UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG 2000–2001
 Brigham Young University
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Departmental Sections of Honors Courses | Detailed Explanations of Requirements for Graduation with University Honors | Facilities and Opportunities Available to Honors Students | Honors Courses | Overview of Requirements for Graduation with University Honors | Participation in Honors | University Honors at Graduation | Who Should Participate in Honors


102-A MSRB, PO Box 22600, (801) 378-5497

Dean: James E. Faulconer, Professor, Philosophy
Associate Dean: Steven Benzley, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Associate Dean: K. Newell Dayley, Professor, Music
Associate Dean: Kristine Hansen, Associate Professor, English
Associate Dean: Clark D. Webb, Professor, Education
Associate Dean: Larry T. Wimmer, Professor, Economics



University Honors at Graduation

University Honors is a distinction awarded to all graduates of BYU who have met the honors requirements in general education as described below. This prestigious designation is recorded on the university diploma, on the official transcript of grades, and in the graduation program. It is widely recognized as an indication of exceptional academic achievement.



Participation in Honors

Honors education provides an unusually rich and challenging experience for capable and motivated undergraduate students. Its purpose is to assist students as they establish lifelong patterns of learning and appreciation of the world's great treasures of knowledge. Honors education is not merely a more intensive general education or a more strenuous program in a major. Rather, it provides students with the advantages of an enriched education in a small-class setting with excellent professors, while utilizing all of the advantages of a large university. Students who pursue an honors education at Brigham Young University take honors courses that meet general education requirements and participate in an intensive honors thesis experience in their major.

To graduate from BYU, students must meet not only the requirements of a major department but also the requirements of general education and religion. Most students complete the nonmajor requirements through courses in the general university curriculum. Because all students must complete general education requirements, some required general education classes have high enrollments, and there is little opportunity for students to interact with the professors. The Honors Program invites capable and motivated students to satisfy general education and religion requirements through honors as alternatives to the standard general and religious education programs. Honors courses have small enrollments (usually less than 30 students per class) and are focused on class discussion and writing.
Although it is hoped that students will choose to complete all of the requirements for the University Honors designation, those who do not intend to do so are welcome to participate in the Honors Program to whatever extent they choose. All students are invited to consider honors as a way to achieve the kind of academic experiences they seek. Students may register for honors courses at any time during their undergraduate years without necessarily intending to complete all the honors graduation requirements.
Honors education is open to all students who choose to participate; there is no formal membership in the Honors Program. Students who intend to graduate with University Honors should complete a commitment form that may be obtained from the Honors Advisement Center in 102A Maeser Building (MSRB).



Facilities and Opportunities Available to Honors Students

The Honors Program is housed in the historic Maeser Building on the southwest part of campus. This quiet corner of campus is surrounded by beautiful grounds and wooded areas. The building is named after Karl G. Maeser, the first principal of Brigham Young Academy (the school that later became Brigham Young University). A bronze statue of Karl G. Maeser stands at the building's east entrance. The Maeser Building was constructed in 1911 and is the oldest building on the current campus. Its marble halls are richly decorated with oak and brass trim. The building was restored in 1985 with modern electrical and ventilation systems, but its historic architecture and decoration were retained.

Facilities for honors students in the Maeser Building include the Honors Reading Room in 150 MSRB, with study tables and a small library of reference works and classics; the Honors Common Room in 102 MSRB where students can meet for informal discussions; an art gallery in the lower-floor hall; the Honors Advisement Center in 102A MSRB, where students receive counseling about their honors education; and the Martha Jane Knowlton Coray Lecture Hall in 321 MSRB, where classes, lectures, and musical concerts are held.
Students who have committed to graduate with University Honors and are active participants in the Honors Program are eligible for reduced-rate or free admission to selected musical and theatrical performances, some of which include visiting performers of international renown. They also have priority registration privileges for honors courses. The Honors Program sponsors lectures, concerts, symposia, and socials. The students can also participate in intercampus events with honors students from other universities and colleges. Each week during fall and winter semesters the Honors Program sponsors an honors devotional featuring a religious presentation by a professor or member of the community. Students are invited to participate with the Honors Student Advisory Council, a group of student representatives who assist in policy development, social activities, and academic functions of the Honors Program.

