Current Honors Course Offerings
Fall 2023 - Honors Colloquium Classes
Date/Time: M/W 11:00-12:15
Credits: 3
Instructor: Dr. Judy Strathearn
Description: In this honors seminar, we will be exploring the importance of expressing, embracing, and defending identity as we discuss All Boys Aren’t Blue (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2020), by journalist and activist, George M. Johnson. This book is a series of personal essays that follow Johnson’s journey growing up Black and queer from childhood to college graduation. Johnson revisits and reflects on his family life, navigating what it means to be queer in the Black community and the struggles of gender normative expectations. They allow us to see with harsh and sometimes very difficult language the traumas they lived through in order to come out on the other side with the knowledge that the only way to truly live in this life is to do so authentically.
This course will be highly interactive/discussion-based and will incorporate various disciplines like Africana Studies, Gender & Sexualities Studies, psychology, film, and creative writing. We will address topics including the banning of books, the quest for authentic identity against societal rules and challenges, struggles, and the path to joy for Black queer folks.
Fall 2023 - Honors Classes
Date/Time:M/W 9:30-10:45 or M/W 12:30-145
Credits: 3
Instructor: Dr. Rich Kessel
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Description: This course teaches students how to design and deliver effective, ethical presentations. The ability to adapt to different audiences and contexts – such as professional or public situations – is emphasized. The course provides instruction on and practice of organization, delivery and performance, technology, and research skills. Students also learn effective listening techniques and critical thinking skills. The course empowers students to become successful professional presenters and public speakers.
Note: Credit will be granted for only one prefix: COMM or HON.
Sections of this course may be offered in-person, in hybrid format, or online.
General Studies: Oral Communication
Cross Listed Course(s): COMM 1010
Date/Time: M/W 11:00-12:15
Credits: 3
Instructor: Eileen Mooney
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Description: This is a course for students in the Honors Program and addresses the process of writing extended essays supported by research. The course includes an introduction to research methods, practice in critical reading, thinking, and writing across the disciplines, integration of source material, and the conventions of MLA and APA styles of documentation. Students can expect to do a series of shorter writing and research assignments leading to the longer, documented paper and will write reflectively on their writing process.
General Studies: Written Communication
Date/Time: T/R 9:30-10:45
Credits: 3
Instructor: Rey Hernández
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Description: This course offers an introductory analysis of economic decision making in a market system. The roles, actions, and interactions of consumers, firms, and the government are explored. Market failure and government failure are also considered. Microeconomic principles and analysis are applied to current events and problems and are used to explore human behavior.
Note: B- or better required for Honors credit.
General Studies: Business/Social and Behavioral Sciences
Date/Time: T/R 9:30-10:45 (online synchronous)
Credits: 3
Instructor: Marci Steiner
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Description: This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental concepts of human nutrition, including digestion, absorption, metabolism, and the function of nutrients as they relate to human health and disease.
Note: B- or better required for Honors credit.
General Studies: Natural and Physical Sciences without a Lab
Date/Time: T/R 12:30-1:45 (In-person and Synchronous Online)
Credits: 3
Instructor: Dr. Mark Flory
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director.
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): ENG 1020 or ENG 1021
Description: In this interdisciplinary course, students learn about how grand narratives have shaped and transformed notions of subjectivity over time, from the ancient and/or medieval world through the present day. The focus is on works that have had a literaly, philosophical, and artistic impact on the notion of the self. The goal is to comprehend significant changes over time in the relationship between the individual and the world. Students are encouraged to make thematic connections across disciplines. B- or better required for Honors credit.
Honors General Studies Options
Honors students can select from general studies options to complete academic course requirements. Many of these options can also fulfill degree program and university requirements.
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): C- or better in ENG 1009 or C- or better in ENG 1010 or Appropriate score on the First Year Writing placement or ACT English 27 or SAT Verbal 570 or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (620) AND Student in the Honors program or approval by the Honors Director
Description: This is a course for students in the Honors Program and addresses the process of writing extended essays supported by research. The course includes an introduction to research methods, practice in critical reading, thinking, and writing across the disciplines, integration of source material, and the conventions of MLA and APA styles of documentation. Students can expect to do a series of shorter writing and research assignments leading to the longer, documented paper and will write reflectively on their writing process.
Note: Because of continual development in research technology and techniques, credits ten years or older, from any institution, will not transfer. ENG 1021 requires a grade of C- or better to fulfill the General Studies requirement.
