Departmental Honors

Each student completing the Departmental Honors Program will need to submit a Departmental Honors Reflective Essay.

The essay is meant to be a reflection of your experience in the Departmental Honors Program and should include the following:

• A short description of the project (or classes) you undertook to complete your discipline’s requirements for honors.
• An analysis of how completing your honors project (or classes) challenged or changed your views or opinions on the subject of your project.
• An analysis of how the Honors program has helped you in your major studies or in your area of specialization.
• A reflection of what makes the experience of completing honors unique compared to other courses in your academic discipline.

 Please submit this essay to Ngozi Akinro, Ph. D., Director of the Wesleyan Scholars Honors Program (honors@txwes.edu).

Your writing sample will be evaluated using this rubric.  

Please contact your advisor if you need guidance on an appropriate sample of your writing.

To qualify for Honors for the B.S. in biology, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.5; complete Honors requirements for two of the four required upper-level (3000+) courses (BIO 3431H, BIO 3470H, BIO 4412H and BIO 4426H), and complete Honors requirements for the second research course Biology 4351H.

To qualify for Honors for the B.A. in biology, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 and complete Honors requirements for three of the four required upper-level (3000+) courses (BIO 3431H, BIO 3470H, BIO 4412H, and BIO 4426H).

To qualify for Honors in Chemistry & Biochemistry, the student must complete two semesters of Chemistry research (CHE 4251H and 4252H), with a minimum of 10-12 hours completed per week (as opposed to 8 for non-Departmental Honors students).

The student must also complete a Research Thesis (guidelines to be set by the departmental faculty) and present a 60-minute defense of the Research Thesis to a committee of three faculty.

To qualify for Honors in Criminal Justice, students must complete a senior honors thesis by enrolling in CRJ 4324 Social Science Research Methods and CRJ 3316 Contemporary Criminology.

The student will be required to write a 15-20 page paper in either CRJ 4324 or CRJ 3316 in addition to the course requirements. The specifics of this assignment will be worked out with the instructor of record for the course.

To qualify for Honors in Undergraduate Education, you must complete two honors courses.

4326H. Philosophy for Children 3 hours

Prerequisite: undergraduate students in honors program only; Completion or concurrent enrollment in EDU 2300 and EDU 3431 or 3432; 3.5 GPA

This education honors course utilizes discussion of philosophical ideas drawn from various types of children’s literature. Dialogues following readings engage students in topics which improve critical thinking and learning across the curriculum.

4327H. Honors Professional Leadership in Education 

Prerequisite: undergraduate students in honors program only; Completion or concurrent enrollment in EDU 2300 and EDU 3431 or 3432; 3.5 GPA

This education honors course for undergraduate students provides opportunities to demonstrate leadership abilities, to reflect on those opportunities, and to assist students’ growth in the area of educational leadership. Students must be an officer of an educational student-led organization at Texas Wesleyan for the entire semester of enrollment in this course, as well as perform additional reflective activities assigned by the faculty advisor of the student organization.

Six hours of Departmental Honors courses may be submitted for graduate elective credit in the School of Education graduate education programs. Approval for such credit is contingent upon Graduate Education Admissions committee.

4328H. Reflective Education Seminar 

Prerequisite: undergraduate students in honors program only; Completion or concurrent enrollment in EDU 2300 and EDU 3431 or 3432; 3.5 GPA

This education honors course for undergraduate students in education provides intense and reflective emphasis upon school and cultural contexts for those who enroll in education study abroad programs. Assignments include journal readings, a synthesis paper, and a photo essay, web-based dialogue journal, portfolio rendition or similar project of important education questions answered during the study abroad program.

This course is designed for departmental honors in undergraduate education credit in EC-6, bilingual or secondary education. It may not be repeated for honors credit.

Six hours of Departmental Honors courses may be submitted for graduate elective credit in the School of Education graduate education programs. Approval for such credit is contingent upon Graduate Education Admissions committee.