Who Should Participate in Honors

The characteristics that best define honors students are motivation and a strong desire to obtain the most from the educational experience that BYU has to offer. Honors students seek breadth in their education by taking honors courses outside of their majors. They excel within their majors by learning how to conduct research and scholarly work within their chosen fields. They usually tend to work harder and spend more time on their course work than other students, not because their courses are more difficult but because they take courses that interest them. They attend concerts, plays, films, lectures, and art exhibitions, and they participate in informal discussions with their professors and fellow students. Because many of their classes are small and discussion-oriented, they are personally acquainted with their professors. They become well-rounded, literate, and humane scholars whose faith in the restored gospel is strong. Their thirst for knowledge lasts a lifetime. They are not necessarily those with the highest grade-point averages or the highest standardized test scores, nor do all honors students have scholarships. Approximately 9 percent of the BYU student body participates in honors, but many of these students do not complete all of the requirements for graduation with University Honors. To whatever degree students participate in honors, they benefit from an enriched education. The Honors Program invites all BYU students who seek enhancement in their educational experience to take advantage of the many opportunities that the Honors Program offers.

Overview of Requirements for Graduation with University Honors

This section provides a brief overview of the requirements to graduate with University Honors. Detailed explanations of each requirement follow this section. The staff in the Honors Advisement Center, 102A MSRB, (801) 378-5497, is available to answer questions about honors requirements. To graduate with University Honors, a student must:

  1. Commit to graduate with University Honors and consult with an Honors Advisement Center representative once each semester.
  2. Complete the honors curriculum requirement.
  3. Complete the honors Great Works requirement.
  4. Complete the honors advanced languages requirement.
  5. Complete the honors service requirement.
  6. Complete the honors thesis requirement.
  7. Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5.
  8. Submit a graduation portfolio that summarizes the student's honors experiences.

These requirements are intended to enhance all three components of a student's BYU undergraduate education: major education, general eduction, and religious education. The requirements for graduation with University Honors enhance all three of these components. The honors curriculum, Great Works, and advanced languages requirements enhance the general and religious education components. The honors thesis requirement enhances the major education component.

Detailed Explanations of Requirements for Graduation with Univeristy Honors

  1. Commitment to Graduate with University Honors and Consult with an Honors Advisement Center Representative Once Each Semester.

    Students may commit to graduate with University Honors at any time during their undergraduate years by completing a form available at the Honors Advisement Center. Students who have formally committed to graduate with University Honors have certain privileges, among them the opportunity to preregister for honors courses and to receive reduced-rate admission to certain musical and theatre performances and films. To keep the commitment current, students must enroll in at least one honors course per semester for the first two years in the program and consult with an Honors Advisement Center representative once each semester. Consultation with the advisement center allows the Honors Program to know students' plans so advisement personnel can help them register for the correct classes and keep them informed of honors activities.

  2. Honors Curriculum Requirement.

    The honors curriculum requirement enhances the general and religious education components of students' undergraduate education. Nearly all honors courses and honors sections of department courses meet the general and religious education requirements that all BYU students must complete. Students should consult the "University Honors Program Course Guide" to be sure which general and religious education requirements are met by the courses for which they choose to register.

    To fulfill the honors curriculum requirements, students must complete 22 credit hours selected from honors courses and honors sections of department courses, subject to the following limitations:
    • Three of the 22 credit hours must be from one of the following writing courses: HonP 200, Phil 105H, or Engl 200H.
    • No more than 12 credit hours from honors sections of department courses can be used to meet this requirement. Of these, no more than 4 credit hours can be from honors sections of religion courses.
    • No more than 3 credit hours of HonP 214R can be used to meet this requirement.

    All BYU students must complete at least 37.5 credit hours to meet general education requirements and 14 credit hours to meet religious education requirements. Honors options are available for nearly all of these requirements. HonP 499R (honors thesis) does not count as credit for the honors curriculum requirement but can be used as credit for completion of the honors thesis requirement.

  3. Great Works Requirement.

    The honors Great Works requirement introduces students to the world's treasures of literature, music, theatre, film, and art. It is intended to enhance not just their undergraduate education but their entire life as it encourages them to develop a lifelong pattern of experiencing the great works of humanity. Students can fulfill this requirement entirely on their own, or they may include works of literature, music, theatre, film, and art that they study as part of their course work. BYU provides many opportunities to fulfill this requirement within its course offerings and its rich schedule of musical, theatrical, and artistic productions. Some of the Great Works are part of many honors courses. The Honors Program provides reduced-rate admission for honors students to attend selected performance events. Most faculty and student recitals and most art exhibitions are open to students and the public with no admission charge.

