More information about the Honors College
Students are eligible to apply to the Dr. Floyd F. Koch Honors College once accepted to Palm Beach State College. Students can choose between the Honors Gold Track or Honors Silver Track to receive Honors College distinction. For more information on how to apply, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/honors/honors-application.aspx
Honors Courses
ASSOCIATE LEVEL HONORS COLLEGE COURSES
AMH2010 Honors United States History to 1877 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, Appropriate English and reading placement scores or exemption from placement testing
In this course, students will examine United States history from before European contact to 1877. Topics will include but are not limited to indigenous peoples, the European background, the colonial period, the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, issues within the new republic, sectionalism, manifest destiny, slavery, the American Civil War, and Reconstruction. (*)
AMH2020 Honors United States History since 1877 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
In this course, students will trace the history of the United States from the end of the Reconstruction era to the contemporary era. Topics will include but are not limited to the rise of industrialization, the United States’ emergence as an actor on the world stage, constitutional amendments and their impact, the progressive era, World War I, the Great Depression and New Deal, World War II, the Civil Rights Era, the Cold War, and the United States since 1989. (*)
AML2010 Honors American Literature to 1865 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
Study of the literature of America from colonial times through the Civil War era. Students examine the literary works, ideas, authors, history and intellectual climate of early America. Students will also develop effective reading, writing and analytical skills and a sense of literary taste. (*)
AML2020 Honors American Literature After 1865 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
Study of the literature of America from the Civil War through the modern era. Students examine the literary works, ideas, authors, history and intellectual climate of modern America. They also develop effective reading, writing and analytical skills and a sense of literary taste. (*)
AML2600 Honors African American Literature (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
A survey of literature by African Americans from the eighteenth century to the present. Students will understand African-American literature as both attached to and counter to the mainstream tradition. (*)
ARH1000 Honors Art Appreciation (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, Appropriate English and reading placement test scores or exemption from placement testing
In this course, students will develop an appreciation of and the ability to think critically about culture and be provided with the tools to understand, analyze, and discuss works of visual art and material culture. (*)
ARH2050 Honors Art History: Ancient to Renaissance (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, Appropriate English and reading placement test scores or exemption from placement testing
A comparative exploration of art, architecture, and design from the Paleolithic period to the Renaissance. Various art forms will be studied critically with regards to their formal quality as well as the larger context of world events and philosophy. Emphasis will be placed on the artist’s role in society. (*)
ARH2051 Honors Art History; Renaissance to Contemporary (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, Appropriate English and reading placement test scores or exemption from placement testing
A comparative exploration of art, architecture, and design from the Renaissance to the present. Various art forms will be studied critically with regards to their formal qualities as well as the larger context of world events and philosophy. Emphasis will be placed on the artist’s role in society. (*)
BSC1005 Honors Concepts in Biology (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College; Appropriate math, English and reading placement test scores or exemption from placement testing
This course applies the scientific method to critically examine and explain the natural world including but not limited to cells, organisms, genetics, evolution, ecology, and behavior (*)
Note: For non-science and elementary education majors only.
BSC1010 Honors Principles of Biology 1 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, Appropriate math, English and reading placement test scores or exemption from placement testing; Corequisite: BSC1010L (with a grade of C or higher)
In this course students will apply the scientific method to critically examine and explain the natural world. This course will cover molecular biology, cellular biology, genetics, metabolism, and replication. (*)
Note: This course is intended for science and preprofessional majors. Students planning to take BSC1011 and BSC1011L must take both BSC1010 and BSC1010L. In a lecture science course where there is a required corequisite lab, students may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Students may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab.
BSC2085 Honors Anatomy and Physiology 1 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College; Appropriate math, English and reading placement test scores or exemption from placement testing; Corequisite: BSC2085L (with a grade of C or higher)
This course is the first part of a two-semester sequence in which students examine human anatomy and physiology through a systems approach based on the interaction between form and function, from the microscopic components of cells and tissues to the organismal level. Emphasis is placed on histology and the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. (*)
Note: In a lecture science course where there is a required corequisite lab, students may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Students may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab.
BSC2421 Honors Introduction to Biotechnology (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College; Corequisite: BSC2421L (with a grade of C or higher)
This lecture course provides a comprehensive approach to the concepts of biotechnology both in a historical and current context. It will take the students through the basic principles of genomics proteomics with DNA protein structure function. It will emphasize in the molecular biology aspects of genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology. Ethical, legal, social concerns and implications of biotechnology will also be addressed. In a lecture science course where there is a required co-requisite lab, students may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Students may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab. (*)
CGS1100 Honors Microcomputer Applications (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College (Knowledge of the keyboard is desirable)
This course will enable students to utilize common microcomputer hardware and software typically used in the workplace. Practical hands-on assignments in the areas of word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation graphics, as they apply to the workplace, will be explored in the course.
