program typically offers 4 team-taught courses each semester, all of which fulfill the Core requirement for Integration (CINT). Some team-taught courses also fulfill other Core or major requirements.
Review the list of upcoming Team-Taught courses, as well as additional Core or major requirements they may fill.
A linked Honors course constitutes an individual Honors course, taught by single instructor, that is linked together with another Honors course(s) in a different major based on a common theme, concept or problem. Linked courses are scheduled simultaneously so that students in each linked Honors class might meet together for interdisciplinary group projects, joint discussions, guest speakers and other common activities.
*Note: Only students who declare their major under the 2019 catalog or later will be able to earn units toward the Honors Program requirement for interdisciplinary courses by taking a linked class.
All students are required to enroll in HNRS 495, Honors Senior Seminar, in their senior year. The Honors Senior Seminar is designed to provide instruction, feedback and community to support the completion and presentation of students' Senior Honors Thesis. By promoting both independent scholarship and deep introspection, it is also designed to serve as a culminating experience at the end of students' Honors education at USD. By the end of the semester, students complete an original Honors Thesis project, present it visually in a poster format at USD's Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Conference, present it orally at the Honors Colloquium, and submit the final product to their Thesis Advisor and the Honors Program.
Note: There are other ways to earn Honors credit (Get Honors credit for Research or apply for an Honors Option Contract)
Honors Program Goals
The Honors Program strives to provide an enrichment of the coursework students will take during their USD experience. Therefore, the Honors Program and faculty follow the objectives and learning outcomes to provide excellence and consistency.
- Challenge students to develop their talents to their fullest potential.
- Promote critical thinking and problem solving from perspectives that cut across standard disciplinary boundaries.
- Foster interactions with faculty in small classes and informally through co-curricular activities and research collaboration.
- Nurture students' independent scholarship in their majors through original research projects that constitute the basis for the Senior Thesis Seminar.
- Prepare students to transition to careers, graduate and professional educational programs with a skill set that includes superior written and oral expression, interdisciplinary understanding and original thought.
- Students produce a clearly written, discipline-specific thesis that analyzes a complex problem or addresses a significant research question with insight and imagination.
- Students produce an original and thoroughly researched thesis that utilizes evidence in a convincing manner; synthesizes primary and secondary sources; and cites references appropriately.
- Students deliver an oral presentation on their thesis project that is well organized, effectively delivered, knowledgeable and appropriate for a multi-disciplinary audience.
- Students independently create whole arguments out of multiple parts (synthesize) or draw conclusions by combining examples, facts or theories from more than one field of study or disciplinary perspective.
Have any questions?
Come Meet With Us!
Our doors are open to assist you with any questions you may have as you navigate the Honors Program! Current USD students can make a virtual appointment or stop by in-person in Learning Commons 201 (walk-ins are welcome).