Honors Sections of University Core Curriculum Courses Each semester, the Honors College offers Honors sections of several University Core Curriculum (UCC) courses. Honors sections are more intense than traditional sections, they rely more upon discussion, and they are capped at 20 students. Before priority registration begins in the fall and spring semester, the Honors College Office produces a list of all Honors sections of UCC courses and shares it with students via e-mail. Registration Process: All incoming first year students (current high school seniors) are registered by the registrar. Current students: See your advisor as soon as possible (before March 14th) to discuss your Fall 2025 courses and obtain your alternate pin. For a course registration video, please click on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzBYVn7qpuU&t=7s Click here for a helpful schedule planner. Click here for a blank 8-semester planning sheet. Courses are available only by permit. To obtain a permit, please email honors@wpunj.edu with your name, 855 number and the course information. Fall 2025 Honors Courses UCC Area 1- Personal Well-Being Financial Well-Being- Honors FINP 1600-001 CRN: 46565 Lawrence Verzani MWF: 2:00pm-2:50pm Financial well-being is designed to promote financial literacy among students in order to allow them to increase their overall financial, economic and social well-being. Consumers operate in a buyer beware marketplace and must be financially literate in order to achieve and maximize their own well-being and security. This course covers the basic financial planning process and will help students obtain a working knowledge of creating an investment portfolio, filing taxes, risk management, insurance, credit scores, credit reports, debt management, retirement planning and time value of money. UCC Area 2A- Expression-Arts & Communication Communication In Action- Honors COM 1100-007 CRN: 48620 Nick Hirshon W: 11:00am-1:40pm A study of oral communication as an interpersonal and dynamic process. Students engage in communication experience designed to develop understanding of and skill in public and interpersonal communication. Aesthetic Practices and The Self- Honors PHIL 1700-050 CRN: 48502 Laura Di Summa TR: 11:00am-12:15pm Aesthetic practices are common vehicles of self-expression and therefore essential to the establishment of personal and collective identity. This course examines the philosophical importance of aesthetic significance. Grounded in current literature on "everyday aesthetics"-a branch of philosophy of art- the course considers issues such as fashion and the fashioning of oneself, gaming, eating practices, the role of popular art and entertainment in our lives, with the goal of exposing students to issues in aesthetics that are often overlooked by the academic community. Additionally, the course invites students to express their own identity through such practices, allowing for both their expression and a deep reflection on their everyday live. UCC Area 3B- Ways of Knowing Historical The Modern World - Honors HIS 1050-003 CRN: 46502 Joanne Cho TR: 2:00pm-3:15pm This course provides broad coverage of the formation of the modern world from the late 18th century to the present. It traces political, economic, social, and cultural developments and interactions among the principal regions of the world including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas from the Atlantic Revolutions and their aftermath to our contemporary era. Topics include: the American, French and Haitian revolutions, the Latin American independence movements, industrialization, colonialism and anti-colonialism, nationalism, the World Wars and their aftermath, the Cold War, and globalization. Writing-intensive sections of HIST 1030 will require students to submit approximately 12 pages of formal writing, including a research paper, Blackboard discussion questions, in-class writing, and/or reading logs and journals. UCC Area 3C- Ways of Knowing Social & Behavioral Science General Psychology - Honors PSY 1100-005 CRN: 46856 Chris Holle MW: 3:30pm-4:45pm This course surveys the chief theories, principles, and methodologies of psychology with special emphasis on their relations to human behavior. The biological foundations of behavior, sensory processes, learning, perception, memory, emotion, motivation, personality, and the social bases of behavior and behavior pathology are examined to establish the foundations for advanced study in psychology. Current research findings are included wherever applicable. UCC Area 3D- Ways of Knowing Scientific General Biology- Honors BIO 1620-005 CRN: 47007 Staff TR: 9:30-10:45 a.m. and R 2-4:40pm For students intending to major in biology, this course is an introduction to general principles of biology for students preparing for careers in life science. Course emphasis is on evolution as a unifying principle in biology, natural selection, macroevolution, evolutionary history of life on earth, exploration of the tree of life, comparative form & function, and interactions among organisms within populations, communities, and ecosystems. Course prerequisites: All Basic skills met; Must be enrolled in one of the following Fields of Study (Major, Minor or Concentration): Biology (BIO), Biotechnology (BIOT), Computer Science (CS), Environmental Science (ENV), Environmental Sustainability (EVSN), Integrated Math & Science (IMS), Mathematics (MATH), Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Prof Prg (PBPP) UCC Area 4- Diversity and Justice Race, Gender, & Social Justice AWS 2250-001 CRN: 46188 Elizabeth