Honors Courses
What are Honors Courses?
These are courses designed specifically for the Honors students. With smaller class sizes than the
standard sections, Honors courses offer a more in-depth, "hands-on" view of the subject. To enroll,
register using the Access Plus procedures for a regular class.
What is an Honors Component?
Some courses are offered by instructors who have an interest in arranging an
Honors component for enrolled Honors students. In addition to the regular course work and credit, an
Honors student may decide to receive Honors designation by participating in the extra component. Students
who wish to do so should notify the instructor and complete an
Honors Credit Form.
What are Sections Reserved for Honors Students?
Certain courses at the university have sections of recitation or laboratory work reserved for students in the
Honors Program. These sections build community and use collaborative work groups to encourage Honors students
to delve more deeply into information that is of interest to them and engage in more lengthy discussions of the
course material. To enroll, register using the AccessPlus procedures for a regular class.
What are Recommended Sections?
These sections of certain courses may be more compatible with Honors students' interests. Honors students should
register for these designated sections under the regular procedures.
How Can a Regular Course be Converted to an Honors Course?
Any course offered by the university may be converted to an Honors course. To receive Honors credit, the Honors student and instructor
must agree in advance that the work will represent Honors work. This may involve taking the course by independent study rather than
attending class, developing in greater depth some particular aspect of the course, having weekly conferences with the instructor over
special material, or any other suitable arrangements agreed upon by the student and instructor. The use of the Honors
credit is one way for an Honors student to develop a program of study which is different from that of the typical student
and which more closely meets his or her unique educational goals. The Honors Credit Form
is available online. After completing the form and obtaining the required signatures, the student should return the
form to the Honors Office. When a course is taken for Honors credit, the Registrar's Office is notified and the H designation is
added to the course number on the student's permanent record. This indicates that the Honors student did in fact have a special
experience in the course and has taken some initiative in developing an individualized program. Deadline: Friday after midterms of the semester you are taking the class.
For further information, stop by the Honors Program Office in the Jischke Honors Building or call (515) 294-4371.
Honors Course Registration Procedures
Make sure you plan ahead and take the number of required Honors courses and seminars as prescribed by your college
Honors committee. Don't wait until your last year to meet the requirements because you may find that you will have some
scheduling conflicts.
Honors students and advisors should read the following information carefully to learn how to register for Honors courses
and seminars and also to understand how registration procedures differ for Honors students.
Students may obtain reference numbers for Honors courses from the Honors Program Course/Seminar Brochure, the
Honors Office, the honors program web site, or the semester Schedule of Classes. Students register on the web for Honors
courses during their specifically assigned registration periods. Honors courses are filled on a first come, first served
basis. Courses and lab sections marked by a $ require students to pay an additional fee for course materials.
Priority Scheduling:
Members of the Honors Program will receive priority scheduling for the following semester
and will be assigned course registration times during the beginning of the registration period for the class above the current classification (i.e. juniors will register on the first day of senior registration). Students should see their advisors prior to the opening of registration to work out their schedules and receive their
registration access numbers (R.A.N.) and assigned registration times.
Credit Limit for Registration:
The general registration policy states that students cannot register for more than eighteen (18) credits for any semester. All Honors students, including Freshman Honors Program members, will have
a twenty-one (21) credit limit for registration. This limit will be coded automatically by the Honors Program Office.
Pass/Not Pass Policy for Honors Students:
Honors students may not take any course Pass/Not Pass unless approval has been secured from the student's college Honors committee prior to the student selecting the
Pass/Not Pass option.
Please note that this policy does not apply to courses/seminars offered on a Satisfactory/Fail grading system.
It applies only to those courses - both Honors and non Honors - for which you may elect the Pass/Not Pass system rather
than the standard A-F grading system.