General Studies: Written Communication
Guaranteed Transfer: GT-CO2
Credits: 3
Description: This course teaches students how to design and deliver effective, ethical presentations. The ability to adapt to different audiences and contexts – such as professional or public situations – is emphasized. The course provides instruction on and practice of organization, delivery and performance, technology, and research skills. Students also learn effective listening techniques and critical thinking skills. The course empowers students to become successful professional presenters and public speakers.
Note: Credit will be granted for only one prefix: COMM or HON.
Sections of this course may be offered in-person, in hybrid format, or online.
General Studies: Oral Communication
Cross Listed Course(s): COMM 1010
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Description: This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental concepts of human nutrition, including digestion, absorption, metabolism, and the function of nutrients as they relate to human health and disease.
Note: B- or better required for Honors credit.
General Studies: Natural and Physical Sciences
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Description: In this course students learn about the initial discoveries that sparked new scientific fields and about the subsequent revolutions caused by such discoveries. By examining the role of the scientific method in the production of knowledge, students improve their own scientific literacy and learn to critically examine historical scientific experiments. Students investigate the methodologies used, the theories and hypotheses tested, and manipulate original data created in selected experiments. Course discussions also examine the complex relationship between science and world views.
Note: B- or better required for Honors credit.
General Studies: Arts and Humanities
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): ENG 1020 or ENG 1021
Description: This course is an interdisciplinary inquiry where students learn about the dynamics of social change. Discussions focus on important examples of radical social transformation throughout history and from around the globe. Students explore definitions and theoretical models that can be used to explain and institute change. Students are also encouraged to learn about and connect with community-based organizations involved in creating change and promoting social justice. Some sections of this course may be offered as Service Learning courses.
Note: B- or better required for Honors credit.
Some sections of this course may be taught as Service Learning.
General Studies: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Global Diversity
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Description: In this course students learn about the initial discoveries that sparked new scientific fields and about the subsequent revolutions caused by such discoveries. By examining the role of the scientific method in the production of knowledge, students improve their own scientific literacy and learn to critically examine historical scientific experiments. Students investigate the methodologies used, the theories and hypotheses tested, and manipulate original data created in selected experiments. Course discussions also examine the complex relationship between science and world views.
Note: B- or better required for Honors credit.
General Studies: Natural and
Physical Sciences
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Honors Program or Permission from the Honors Director
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): ENG 1020 or ENG 1021
Description: In the Modern Period, Critical Theory emerges as a decidedly multidisciplinary field that challenges the foundations of the existing social order through in-depth analysis of capitalism, culture, power, the family, and the individual. This course provides an overview of the development of the field of Critical Theory and examines some of its major currents. Topics may include: Psychoanalytic Criticism, Marxist Criticism, Discourse Theory, Feminist Criticism/Gender Studies/Queer Theory, Deconstruction, Race Theory, Postmodernism, New Historicism, Cultural Studies, Narratology, and Digital Media Studies.
Note: B- or better required for Honors credit.
General Studies: Arts and Humanities
Honors Core Courses
Core courses taken by all honors students include 1 Advanced Communications course, 2 interdisciplinary Honors Colloquia, and the Senior Honors Thesis, an independent research and/or creative project normally completed during the senior year. The Senior Honors Thesis can also be completed in conjunction with degree program requirements.
Honors Advanced Communication
Note: Course offered only in Fall semesters
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ANT 3251
Description: This course requires students to conduct ethnographic research through qualitative methods of data collection, management, interpretation, and analysis. Class discussion, lecture, and student fieldwork will focus on ethnographic research and methods to obtain in-depth information on human behavior and beliefs in their natural settings.
University Requirement(s): Senior Experience
Note: Course offered only in Spring semesters
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): COMM 1010 or COMM 1100 or HON 1013 or Permission of Instructor; Students must possess a GPA of 3.3 or higher, or be a member of the MSU Denver Honors Program.
Description: This course prepares students to design and deliver technical and/or professional presentations with an advanced level of skill. Students select one course project or theme and develop several presentations for different audiences and settings-these include: academic conferences and/or technical presentations to professional associations, public presentations on complex topics, and research poster sessions or business expos. This course is useful for students who plan to earn graduate degrees or seek employment in positions that require communication of complex information.
Note: To register for this course, students must be enrolled in the MSU Denver Honors program or have a 3.3 or higher GPA.
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Senior Standing or permission of department
Description: In this senior experience course, students will have opportunities to synthesize the knowledge, skills, and theoretical constructs learned throughout their undergraduate studies. Students will design an action research project relevant to their field of study, discipline, and/or profession. The course requires students to identify applicable research topics, formulate research questions, analyze the quality and credibility of research, synthesize research to develop and organize a literature review, select appropriate research designs and methods, and develop a research proposal aligned with the elements and requirements outlined by MSU Denver’s IRB process and Human Subjects Protection Program. Students will have the opportunity to present and discuss their research proposals to demonstrate developed expertise.
