Honors Courses – Policies

General Guidelines

The distinction between an honors course and a non-honors course is qualitative, not quantitative. An honors class is not more work; it is different work. In teaching and developing honors classes, creativity is the measure. Inspiring creativity in students begins by thinking creatively about materials, approaches, techniques, and evaluation.

Honors Course Development Guidelines

No course may be developed as an honors course without the approval of the Palm Beach State Curriculum Committee and Honors Advisory Council. Honors courses should adhere to the following requirements and recommendations.

Requirements: Every honors course must:
1. Address and integrate the goals of the Honors College mission and the Honors College Program Learning Outcomes into course instruction;
2. Emphasize individual interpretation and analysis;
3. Encourage creative and critical thinking;
4. Examine questions from an interdisciplinary context;
5. Delve more in-depth into the subject matter than the non-honors course version; honors courses should introduce students to the theoretical disputes and historical development of the discipline;
6. Foster the ability to analyze and synthesize a broad range of materials and concepts;
7. Stress the importance of effective oral and written communication skills;
8. Promote teamwork and collaboration;
9. Acquaint students with discipline-specific research skills;
10. Encourage students to become active, self-motivated thinkers who will take greater responsibility for their own learning.
Recommendations: Honors courses may:
1. Incorporate different instructional materials other than the non-honors version; primary source materials (i.e., literature, works of art, official documents, film, diaries, statistical data, etc.) are preferred over textbooks; scholarly journals should be used where appropriate;
2. Be conducted in a seminar-style classroom setting, with an emphasis on discussion;
3. Apply theories to real-world situations; the social, cultural, and political context of classroom activities and course material should be considered whenever possible;
4. Promote learning outside of the formal classroom;
5. Provide opportunities for publication, public presentation, and peer review of student work;