4338H. Honors Technology for Educators 

Prerequisite: undergraduate students in honors program only; EDU 2300, EDU 3431 or 3432, EDU 3338 and 3.5 GPA

Honors students will engage in hands-on activities and projects that will extend their knowledge and use of technology in the classroom. Special emphasis will be placed on the use of technology as a tool to create projects that involve higher-order thinking, and engaging learning environments. Students will 

Students will be admitted to the Departmental Honors in English if they have at least a 3.5 GPA in English and Departmental approval.

In order to fulfill the 6-hour requirement for Honors in English, the student will need to complete 

ENG-4375H-Senior Portfolio/Honors Seminar in Literature

An English capstone experience as final preparation for the workplace or graduate or professional school. Students will complete a professional dossier and prepare an electronic portfolio showcasing written work and reflecting on learning from academic work in the major. They will also--as participants in the Departmental Honors Program--have the opportunity to study a selected literary topic in depth and begin work on a two-semester thesis.

OR

ENG-4385H-Senior Portfolio/Honors Seminar in Writing

An English capstone experience as final preparation for the workplace or graduate or professional school. Students will complete a professional dossier and prepare an electronic portfolio showcasing written work and reflecting on learning from academic work in the major. They will also--as participants in the Departmental Honors Program--have the opportunity to study a selected topic in Rhetoric or Creative Writing in depth and begin work on a two-semester thesis. 

AND 

ENG-4386H-Honors Seminar and Thesis

This Honors course provides students an opportunity to complete a critical thesis (concentrating on a particular idea, reading, writer, concept, or theory) or an extended creative writing project (e.g. a collection of stories). All theses will be assessed by Department faculty, and students will be expected to make one public presentation of their work at University College Day or at a professional conference before graduation.

The content of ENG-4375H and ENG-4385H will be determined by instructors and student interest.

Before students can enroll in the second Honors course, they must earn a minimum of a B in the first.

In order to be considered for departmental honors in Mass Communication, a student majoring in Mass Communication must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 and at least 45 semester hours of college credit prior to enrolling in departmental honors courses. Then the student must complete the 9-hour requirement consisting of departmental courses designated as the Honors version of specially designated departmental courses. Though other courses may be added by the department, the following are so designated:

To qualify for Honors in History, the student will need to complete HIS 4391H and HIS 4392H.

4391H  History Honors Seminar

Prerequisite: 90 completed hours, 27 hours of history courses, 3.5 major GPA, 3.0 overall GPA

The first of two semesters devoted to researching and writing a Senior Honor Thesis. In this course, the student will research her/his selected thesis topic. These three (3) hours of History Honors Seminar are in addition to the 36 hours required for the history major.

4392H  History Honors Seminar

Prerequisite: HIS 4391, 90 completed hours, 27 hours of history courses, 3.5 major GPA, 3.0 overall GPA

The second of two semesters devoted to researching and writing a Senior Honor Thesis. In this course, the student will write her/his Senior Honor Thesis. These three (3) hours of History Honors Seminar are in addition to the 36 hours required for the history major.

To qualify for Honors in Political Science, the student must complete the 9-hour requirement in three designated honors courses. The courses must represent advanced political science coursework from each of the three field tracks, so that a student will complete 3 credit hours from the Global Studies track, 3 credit hours from the Pre-Law track and 3 credit hours from the Government and Politics track.

Global Studies Track:

POL 4321H.  International Law

This course integrates the study of the principles of international law and organizations with impact of international politics upon them.

POL 4322H.  Foreign Policy of the United States

A study of the diplomatic relations of the United States from its pre-Revolutionary foundations to its present international posture.

POL 4351H.  International Relations

The systematic study of the legal principles determining international order. The overall purpose of the course is to introduce a student to the conceptual analysis of international politics and relations between states.

POL 4328H.  International Political Economy

This course examines the interplay between economics and politics in contemporary international relations.

Pre Law Track:

POL 3310H.  Civil Rights:  Law and Society

This course is an examination of the historical development of civil rights law and social and political ideologies as reflected in various racial, sexual, and ethnic environments and settings. This course addresses such issues as school segregation and integration, employment legislation, hate speech, affirmative action, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and the Nineteenth Amendment.