University Requirement(s): Senior Experience
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENG 1020, ENG 1021
Description: Students study the expectations that shape scholarly writing in their various academic disciplines. Students draw on research appropriate for discipline-specific peer-reviewed publications and/or conference presentations. During this course, students learn to transform their written work into submission-ready artifacts with the guidance of instructor feedback and peer review. This course is ideal for students who plan to attend graduate school or are in writing-intensive degree programs.
General Studies: Written Communication
Guaranteed Transfer: GT-CO3
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): ENG 1020 or ENG 1021 and Junior-level standing
Description: This course introduces key concepts and practices of professional writing, including various written genres, research, document design and visual rhetoric, and use of style guides. Students explore the expectations that shape professional writing such as how to employ the correct forms, interpret and synthesize the literature and present their researched writing to various audiences. During this course, students learn to transform their work into sharable documents with the guidance of instructor feedback and peer review. This course is ideal for students to develop and polish writing skills that will be needed for their career.
Note: Course revised June 28, 2021
General Studies: Written Communication
Guaranteed Transfer: GT-CO3
Honors Colloquium
This variable topics course provides students with the opportunity to examine historical and/or contemporary issues from interdisciplinary perspectives. Course activities will include relevant readings from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, discussions encouraging synthesis and analysis of conflicting or competing views, and written assignments.
Past Honors Colloquia
Time/Date: Summer 2023
Instructor: Dr. Sarah Schliemann and Dr. Sara Jackson-Shumate
Credits: 3
Description: This class will focus on different methods to addressing climate change locally and globally. Students will analyze social, political, and economic strategies that governments and intergovernmental bodies, such as the United Nations or African Union can adopt to mitigate and counter-act the effects of climate change. The class will also evaluate physical science and engineering strategies that can be employed to address the physical causes of climate change. Students will analyze these methods in the context of environmental justice and equity.
Time/Date: TBA
Instructor: Dr. Pamela L. Troyer
Credits: 3
Description: In The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, acclaimed social psychologist Steven Pinker argues that over human history societies have become less violent. He illustrates his arguments with biological and neurological evidence and also considers the way cultures have discussed violence in ancient epics, mythologies, and literature. In this course we will consider narratives, both orally told and written, through which communities have examined the consequences of violence and redefined heroic codes. We will draw on such sources as the ancient Greek epic Iliad, the medieval Viking Njal’s Saga, contemporary political movements, and more. Some of the topics, such as the Chinese Monkey King, and the graphic novel American Born Chinese show us how we also use humor to consider the effects of violence.
Time/Date: TBA
Instructor: Kamran Sahami
Credits: 3
Description: This seminar-type course examines the current state of scientific thought on the question of alien life and civilizations most often attributed to physicist Enrico Fermi. In 1950 Fermi initiated a series of informal discussions among his Los Alamos colleagues as to the ubiquity of extra-terrestrial life and the probabilities of contact with alien civilizations. He famously asked “Where are they?” citing the lack of any physical evidence for extra-terrestrial life, and hence the scientific paradox which still carries his name. This class will delve into the history of this question, which predates Fermi by millennia, looking at the myriad of proposed solutions to the paradox. The very nature of the question cast an incredibly wide, interdisciplinary net, encompassing the fields of physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology (chemical, organismic ang evolutionary), geology, meteorology, sociology, anthropology, communications theory, and philosophy to list a few. The course will survey the contributions of these fields to the question, drawing often on primary sources, but concentrate more on critical thinking and communication skills, than on disciplinary knowledge. If you have any questions or concerns email Dr. Sahami at [email protected]
Credits: 3
Description: This is an interdisciplinary seminar that explores the topic of the sky and human observation of it. This course brings together the sciences and the humanities through the disciplines of atmospheric science and art. We will study the color and compositions and the importance of the sky using the tools of these disciplines. The course begins with a short historical overview of the shift and differences between a mythic understanding of the cosmos to an empirical, scientific perspective. Students will learn about physical causes of atmospheric phenomena and the depiction of these phenomena in artworks throughout history. Students will engage in projects involving citizen science, data collection, and the production of their own art and personal reflection on the importance of the sky. Sessions will include guest speakers sharing varied modes of interpreting celestial colors.
