HELP 2012-2013 University Catalog ■ Honors Program in General Education Print-Friendly Page

Phone: 703-993-1110
Web: honors.gmu.edu

Faculty

Honors students have the opportunity to study with some of Mason’s most accomplished teachers and scholars from disciplines across the university, including Mason’s Robinson Professors.

Course Work

The program offers all course work designated HNRS and HNRT in the Courses  chapter of this catalog.

Honors Program

The Honors Program is the academic program of the Mason’s Honors College (described in the University Academic Programs and Resources  section of this catalog), which provides talented students in all majors with an enriched academic and social environment that enhances their college experience.

The Honors Program offers a unique selection of integrated courses designed for highly motivated students and taught by many of Mason’s most experienced teachers and accomplished scholars. Taken together, these courses satisfy the general education requirements in social sciences and humanities for all colleges and majors in the university. Because most honors classes have fewer than 25 students, honors students have the opportunity to be known and mentored by distinguished faculty during their first years on campus.

The Honors Program also offers students special access to the technical, intellectual, and artistic resources of the university and the national capital region. It seeks to develop among its students a sense of intellectual community and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Admission

Admission is limited and competitive. Applicants are evaluated on the strength of their entire academic record, including the rigor of the high school curriculum, GPA, and standardized test scores. Students are allowed to use AP, IB, and dual-enrollment credit taken before admission to Mason to substitute for many HNRS and HNRT courses, excluding HNRS 110 and HRNS 353.

Honors Curriculum

The core of the honors curriculum is designed to satisfy the university general education requirements through a small number of interdisciplinary courses, allowing students increased opportunities to pursue minors or other individual interests.

To receive honors in general education on their transcript, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.00 in HNRS and HNRT courses as well as supporting courses required for their approved honors program. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 may complete the program but will not receive honors recognition on their transcripts.

Two required courses (7 credits):

Three honors core courses chosen from (9 credits):

Honors students must satisfy general education requirements met by HNRS 122, 131 and 240.  If a student chooses not to take these three courses, the requirements in parentheses must be satisfied by university approved general education courses . HNRS 130 and HNRS 230 meet college level requirements for the B.A. in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Students who complete the requirements described above also fulfill university general education requirements for information technology, oral communication and literature.

Choose two courses from the list above or from the following list of approved departmental honors courses (6-10 credits):

Note: Many of these courses have prerequisites or other departmental requirements. The Honors College may add additional approved courses to meet the requirements of this section. See the Honors College for a complete list.

Additional Requirements:

• Each honors student must take one approved math course, the course depending on major. Approved math courses are MATH 113, HNRT 125 and HNRT 225. Additional math courses are required for some majors.
• Each honors student must take two courses in an approved lab science sequence, the courses depending on the major. Additional science courses are required for some majors. Approved lab sciences sequences include:
  • BIOL 213 and higher level biology lab course
  • CHEM 211 and CHEM 212
  • PHYS 243/244 and PHYS 245/246
  • PHYS 160/161 and 260/261
  • BIOL 124, BIOL 125 and BIOL 246/306
  • HNRT 227 and HNRT 228
  • ASTR 111/112 and HNRT 228
  • BIOL 103 and HNRT 228
  • CHEM 103 and HNRT 228
  • EVPP 110 and HNRT 228
  • GEOL 101 and HNRT 228
  • PHYS 103 and HNRT 228
  • BIOL 124, BIOL 125, and HNRT 228
  • other lab science sequence with written approval of Honors College advisor
• Students pursuing B.A. degrees may have a foreign language requirement
• Beyond the Honors College requirements students must satisfy all requirements of their college and major

Continuation in Honors

Students in the program who are placed on academic warning because their GPA falls below 2.00 (1.80 in the first or second semester) may be ineligible to continue in the program.

Honors students are expected to maintain high standards of academic integrity and personal conduct. Students may be asked to withdraw from the program for a violation of the University Honor Code or any other conduct that reflects adversely on the Honors Program.

Students who leave the program before completion must meet university general education requirements and college-level requirements for their particular degree programs. On leaving the program and before registering for general education courses, students should be advised in their major program on equivalencies between the honors courses they have completed and general education requirements.

Transfer of Honors Credits

Within George Mason: Because of the sequential and integrated nature of the program, honors courses may not correspond exactly to other courses used to fulfill general education requirements. A list of equivalencies is available in the Honors Program Office and on the web site.

Outside George Mason: Course work in the Honors Program may meet the general education requirements of other universities. As in all transfer situations, general education requirements of one institution may not precisely match those of another.

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