    This requirement must be met during the time students are undergraduates. They cannot reduce the requirement by counting works that they studied during high school. Students will benefit most from this requirement if they spread it out over their undergraduate years. Each area requires students to study or attend sixteen works, performances, or exhibitions—which is four per year in each area if spread out over a period of four years. A packet entitled "How to Complete the Honors Great Works Requirement" provides detailed information about this requirement and is available in the Honors Advisement Center (102A MSRB) or electronically at http://ucs.byu.edu/gened/honors/greatworks/. This packet includes the detailed information students will need and a checklist that they can use to ensure that they properly complete this requirement.
    To fulfill this requirement during their four years as an undergraduate, students must:
    • Read sixteen works of literature from the approved reading list in the "How to Complete the Honors Great Works Requirement" packet or from approved substitutions to that list. Students must choose at least one work from each of the following categories of literature in the Western tradition: classical, medieval, renaissance and reformation, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, nineteenth century, and twentieth century; and at least one work from the non-Western tradition. The remaining nine works can be from any of the time periods and from Western or non-Western traditions. As students make their selections, they should choose at least one work from each of the following fields: science and mathematics, social science, female author, and persons of color.
      Inclusion of works not on the approved list is permitted but requires completion of a substitution letter (information available in the Honors Advisement Center) that must be preapproved by the dean or an associate dean of General Education and Honors before students begin reading the substituted work.
    • Attend students' theatrical performances, including at least one play by Shakespeare.
    • Attend students' musical performances. The performances must include at least two symphonies, one concerto, one opera, four faculty or student recitals, one jazz performance, and one dance performance.
    • Attend students' films presented through BYU's Department of Theatre and Media Arts or the International Cinema program. At least eight of the films should be in a language other than English. (Foreign language films shown in International Cinema have English subtitles.)
    • Attend students' art exhibitions (either traveling exhibitions or permanent collections) at local art museums (BYU Museum of Art, Springville Museum of Art, and Church Museum of History and Art) and/or at renowned national or international art museums. Students who have the opportunity to travel are strongly encouraged to visit renowned national or international art museums to meet this requirement.
    • As part of their graduation portfolio, students submit 10 response papers that examine two works of literature, two theatrical works, two pieces of music, two films, and two works of art from the lists included in the "How to Complete the Honors Great Works Requirement" packet. The packet also contains detailed instructions on how to write responses.

  4. Honors Advanced Languages Requirement.

    Honors students must gain proficiency in a foreign language (at least two semesters of foreign language study, or the equivalent) and proficiency in advanced mathematics, statistics, or logic (at least one course from Math 112, 112H, 113, 113H, 119, Stat 221, 221H, Phil 305, or an acceptable substitute). Fulfillment of this requirement meets and exceeds the general education advanced languages requirement.

  5. Honors Service Requirement.

    Students who participate in honors are invariably gifted and highly motivated. The Honors Program encourages students to share their gifts with others through meaningful service. To complete this requirement students must participate in some form of service that draws upon their unique talents and abilities during their undergraduate years. This requirement is flexible in that it allows students to define the form of service they plan to use to meet this requirement. Their contribution may be in a single project or spread out over several projects. Examples of service projects that students have used to complete this requirement include volunteer tutoring of high school or college students; assistance in programs that benefit people who are handicapped, elderly, ill, or impoverished; service as a volunteer in museums, hospitals, parks, or other public facilities; and participation on resoration or conservation projects. This service can be part of activities sponsored by educational, religious, government, business, or charitable organizations, including BYU and the LDS Church, or students can plan and carry out service on their own. For those students who serve full-time LDS missions, the service that meets this requirement should be carried out while a student and should be in addition to any service performed as a full-time missionary. Missions often provide students with skills and opportunities that they can use to provide significant service after their full-time missions are completed.

  6. Honors Thesis Requirement.

    The honors thesis requirement gives students the opportunity to participate in original research or creative work in the discipline of their major. Honors students typically complete the thesis requirement during their junior and senior years after they have obtained sufficient training in their major to conduct independent work in a specialized academic field. Each student chooses a faculty advisor in the department of his or her major and in consultation with the advisor chooses a thesis topic. The topic must be one that is acceptable for a master's thesis in the discipline. The level of an honors thesis does not need to be as high as a master's thesis, although many honors theses achieve the same level as a good master's thesis.