CHM1045 Honors General Chemistry 1 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, MAT1033C (with a grade of C or higher); Corequisites: CHM1045L, MAC1105 (with a grade of C or higher)
This course is designed for students pursuing careers in the sciences or who need a more rigorous presentation of chemical concepts than is offered in an introductory course. Students will engage in problem solving and critical thinking while applying chemical concepts. Topics will include the principles of chemistry including atomic theory, electronic and molecular structure, measurement, stoichiometry, bonding, periodicity, thermochemistry, nomenclature, solutions, and the properties of gases. (*)
Note: This course is a part of the chemistry sequence CHM1045 and CHM1046. In a lecture science course where there is a required corequisite lab, students may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Students may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab.
CHM1046 Honors General Chemistry 2 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, CHM1045, CHM1045L, MAC1105 or MAC1105C (with a grade of C or higher); Corequisites: CHM1046L (with a grade of C or higher)
This course is the second part of general chemistry sequence CHM1045 and CHM1046. This portion of the sequence covers solutions; thermodynamics; electrolytic solutions; rates of reactions and chemical kinetics; chemical equilibrium; electrochemistry; descriptive chemistry. In a lecture science course where there is a required corequisite lab, student may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Student may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab. Students will solve problems to show they can apply principles learned to analyze problems at a higher level. Students will also do research on a topic of their or of their professor's choosing to apply concepts learned to a national and/or global level.(*)
ECO2013 Honors Principles of Macroeconomics (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College; Appropriate English and reading placement scores or exemption from placement testing
In this course, students will learn the foundations of macroeconomics as the branch of economics concerned with how decision-making, in an environment of scarcity, maps onto the aggregate economy. Students will examine theories and evidence related to the following core set of topics: national income determination, money, monetary and fiscal policy, macroeconomic conditions, international trade and the balance of payments, and economic growth and development. (*)
ENC1101 Honors English Composition 1 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This course introduces students to rhetorical concepts and audience-centered approaches to writing including composing processes, language conventions and style, and critical analysis and engagement with written texts and other forms of communication. (*)
Note: This course is designed for students with mastery of English fundamentals and proficiency in communications skills. It includes a sophisticated approach to reading and writing with emphasis on critical thinking.
ENC1102 Honors English Composition 2 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
This course is an advanced composition course emphasizing creative expression and critical thinking. (*)
ENC1141 Honors Writing About Literature (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
This course, recommended for potential English majors, is designed to develop abilities to analyze and interpret short stories, novels, plays and poems and to write about these literary forms critically, responsively, and persuasively. (*)
ENL2012 Honors English Literature Before 1800 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101(with a grade of C or higher)
Students will study writings produced in the British Isles from the beginnings to 1800 and work on developing appreciation for major writers and their influences. Concurrently, students will focus on reading, interpreting and discussing the literature critically. Through this process, students will have deepened understandings of what being human means. (*)
ENL2022 Honors English Literature After 1800 (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
Students will study writings produced in the British Isles from 1800 to the present and work on developing an appreciation for major writers and their influences. Concurrently, students will focus on reading, interpreting and discussing the literature critically. Through this process, students will have deepened understandings of what being human means. (*)
EVR1001 Honors Introduction to Environmental Science (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This course is a survey of basic chemical, biological, and physical principles of environmental science and their applications to environmental issues. This course is appropriate for students in a wide range of disciplines or programs.
EVR2266 Honors Survey of Environmental Mapping/GIS/Remote Sensing (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
Provides students with a survey in fundamental mapping skills, geographic information systems, and remote sensing technologies.
HSC1101 Honors Contemporary Issues in Health (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This course is designed to provide students with scientific information on many of today's important health related topics and issues. Using current events and evolving research, emphasis is on the leading causes of death and the development of personal wellness plans to help prevent life-style diseases. There is a major focus on self-assessment and up-to-date data from the fields of stress management, nutrition, weight management and physical fitness. (*)
HSC2100 Honors Health Concepts and Strategies (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
Covers knowledge that applies to the promotion of good health of the individual, family and society. Emphasis is on various health needs defined as the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual aspects. Emphasis is placed upon stress management, disease prevention, fitness, nutrition and the development of an effective wellness lifestyle. (*)
HUN1201 Honors Elements of Nutrition (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This course provides an in-depth view of digestion, absorption, the metabolic pathways of the nutrients and hormonal regulation of these pathways. Factors related to regulating energy needs, current government dietary guidelines, specific lifecycle needs and research-based standards for analyzing nutrient adequacy are examined. Concerns with food-borne illness and water contamination are also reviewed. (*)
IDH2105 Honors Knowledge Through the Ages (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher) and acceptance to the Honors College
What does it mean to be an honors student? This seminar deals with the great academic discussion "What is knowledge and who am I?" started in the languages of antiquity and continued through today. The process of rational thought, the rise of the university and the evolution of information revolutions, combine to present approaches to knowledge that the various disciplines employ in science, mathematics, linguistics, psychology and the humanities.
