• Upper-level non-Honors courses (numbered 2000 to 4999)
• Graduate courses (5000 or higher) or undergraduate courses cross-listed with graduate courses
• Independent studies

Two other conditions must be met for a course to be contracted for Honors credit:

• Courses cannot have Honors equivalents offered in the same semester (e.g., a student cannot contract Physics 2021 in a semester where Physics 2921 is offered)
• Courses must be three (3) or more credits

You may contract an upper level non-Honors course (numbered 2000 to 4999).

The student and professor must agree on an extra Honors component in addition to the standard course requirements. This can be a project, literature review, presentation or any experience that qualitatively enhances the course for the student. This list is by no means exhaustive—the Honors-qualifying project is an agreement between the professor and the student. Because this project is not part of the grading rubric for the students taking the course, it should not be factored into the course grade. For it to count for Honors course contract credit, however, the quality of the project must be deemed sufficient by the professor and the final grade must be a B+ or better.  

Here are just a few examples:

Art History 2096: Cultures of Excess: The Patronage and Criticism of Courtly Luxury
The Honors requirement includes a modified final project for the class, which is an exhibition catalogue. To fulfill the Honors requirement, the minimum amount of art to be included in the catalogue has been raised from 6 to 8, which will involve more research and writing. In addition, I will be required to prepare a formal presentation about my exhibition catalogue for the class, which is not a requirement for non-honors students in the class. 

SPSY 2271 Introduction to School Psychology 
I will be participating in the Incredible Years Program at Dunbar Promise Academy alongside the professor of this course and students in the school psychology graduate program. I will receive the training and participate on a weekly basis. Beyond that, I will be keeping a clinician’s log of my experiences and relating it to research I will be doing on the effectiveness of social skills programs in school by reading different studies, and how my experiences fulfill the NASP (National Association of School Psychologist) practice model in foundations of service deliver, as well as direct services. Attached to this contract is an extensive overview of this project. 

STHM 3221 Athletics Administration 
My professor and I discussed various options for adding an Honors dimension to this course, and we agreed that an additional research project would be the best way to do so. Overuse injuries are a frequently discussed topic in the realm of collegiate athletics, and I am interested in completing a research project examining the relationship between overuse injuries and the policy changes that the NCAA is attempting to make to decrease these injuries. I will conduct research on my topic in the necessary fields, and I will write a 6-8 page paper (at minimum) detailing my findings. I am confident that completing this project will add an Honors dimension to the course, while also allowing me to conduct research in my intended career path. 

Students can take a graduate course (5000 or higher) for Honors credit. In this case, no extra component needs to be added to student requirements to make it count towards Honors requirements—only confirmation that the student will be held accountable for completing the graduate-level syllabus.

All Honors students can take one graduate course and have this count toward their upper level Honors requirements without the use of a contract. However, a form must be submitted to the Honors office in order for the Honors staff to know that the student wishes the course to count towards their Honors program requirements. Click here to access the Graduate Course Waiver Form. 

PLEASE NOTE:

1. Graduate courses must be at least three (3) credits or more.
2. Graduate courses must first be cleared with your college advising unit to ensure that they will count towards graduation requirements.
3. Courses taken exclusively for graduate credit will not fulfill an Honors requirement.
4. Completing the Graduate Course Waiver Form linked above does not register you for the graduate course. This form is only sent to Honors staff to indicate that you wish to use the course toward an Honors requirement.

As long as the independent study is not required for a student's major requirements, then no extra component needs to be added to make it count towards Honors requirements, however a contract proposal form must be submitted to the Honors office in order for the Honors staff to know that the student wishes the course to count towards their Honors program requirements. Students with more questions on an independent study should meet with their college advising unit.

If you decide to contract a course during a semester, you must submit the contract within the first two weeks of the semester. These deadlines are announced on this webpage and in the Honors Bulletin (the daily email from Honors and its companion website). If you are unsure of a contract deadline, email [click-for-email] or call our office at 215-204-0710. Contracts are not accepted after this two-week deadline.