    Students should complete significant course work within the subject area of the thesis (usually at least 30 credit hours, several of which are from 300- or 400-level major courses). The thesis is intended to acquaint students firsthand and in depth with the type of scholarly work that characterizes the field they intend to pursue professionally. For these reasons, only under very rare circumstances is an honors thesis topic outside the major area approved. In most cases students who complete a thesis outside the major do so in a very closely related area. In a few cases a thesis topic outside a student's major may be approved if the student intends to pursue a career in the area of the thesis and has significant academic preparation in that area. For example, a music major who intends to enroll in medical school may have taken 30 credit hours of course work in chemistry, mathematics, physics, and biology in preparation for medical school and may complete a thesis in an area such as cancer research, even though the thesis has little to do with the student's major. In the absence of such justification, students should not pursue thesis work outside their majors.
    Before students begin work on an honors thesis, they must submit a written thesis proposal and have it approved by the Honors Program Office. Guidelines for writing the thesis proposal are available in a packet entitled "How to Complete the Honors Thesis Requirement" that will soon be available in the Honors Advisement Center or electronically at http://ucs.byu.edu/gened/honors/thesis/. Students can request financial support as part of the thesis proposal. Many honors students obtain competitive undergraduate research grants from BYU's Office of Research and Creative activities for honors thesis work. Also, many professors and departments have research funding that can be devoted to research on an honors thesis. Personnel in the Honors Program Office can help students explore the various opportunities that are available to support their work on an honors thesis.
    After the thesis research is complete and the thesis is written, each student must present a thesis defense. The thesis advisor, a faculty referee, and the dean or an associate dean of General Education and Honors will attend the thesis defense. After the thesis defense is completed and all final changes are incorporated into the thesis, the Honors Program will have the thesis bound and make it available for others to read.

  7. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at Least 3.5.

    Honors students are not necessarily those with the highest GPAs, although most perform very well in their classes. Rather than select easy courses to receive high grades, honors students tend to seek challenging courses taught by excellent professors, and they participate in a variety of activities. Honors students are expected to perform well academically, defined as a minimum GPA of 3.5 at the time of graduation.

  8. Graduation Portfolio That Summarizes the Honors Experiences.

    The honors portfolio is a record of the student's undergraduate experience. It is a file kept by all candidates for University Honors graduation and is submitted for review at the same time the completed thesis is submitted. The portfolio contains samples of students' best academic work from their undergraduate program. Although they should place their best work in the portfolio, the file is intended as a record of growth; thus early struggling attempts also have their place. It is always illuminating to students to see where they have been and how far they have come.

    When submitted for examination, the portfolio should contain (but is not limited to):
    • A one- or two-page summary, semester by semester, of the major highlights and achievements of the student's undergraduate experience.
    • A one-page evaluation of the most memorable service the student contributed as an undergraduate.
    • A current transcript indicating a GPA of at least 3.5.
    • A list of three faculty members who know the student and can recommend his or her academic record.
    • A representative collection of the student's best academic work, reflecting educational progression throughout the undergraduate years.
    • Ten Great Works response papers.

Note: The general Web site for the BYU Honors Program is http://ucs.byu.edu/gened/honors/.

Honors Courses

Dates and times for honors classes are listed in the class list of the class schedule under Honors or by any class with the suffix H accompanied by a section number in the 200s.

The University Honors Program Course Guide also contains a complete list of honors courses and detailed course descriptions. It is an essential supplement to the undergraduate catalog and the class schedule. To obtain the course guide or further information about the Honors Program, contact the Honors Advisement Center, 102A MSRB, telephone (801) 378-5497.

1. Languages of Learning

200. Intensive Writing. (3:3:0)

Meets GE requirement in First-Year Writing.

300. Advanced Writing. (3:3:0) Prerequisite: completion of First-Year Writing requirement.

Approaches to advanced writing that differ from departmental offerings. Meets GE Advanced Writing requirement.

250. Math Modeling—Toward a Personal Understanding of the World. (3:3:0)

Developing skills in arriving at quantitative models for the world as we see it. Some math skills reviewed and some new ones introduced.

2. Liberal Arts Core

201. History of Civilization 1. (3:3:0)

Colloquium or seminar in the history of civilization from antiquity to ca. A.D. 1500. Meets the GE core requirement for Civilization 1.

202. History of Civilization 2. (3:3:0)

Colloquium or seminar in the history of civilization from ca. A.D. 1500 to the present. Meets the GE core requirement for Civilization 2.

240. American Government and Society. (3:3:0)

Meets AHtg 100 GE core requirement.

259. Physical Science. (1–6:6:0)

Meets the PhyS 100 GE core requirement.

260. Biology. (1–6:6:0)

Meets the Biol 100 GE core requirement.

3. Honors Arts and Sciences Lower-Division Electives

203R. Literature. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in literature.

204R. Fine Arts. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in art, design, music, theatre, or cinema.

205R. Philosophy. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in philosophy or such related areas as religious and moral thought.

206R. Humanities. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in the humanities.

207R. Language. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in semantics, grammar, linguistics, or history of language.

210R. Civilization and Culture. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar on the historical development of Western civilization and culture or non-Western civilizations and cultures.