Harkins TR: 11:00am-12:15pm This course analyzes multiple forms of social oppression and inequality based on race (and color), sex (and gender), sexual orientation (and identity), and class in the United States. It will examine systemic aspects of social oppression in different periods and contexts and the ways that systems of social oppression manifest themselves on individual, cultural, institutional and/or global levels thus becoming self-perpetuating but not wholly unaltered structures. Individual and group agency, strategies of resistance, and visions for change will also be studied. UCC Area 5- Community and Civic Engagement Structural Determinants of Health-Honors PBHL 3820-001 CRN:46764 Staff A W: 11:00am-1:40pm This Honors Area 5 course explores macro-level societal structures as fundamental determinants of health. Emphasis will be placed on how political and economic institutions as well as systems of power and ideology shape social life, population health, health behaviors, and health disparities. UCC Area 6- Global Awareness Global Transformations and The Human Condition -Honors ANTH 3100-001 CRN: 46148 Vidya Kalaramadam TR: 2:00pm-3:15pm This course develops an understanding of the experiences of “globalization” as a historical phase of capitalism, and “development” as a post-World War II set of practices. It will analyze specific “global” problems as manifested in the lives of large sections of the world’s poor and marginalized populations across multiple societies. These problems include poverty and inequality; livelihoods and food security; endemic hunger, malnutrition and healthcare systems; overconsumption, population and environmental degradation; international debt; displacement and migration; intellectual property rights and indigenous knowledge; wars and cultural conflicts. Emphasis will be on contradictory impacts on people and societal prospects in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and on marginalized populations in advanced capitalist countries. Methods to facilitate a just and sustainable future for humanity will also be explored. Readings in Global Literature ENG 3540-070/HUMH 2000 CRN: 48548 Barbara Suess M: 6:00pm-7:15pm This course introduces students to representative texts in literatures from across the world, focusing especially on literatures from the global south/ non-western world, which may range from the ancient to the modern and contemporary periods. The course emphasizes a broadly comparative perspective which situates literary texts, either Anglophone or in translation, from different regions, both in specific cultural and political contexts, as well as studies them in depth from a broadly literary perspective in conversation and canonical western literary texts and genres. Hybrid course. Elective Course open to all Honors students Sports Journalism and Social Change HON 3990-001 CRN: 48664 Nicholas Hirshon MW 2pm-3:15pm Today’s sports journalists continue to drive conversations about equality. Because sports are often seen as just entertainment, sports journalists have a unique ability to introduce social issues to audiences who might tune out similar messages in traditional political coverage. That has placed sports reporters at the forefront of major cultural shifts in recent years. In this course, students will examine how sports journalists challenge social norms. They will also cover social issues through a sports lens. Optional trips for the course include seeing a baseball game at Hinchcliffe Stadium and touring the Jackie Robinson Museum. Track Courses Business Track Practicum FIN 4850-001 CRN: 48627 Staff R: 2:00pm-4:40pm MGT 4850-001 CRN: 48013 MKT 4850-001 CRN: 47977 ECON 4850-001 CRN: 47930 A course of study designed especially for the supervised practical application of previously studied theory in a group setting. Done under the supervision of a faculty sponsor and coordinated with a business organization. Biology Track Honors Literature Seminar BIO 3950-001 CRN: 46519 Staff A MW: 12:30pm-1:45pm This course serves as an intensive introduction to reading and criticism of biological scholarship via select papers from the primary literature. Designed for 3rd-year Honors students, the course will move students who are preparing for major senior research projects into addressing the literature across the life sciences, and in their area of interest in particular. Students will read, evaluate, and critically discuss papers on a weekly basis and write a review-style final paper on a scientific topic of their choosing. Students will be encouraged to choose a topic close to their Honors research project, which should be in development by the time they take this course. This will allow students to make supervised progress toward their Independent Study proposals and Senior Thesis work. Prerequisite: Grade of C- or better in BIO 2050 and BIO 2060. Good standing in Honors. Research Methods in Biology BIO 5330-060 CRN: 46102 Staff A A thorough examination of the methodologies, procedures and issues of science, particularly as they apply to biology. Emphasis is on design of research, statistical treatment of data and interpretation of results. Lecture and lab. Prerequisite: Admission to the biology graduate program or permission of the instructor (4 credits) Students will be charged an additional Biology Lab Fee when enrolling in this course. Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology Track: Intro to Counseling/Psychology Development-Honors PSY: 4100-001 CRN: 46500 Robin Nemeroff TR: 11:00am-12:15pm This course explores the major theories of psychotherapy and the application of those theories. For each therapy mode, the theory of psychopathology is related to the methods used and the theory of change. Research outcomes for each type of psychotherapy are reviewed. Prerequisite: PSY 3500 OR PSY 3510 CLINICAL SCIENCE THESIS I CLSI 4700-001 CRN: 46642 Diamond Bruce TBD The central goal of this course is to provide feedback, guidance and oversight of the honors research experience and the process of writing the honors thesis. This course will help provide a brief review of the foundational knowledge, research skills and ethical principles central to the research process. An integral part of this course is providing oversight of the early thesis stages including conceptualization, goal setting, literature review and method section. As such, the writing component in this course help facilitate learning, critical thinking and collaborative discussion as well as provide an evaluation tool. Overall, this course is a comfortable place for students to learn, discuss issues and make mistakes in a non-judgmental, constructive and mutually supportive environment PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY-HONORS CLSI 4150-070 CRN: 46776 Diamond Bruce To provide a groundwork for this course in the neurosciences, a behaviorally oriented overview of nervous system functioning and biochemistry is integrated with discussions of basic pharmacological principles and biobehavioral research methods. The physiological, behavioral, and psychological effects of the major classes of psychoactive drugs are presented. Emphasis is placed on understanding the mechanisms of these drugs at molecular, cellular, and neurophysiological levels; the similarities and differences in mechanisms between drugs; and the experimental paradigms utilized to arrive at the findings. Cognitive Science Track Cognitive Science Seminar I CGSI: 2000-001 CRN: 46309 Michael Gordon F: 9:30am-12:15pm Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary study of the mind/brain. Students gain an understanding of how the different constituent areas (psychology, anthropology, neuroscience, computer science, philosophy, and linguistics) are the rich foundation of cognitive science by directly interacting with the experts in those fields. This provides the student with an overview of the field of cognitive science and the general methodologies used within those fields. Prerequisite: PSY 1100 AND PHIL 1100. Cognitive Science Thesis I CGSI: 4010-001 CRN: 46150 Amy Learmonth F: 2:00pm-4:40pm This is a research-based course that is the first part of a two-semester thesis. Although students will have already been exposed to at least one research methods course prior to the thesis course, an overview of the logic of research and the methodology will be presented. This overview will also serve to highlight the various options students will have for their own research projects. Research methods open to the students include computer modeling and simulations, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, qualitative research methodologies, discourse analysis and think-aloud protocols. The 'how to' of research will be explored in detail. Students, in consultation with faculty, will select a topic for their research project. The exploration of the research topic will be the primary focus of the course. Formal oral and written presentations of the research proposal as well as summaries and research notes of a minimum of twelve research articles relevant to the student’s individual topic will be completed. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: CGSI 3000 AND PSY 2030. Global Public Health Track Structural Determinants Health-Honors PBHL 3820-001 CRN:46764 Staff A W: 11:00am-1:40pm See course description above in UCC 5. Public Health Honors Thesis I PBHL 4800-001 CRN: 46985 Staff A T: 9:30am-12:10pm This course addresses the main research methods used in public health. The course covers the role of research in understanding public health problems, research design and methods (quantitative and qualitative), and ethics. Students will learn how to search for published, peer-reviewed literature and will develop skills in reading and analyzing published studies. Considerable attention is given to the process of scientific writing. The course will culminate in the development of the research proposal for the senior honors thesis, which will include a literature review of hypothesized relationships, and a detailed plan for the senior thesis research project. This course is a UCC Writing Intensive course. Humanities Track Humanities Honors Seminar I ENG 3540/HUMH 2000-070 CRN: 47833 Staff A M: 6:00pm-7:15pm See course description in UCC 6. Humanities Honors Thesis Seminar I HUMH 4010-001 CRN: 46080 Molly O’Donnell TBD The first of two capstone courses in the Humanities honors track, designed to engage students in identifying, researching, and organizing an appropriate topic for their honor’s thesis. The course will include extensive individual work with a thesis supervisor. Course culminates in the completion and submission of a research proposal to University Honors College. Designated as UCC-Writing Intensive. Humanities Honors Thesis Seminar II HUMH 4020-001 CRN: 47184 Molly O’Donnell TBD The second, culminating capstone course in the Humanities honors track, in which students produce and present their individual senior research publicly in fulfilment of the thesis requirements for an honors degree from the University Honors College. Designated as UCC-Writing Intensive. Music Track Music Honors Seminar MUSI 4970-060 CRN: 46867 Christopher