IDH2911 Honors Research Process (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This honors course will introduce students to the process of research, i.e. the tools, concepts and resources necessary to search, evaluate and use information in a variety of formats and subject disciplines. The focus will be to analyze and utilize information critically using a broad range of materials and interdisciplinary concepts needed for honors research and academic/professional success.
INR2002 Honors International Relations (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Honors College; POS1001 or POS1041 (with a grade of C or higher) or permission of the instructor
This course provides the dynamics of global politics practiced today, including analysis and application of theories about international relations and a study of international political systems. Students look at actors influencing the international political agenda and conflicts, focusing on issues facing international leaders, such as military security, trade and political economy, environmental threats, human rights abuses, refugees, crime and terrorism. This course requires an Honors-level research project to be completed.
LIT1000 Honors Introduction to Literature (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
In this course, students will be assigned readings representative of a broad range of literary genres and cultures. These readings will cover a variety of literary movements and historical eras. The readings will include selections from the Western canon. Written analysis of literary works may be required. Students will be provided with opportunities to practice critical interpretation. (*)
Note: This course involves significant reading, writing, and discussion.
LIT2090 Honors Contemporary Literature (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
The study of major writers and literary trends since 1945 focuses on students' own time and place in the world paired with critical reading of important contemporary works of literature and writing about those works. (*)
LIT2110 Honors World Literature Before the Renaissance (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
Selected literary texts of the ancient, medieval and Renaissance periods to 1600 are read and interpreted. Students will focus on reading, interpreting and discussing the literature and on its contributions to our understanding of what it means to be human. (*)
LIT2120 Honors World Literature After the Renaissance (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
Selected literary texts of the Enlightenment, the Romantic period, the period of Realism and Naturalism and the modern era are read and interpreted. Students will focus on reading, interpreting and discussing the literature and on its contributions to our understanding of what it means to be human. (*)
LIT2380 Honors Women in Literature (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, ENC1101 (with a grade of C or higher)
The development of the tradition of literature by women in English from the seventeenth century to the present. Students will read works in different genres and will understand women's literature as at once both attached to and counter to the mainstream tradition. (*)
MAC1105 Honors College Algebra (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, MAT1033C (with a grade of C or higher)
In this course, students will develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, computational proficiency, and contextual fluency through the study of equations, functions, and their graphs. Emphasis will be placed on quadratic, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Topics will include solving equations and inequalities, definition and properties of a function, domain and range, transformations of graphs, operations on functions, composite and inverse functions, basic polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, and applications. (*)
MAC1114 Honors Trigonometry (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, MAC1140 or MAC1105 (with a grade of C or higher)
Topics include trigonometric functions of angles and real numbers, trigonometric identities and equations, solutions of right and oblique triangles with applications, complex numbers, and analytic geometry (the conic sections). (*)
MAC1140 Honors Precalculus (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, a suitable score on the placement test or MAC1105 (with a grade of C or higher)
Topics include relations and functions, systems of equations, matrices, determinants, quadratic equations and inequalities, exponential and logarithmic functions, linear programming, sequences, series, induction and the Binomial Theorem. (*)
MAC2311 Honors Calculus with Analytic Geometry 1 (AA)
4 credits (4 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, MAC1114 and MAC1140 (with a grade of C or higher) or MAC1147 (with a grade of C or higher)
In this course, students will develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, computational proficiency, and contextual fluency through the study of limits, derivatives, and definite and indefinite integrals of functions of one variable, including algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions, and applications. Topics will include limits, continuity, differentiation and rates of change, optimization, curve sketching, and introduction to integration and area. (*)
MAC2312 Honors Calculus with Analytic Geometry 2 (AA)
4 credits (4 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College, MAC2311 (with a grade of C or higher)
Topics include techniques of integration, conic sections, polar coordinates, parametric equations, applications, and infinite series. (*)
MCB2010 Honors Microbiology (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to Honors College, BSC2085 or BSC1010 (with a grade of C or higher)
Corequisite: MCB2010L (with a grade of C or higher)
This course is a survey of the structure, physiology, genetics and control of microorganisms. The course includes an overview of the medical importance of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and multicellular parasites with examination of host-microorganism interactions, including non-specific and specific immunity. In a lecture science course where there is a required co-requisite lab, students may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Students may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab. (*)
MUL1010 Honors Music Appreciation (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
In this course, students will survey the history of classical music from antiquity to the modern period, focusing on Western music. The curriculum may also integrate a variety of popular and global styles where appropriate. (*)
Note: Writing assignments are included.