POL 3323H.  American Constitutional Law II

The overall purpose of this course is to stimulate interest in civil and personal freedoms established by the United States Constitution in the Bill of Rights.

POL 4320H.  Moot Court Workshop

A course that focuses on law in action in the form of simulated appellate court proceedings-“moot court” actions. Students discuss major constitutional issues through case briefs, a written appellate brief, and oral argument. Students are afforded the opportunity to participate in intramural and intercollegiate competitions.

Government and Politics Track:

POL 3331H.  European Governments

An analysis of the political and governmental systems of Great Britain, France, West Germany, and Russia, contrasting the principles of parliamentary democracy with those of dictatorship.

POL 4370H.  The American Presidency

This seminar discusses the power of the executive, both in terms of the office and in terms of the office-holder. It includes active discussions of the presidency, the presidents, and the politicians surrounding the executive branch. It is a thoughtful and provocative analysis of the most powerful position of government in the world, as seen through respected political science research, literature, and scholarly comments.

POL 4326H.  Public Policy:  Theory and Analysis

This course analyzes the making, implementation, and evaluation of public policy issues in the United States. The course also explores global extensions of American public policy, and implications for policy measures in global community relations.

To qualify for Honors in Sociology, the student must complete one stand-alone seminar course and one upper-division course with a contractual Honors component.

To qualify for Honors in Spanish, students will need to enroll in one of the following courses: SPN 3301H, SPN 3311H or SPN 4369H. Students must successfully complete that work before they can enroll in the sequel course SPN 4370H.

3301H Survey of Spanish Literature

Prerequisite: SPN 1341, 1342, 2313, 2314, or the equivalent and acceptance in the Spanish Departmental Honors Program

This survey course is designed to introduce the student to important authors and literary currents of Spain, to give them practice in reading essays, poetry, drams, and fiction written in Castilian Spanish and to direct them Course Descriptions/Spanish 353 toward applying critical/analytical literary concepts to the readings.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to discuss the works read in class from the following critical perspectives: narrative point of view, plot development, characterization, language, themes, style, structure and tone. In addition, the student will be able to identify and discuss characteristics, authors, and works of the following literary currents in Spain: neoclasicismo, Romanticismo, naturalismo, modernismo, and La generacion del ’98.

3311H Survey of Spanish-American Literature

Prerequisite: SPN 1341, 1342, 2313, 2314, or the equivalent and acceptance in the Spanish Departmental Honors Program

As part of the Wesleyan Honors Program, this literature course offers students the opportunity to study more in-depth representative Spanish-American literature from the Pre-Columbia period to the present.

4369H Hispanic-American Literature

Prerequisite: SPN 1341, 1342, 2313, 2314, or the equivalent and acceptance in the Spanish Departmental Honors Program

As part of the Wesleyan Honors Program, this literature course offers students the opportunity to study novels, short stories, poetry, film and essays of Spanish-speaking peoples in greater depth, with an emphasis on Chicano literary art and criticism.

4370H Honors Research Seminar and Thesis

Prerequisite: SPN 3301H, SPN 3311H, or SPN 4369H

The sequel to both SPN 3311H and SPN 4369H, this research-based course provides students an opportunity to concentrate on a particular idea, reading, writer, concept, or theory, culminating in an extensive thesis that the department faculty assesses.

In order to be considered for Departmental Honors in Psychology, a student majoring in Psychology must have at least 75 semester hours of college credit prior to enrolling in departmental honors courses. In order to receive departmental honors a student must do the following:

1. Psychology GPA of 3.5 or higher upon completion of degree
2. PSY4376H Senior Capstone
3. PSY4380H Counseling & Social Services Internship with an in-depth paper that conceptualizes experiences at the site with relevant counseling theory

or PSY4382H Research Internship with completion of a poster, manuscript, or conference proposal

or PSY4384H Teaching Internship with a portfolio that includes test questions, assignments, and lecture notes created by the student

These are regular departmental courses given a special “H” designation. Honors students will do the regular course work, plus additional work as agreed upon with instructor