Herbert W 5:00pm-5:50pm This four-semester sequence, one-credit course is the forum for basic orientation, communication, group collaboration, analysis, assessment, and mentoring for students in the Music Honors track of the University Honors Program. Students plan their course of study in honors, including choices of courses in and out of the Music Department, and begin to formulate and pursue the various honors project options working in consultation with the Honors Track Director and other Music Honors Students throughout their seminar experiences. Prerequisites: Acceptance into Music Honors Track by Application and Interview. Music Honors Project MUSI 4980-001 CRN: 46275 Christopher Herbert TBD This is the culminating experience in the Music Honors track of the University Honors Program. It consists of a recital, lecture, paper, report of research, or a combination of these to be determined in consultation with the music honors track coordinator. Nursing Track Critical Thinking Inquiry- Honors NUR 3260-001 CRN: 47191 Staff A F: 9:00am-11:40am The concepts and processes related to critical thinking, nursing informatics, and evidence-based nursing provide the framework for this course. Knowledge and skills required for critical analysis of information relevant to all aspects of professional nursing practice are developed. Students will be charged an additional Non-clinical Instruction Fee and NCLEX Prep Fee when enrolling in this course. Prerequisites: NUR 3210 and PBHL 2240. Minimum Grade of D. FOR NURSING MAJORS ONLY. Honors Research Project Implementation NUR 4526-001 CRN: 46497 Staff A F: 8:00am-10:40am NUR 4526-002 CRN: 46821 Staff A F: 11:00am-1:40pm This course provides the opportunity for nursing honors students to implement the research proposal begun in the previous course (NUR 3330H). This seminar course supports and guides students as they implement their individualized research study. Students will develop their results chapter of their quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research or begin to synthesize findings of their systematic or integrative review of the literature. Students working with human subjects will finalize letters of consent and complete Institutional Review Board applications through the University as well as corresponding health care systems where research will take place. Students will develop surveys through Qualtrics, establish data collection databases, and begin analysis of findings. Students will seek opportunities to submit abstracts of their work at local, regional, and national conferences. At the completion of the course, students will be prepared to present their findings to their peers and provide constructive feedback via a peer review process. The seminar includes critical thinking and discussion of the challenges that students face as they implement their research study and analyze the raw data. Prerequisite: NUR3500H, NUR 3260H, NUR3330H Performing & Literary Arts Performing & Literary Arts Thesis I PLA 4010-001 CRN:46283 Martha Witt TBD This course guides students through the development and completion of their Honors project—an original artistic work of substance—culminating in a public presentation to the campus community. Projects may span various creative disciplines, including writing, music, film, art, theatre, and photography, and must demonstrate originality and thoughtful composition. The course covers key aspects of the creative process, such as defining and structuring the project, reflecting on artistic process, overcoming challenges, reworking, revising, and refining the final project. The project, accompanied by a written thesis, will be submitted in the final semester of the PLA track. Students will meet with the instructor and artist partners on a weekly basis for personalized feedback and support. Social Sciences Track Social Sciences Honors Seminar I SSH 2010-001 CRN: 48585 Staff A T: 2:00pm-4:40pm As social scientists attempt to decipher human social behavior, they make various moral, theoretical, political, and methodological choices. This seminar, recommended as the first in the honors sequence, makes a special effort to identify where the various social science disciplines differ and where possibilities exist for interdisciplinary cooperation. The course also offers a historical perspective on the development of the social sciences. Social Sciences Honors Thesis I SSH 4010-001 CRN: 46986 Danielle Wallace W: 11:00am-1:40pm The primary goal of this course is to enable students to launch a significant honors research project that they will complete in SSH 4020. Prior to enrolling in the course, all students will have completed SSH 2020 - the honors methodology seminar - as well as relevant methodology courses in a particular discipline. In this small group course, students initiate their honors theses by conducting extensive reviews of the applicable social scientific literature. The ultimate goal for the semester is to develop realistic research proposals and, when possible, to begin implementing these proposals. As a group, the class explores various research strategies and, in particular, focuses on overcoming the roadblocks that frequently emerge during the course of any serious research project. Students are required to produce frequent written progress reports and a formal research proposal that should, in most cases, become (with adaptation) a portion of their thesis write-up. Students are encouraged to assist each other when possible and to offer constructive feedback on each other's proposals. Prerequisite: SSH 2010, SSH 2020, SSH 3010
