Any academic major and/or minor that is available to
undergraduates at Rutgers University–Newark also is available to members of the
Honors College. As part of the Core Curriculum Requirements all Rutgers-Newark
students are required to complete a minor in the Arts and Sciences. The
Honors College curriculum meets the university's requirements as an academic
minor, therefore, students in the Honors College are not required to enroll in
a minor unless they so choose to do so.However, students enrolled in the Honors College must complete the
curriculum in its entirety to receive credit for the minor and to graduate with
Honors Distinction. Faculty from various disciplines on our campus helped to
design a curriculum that stimulates intellectual growth and curiosity, develops
special talents and interests, and provides a challenging academic environment
to challenge of your abilities.FIRST YEAR
Honors English Composition (Freshman Year) (6 credits)
A two-semester long writing course that instructs students in
writing analytic, text-based essays and that culminates in research-based
papers. Honors English Composition insists on computer and information
literacy. The course also provides opportunities for collaborative projects as
well as oral presentation. This course may be used to satisfy the English
Composition degree requirement for students in the College of Arts and Sciences
and other undergraduate programs.
Freshman Honors Colloquium (Freshman Year) (3 credits)
This special seminar for Honors College freshman is
theme-based, and its theme changes each year. Honors College students in this
colloquium have the opportunity to get to know each other and transition to
college-level classroom experience. The small course size permits special
emphasis to be given to the honing of critical thinking and group discussion
skills. Depending upon the precise topic, colloquium courses often may be used
to satisfy the Natural Science (nonlaboratory), fine arts, or
interdisciplinary degree requirement for students in the College of Arts and
Sciences. Recent colloquium topics have included "Science and
Religion," "Theatre, Performance, and Culture," "The Role
of the Media in Transforming Behavior," and "Justice and
Equality."
SECOND YEAR
Honors History and Literature (12 credits)
This requirement is designed to be satisfied during a
student's sophomore year, but may be taken anytime thereafter. These two sets
of linked courses enable students to gain a comprehensive overview of the
historical reality and symbolic representation of particular nations, cultures,
or facets of life in the modern world. Members of the History Department work
together with members of the English or Modern Languages Departments to define
common themes, complementary texts, and contrasting perspectives on topics such
as "The History and Literature of Race in America," "The History
and Literature of Portugal," "The History and Literature of Class in
America," "The History and Literature of Spain," and "The
History and Literature of American Immigrations." The courses may be used
to fulfill the History and Literature degree requirement for students in the
College of Arts and Sciences.
Foreign Language Requirement (6 credits)
Our campus is one of the most diverse college campuses in
the country. One of the ways that we embrace our diversity through academics is
by encouraging students to become familiar with other cultures through exposure
to and acquisition of another language. Students must take two semesters of one
foreign language. Students can choose from Arabic, French, Greek, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish.
THIRD YEAR
Honors Special Topics Requirement (6 credits)
This requirement is designed to be satisfied during a
student's junior year, but may be taken any time after the sophomore year. The
Special Topics Requirement provides Honors College students with opportunities
for intellectual exploration, as well as an introduction to advanced techniques
in critical analysis, research, or fieldwork. This requirement may be satisfied
by taking any combination of two of the following kinds of courses:
- Honors College seminars
- Honors College internships
- Research assistantships
- Graduate coursework
With regards to the Honors College seminars, the precise
focus varies from semester to semester, enabling students to choose from a
variety of subjects. Some examples of such seminars in previous years include
"Backyard Biology" (a course in the biology of urban ecosystems),
"The Idea of Freedom," "Crime and Punishment in American
Literature," "Medical Life in Modern America" (on the sociology
of medical practice), "The Economics of Race and Gender,"
"Learning and Memory," and "Journalism and Rebellion in the 60s."
Please note that the Honors College may not give permission
that enables Honors College students to enroll in graduate-level courses. This
permission must be secured through the department chair or graduate director of
the department in which one wishes to take a graduate-level course.
FOURTH YEAR
The Capstone Experience (6 credits)
This requirement is designed to be satisfied during a
student's senior year but may be taken as early as the junior year. Honors
College seniors culminate their undergraduate experience with a yearlong
effort. Honors College students must
complete an individual thesis, not part of an organized course, supervised by a
faculty member. The project may be focused on a student's major area of study
or may reflect a special interest or talent of the student outside his or her
major. These projects often are either of publishable or of exhibition quality,
and thus give Honors College graduates credentials that ordinarily are
characteristic only of advanced graduate students.