PHY2048 Honors General Physics with Calculus 1 (AA)
4 credits (4 lecture hours)
Prerequisites Acceptance to the Honors College, MAC2311 (with a grade of C or higher); Corequisite: PHY2048L (with a grade of C or higher)
This calculus-based course serves as the first in a two-part series, covering topics like kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, rotational motion, fluid dynamics, oscillatory motion, and waves. Designed for science and engineering majors, the course integrates critical thinking, analytical skills, and real-world applications. (*)
Note: Designed for students in engineering, science, and mathematics who have completed Calculus with Analytic Geometry 1 (MAC2311). This course is a prerequisite for the sequel PHY2049. In a lecture science course where there is a required corequisite lab, students may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Students may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab.
PHY2053 Honors General Physics 1 (AA)
4 credits (4 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, MAC1105 (with a grade of C or higher); Corequisites: MAC1114, PHY2048L (with a grade of C or higher)
This course is the first in a two-part series intended for non-physics majors, offering an algebra and trigonometry approach to topics such as kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, rotational motion, fluid dynamics, oscillatory motion, and waves. The course fosters analytical and critical thinking skills to promote a scientific understanding of the real world. (*)
Note: Designed for pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy, technical and liberal arts students not majoring in engineering, physical science, or mathematics. This course is a prerequisite for the sequel PHY 2054. In a lecture science course where there is a required corequisite lab, students may withdraw from the lab class, but stay in the lecture class. (Students may also choose to withdraw from both). Students will not be allowed to withdraw from the lecture and remain enrolled in the lab.
POS1041 Honors Introduction to American Government (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
In this course, students will investigate how the national government is structured and how the American constitutional republic operates. It covers the philosophical and historical foundations of American government, including but not limited to the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and all its amendments, and the Federalist Papers. The course examines the branches of government and the government’s laws, policies, and programs. It also examines the ways in which citizens participate in their government and ways their government responds to citizens. (*)
PSY2012 Honors General Psychology (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
In this course, students will gain an introduction to the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. Topics may be drawn from historical and current perspectives in psychology. (*)
Note: A demonstration of computer application is also required.
SLS1501 Honors Introduction to the College Experience (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This course enhances success and academic stimulation for honors students entering Palm Beach State College. Students will engage in meaningful self-assessment, develop and strengthen critical thinking, academic and problem solving skills, participate in career exploration and educational planning, and explore college culture and academic resources through an experiential and community based learning approach.
SOW1051LR Honors True Calling: Community-Based Learning (AA)
1 credit (1 lab hour)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This community-based learning course allows students to arrive at a personal understanding of social responsibility through civic engagement and critical reflection with opportunities for experiential learning. Students complete 16 hours of community-based work while applying academic knowledge and gaining practical experience on site. Students interact with individuals in various settings including hospitals, historical, educational, social, government, environmental, and other community organizations.
SPC1017 Honors Fundamentals of Speech Communication (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This course will introduce the student to the basic principles of effective speech communication. Topics will include intrapersonal communication, intercultural communication, listening, verbal communication, nonverbal communication, small group dynamics, mass communication, and public communication. Students will complete oral and written projects designed to demonstrate an understanding of the communication process and an ability to analyze and think critically about communication in today's dynamic and diverse global marketplace. (*)
SPN1120 Honors Elementary Spanish 1 (AA)
4 credits (4 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
This class provides opportunities to develop the basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing of Spanish with an emphasis on the spoken language. The course drills pronunciation, vocabulary building and elementary grammar and composition. Cultural aspects of Hispanic populations will be discussed. (*)
SPN1121 Honors Elementary Spanish 2 (AA)
4 credits (4 lecture hours)
Prerequisites: Acceptance to the Honors College, SPN1120 (with a grade of C or higher) or equivalent
A continuation of SPN1120 providing opportunities to develop the basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing of Spanish with an emphasis on the spoken language. It drills pronunciation, vocabulary building and elementary grammar and composition. Cultural aspects of Hispanic populations will be discussed. (*)
STA2023 Honors Statistics (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College, MAT1033C or MGF1130 or MGF1131 (with a grade of C or higher) or appropriate placement scores.
In this course, students will utilize descriptive and inferential statistical methods in contextual situations, using technology as appropriate. The course is designed to increase problem-solving abilities and data interpretation through practical applications of statistical concepts. This course is appropriate for students in a wide range of disciplines and programs. (*)
SYG2000 Honors Introduction to Sociology (AA)
3 credits (3 lecture hours)
Prerequisite: Acceptance to the Honors College
In this course, students will gain an understanding of the basic sociological concepts and vocabulary, including the methodological tools, sociological perspectives, and scientific procedures used by social scientists to collect data and conduct research. Topics generally include: society and culture, institutions, socialization, influences, crime, change, groups, sex, race and ethnicity, family, class, and population. Note: A demonstration of computer application is also required. (*)