Faculty: Dr. Caleb Cohoe
Offered: M/W 12:30-1:45
Description: Does death end our existence or can we continue on in some way? What sort of pleasures or pains await in an afterlife? Is continued bodily possible or would a future life proceed entirely apart from the body? If there is an afterlife, what is its purpose or value? We will look at the approaches to this question found in a wide variety of ancient and medieval thinkers, from Homer and the authors of Ecclesiastes and early Buddhist texts to Plato, Sophocles, Lucretius, and Cicero and on to the medieval era with Augustine, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Moses Maimonides, Thomas Aquinas, and Dante. We will also consider the broader implications that these questions have for our overall view of the world and our place in it, comparing theistic accounts of the world with atheistic and naturalistic accounts. Through this course we will come to appreciate how careful reflection on these issues can help us to better understand our own beliefs and those of others. Your final project will involve analytic and imaginative engagements with depictions of death and the afterlife and your own reflections on the value of life.
Description: This seminar-type course examines the current state of scientific thought on the question of alien life and civilizations most often attributed to physicist Enrico Fermi. In 1950 Fermi initiated a series of informal discussions among his Los Alamos colleagues as to the ubiquity of extra-terrestrial life and the probabilities of contact with alien civilizations. He famously asked “Where are they?” citing the lack of any physical evidence for extra-terrestrial life, and hence the scientific paradox which still carries his name. This class will delve into the history of this question, which predates Fermi by millennia, looking at the myriad of proposed solutions to the paradox. The very nature of the question cast an incredibly wide, interdisciplinary net, encompassing the fields of physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology (chemical, organismic ang evolutionary), geology, meteorology, sociology, anthropology, communications theory, and philosophy to list a few. The course will survey the contributions of these fields to the question, drawing often on primary sources, but concentrate more on critical thinking and communication skills, than on disciplinary knowledge. If you have any questions or concerns email Dr. Sahami at [email protected]
Credits: 3
Description: This course critically reviews Asian American history and examines its relevance to contemporary issues in the U.S. It employs an interdisciplinary approach to examine the intersectionality of power, race, class, gender, and internal marginalization in shaping Asian American experiences. Topics include: racial formation of Asian American ethnic identities; historical roots of discrimination and anti-Asian violence (with special topics on Asian American women and Asian Americans in Colorado); negotiation of Asian American identities and culturally distinctive coping strategies; the myth and consequences of “Model Minority”; the relevance of the “Sojourner Hypothesis” in the 21st century; and generations of Asian American social movements aiming at achieving equality and justice for all.
Honors Thesis Sequence
Credits: 1
Prerequisite(s): “C” or better in ENG 1020 or ENG 1021, Junior or Senior standing, Enrollment in the Honors Program and Permission from the Honors Director.
Description: This course is taken prior to the Senior Honors Thesis (HON 4950) and is only open to Honors students. This course familiarizes students with project organization and the scope and proper format of an undergraduate thesis project. Each student develops: a thesis statement, a project outline, an initial bibliography and a working abstract. Students also identify a primary Thesis Advisor for their projects. The Thesis Advisor is a faculty member with expertise in a discipline closely related to the topic of the thesis project.
Note: This course must be completed with a B- or better in order to advance to the Senior Honors Thesis.
Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): HON 4948 with B- or better, Senior standing, Enrollment in the Honors Program and Permission from the Honors Director, approval from student’s department/degree program if taken in place of Departmental Senior Experience course.
Description: The Honors Thesis is the culmination of the Honors undergraduate experience. In this course, students complete an independent research and/or creative project under the direction of a primary Thesis Advisor and the Honors Director. The Thesis Advisor is a faculty member with expertise in a discipline closely related to the topic of the thesis project. Students submit a written thesis and deliver a public oral presentation of their work.
Note: Students are required to receive approval from their department chair if this course is taken in place of a departmental Senior Experience course. This course must be completed with a B- or better in order to count for Honors credit.
University Requirement(s): Senior Experience
Credits: 1
Prerequisite(s): HON 4948 with B- or better, Senior standing, Enrollment in the Honors Program and Permission from the Honors Director
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): This one-credit course must be paired with an upper division departmental Senior Experience, research or capstone course
Description: The Paired Honors Thesis is the culmination of the Honors undergraduate experience. This one-credit course must be paired with an upper division departmental Senior Experience, research or capstone course. In this course, students complete an independent research and/or creative project under the direction of a primary Thesis Advisor and the Honors Director. The Thesis Advisor is a faculty member with expertise in a discipline closely related to the topic of the thesis project. Students submit a written thesis and deliver a public oral presentation of their work.
Note: This course must be completed with a B- or better in order to count for Honors credit.