211R. Colloquium in Arts and Letters. (1–6:6:0 ea.)



221R. Colloquium in the Social Sciences. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

222R. History. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in history or such related areas as archaeology.

223R. Behavioral Science. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in psychology, psychiatry, organizational behavior, etc.

224R. Political Science. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in political science, international relations, jurisprudence, or political and economic geography.

225R. Sociology. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in sociology or family science.

226R. Anthropology. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in anthropology or related areas.

227R. Economics. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in economics or related areas.

228R. Education. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in education or related areas.

229R. Business. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in business or related areas.

230R. Civilization and Culture. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar on the historical development of Western civilization and culture or non-Western civilizations and cultures.



241R. Colloquium in the Sciences. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

242R. Mathematics. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in mathematics.

243R. Physical Science, Elective. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in astronomy, chemistry, geology, or physics.

244R. Biological Science, Elective. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in biology, botany, microbiology, or zoology.

245R. Technology. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in computer science, engineering, technology, or related areas.

246R. Statistics. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in statistics.



4. Honors Arts and Sciences Upper-Division Electives

303R. Literature. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in literature.

304R. Fine Arts. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in art, design, music, theatre, or cinema.

305R. Philosophy. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in philosophy or such related areas as religious and moral thought.

306R. Humanities. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in the humanities.

307R. Language. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in semantics, grammar, linguistics, or history of language.

310R. Civilization and Culture. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar on the historical development of Western civilization and culture or non-Western civilizations and cultures.



322R. History. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in history or such related areas as archaeology.

323R. Behavioral Science. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in psychology, psychiatry, organizational behavior, etc.

324R. Political Science. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in political science, international relations, jurisprudence, or political and economic geography.

325R. Sociology. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in sociology or family science.

326R. Anthropology. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in anthropology or related areas.

327R. Economics. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in economics or related areas.

328R. Education. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in education or related areas.

329R. Business. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in business or related areas.

330R. Civilization and Culture. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar on the historical development of Western civilization and culture or non-Western civilizations and cultures.



342R. Mathematics. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in mathematics.

343R. Physical Science, Elective. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in astronomy, chemistry, geology, or physics.

344R. Biological Science, Elective. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in biology, botany, microbiology, or zoology.

345R. Technology. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in computer science, engineering, technology, or related areas.

346R. Statistics. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in statistics.



Other Honors Courses

214R. Readings in the History of Ideas. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Seminar in scientific, political, and philosophical thought based on texts treating the human legacy, society, science, ethical challenges, aesthetics, etc.

314R. Readings in the History of Ideas. (1–6:6:0 ea.)

Upper-division seminar in scientific, political, and philosophical thought based on texts treating the human legacy, society, science, ethical challenges, aesthetics, etc.

492R. Special Projects. (1–3:Arr.:Arr. ea.)

Special projects conducted under the supervision of the Honors Program.

499R. Honors Thesis. (1–6:0:0 ea.)



Departmental Sections of Honors Courses

Selected departments offer designated honors sections of introductory courses that meet particular general education requirements as well as honors requirements. In addition, Religious Education offers honors sections of religion courses that meet other university requirements. Approved departmental honors courses include:

Languages of Learning

First-Year Writing:

Engl 200H.
Phil 105H.

Mathematics:

Math 112H, 113H.
Stat 221H.

Foreign Language:

Fren 202H.

Advanced Writing:

Engl 311H, 312H, 315H, 316H.
MCom 320H.
Phil 311H.

Liberal Arts Core

Core Requirements:

AHtg 100H.
Biol 100H.
ClCv 201H, 202H
CmLit 201H, 202H.
Engl 201H, 202H.
Hist 201H, 202H.
Hum 201H, 202H.
Phil 201H, 202H, 210H, 211H.
PhyS 100H.
PlSc 201H, 202H.

Arts and Sciences Electives

Arts and Letters:

ClCv 110H, 241H.
Dance 260H.
Hum 261H, 262H.
Music 101H.
Phil 110H, 205H, 317H, 422H.

Social and Behavioral Sciences:

Anthr 101H, 110H.
Econ 110H.
MFHD 160H.
PlSc 110H.
Psych 111H.
Soc 111H.

Natural Sciences:

Chem 111H.
Geol 101H.
Mcbio 221H.
Phscs 121H, 127H.
Zool 260H.

University Requirements

Religious Education:

RelA 121H, 122H, 211H, 212H, 301H, 302H, 304H, 320H, 315H, 327H.
RelC 130H, 234H, 261H, 324H, 325H, 333H, 341H, 342H, 343H, 344H, 351H, 355H, 356H, 431H.

Students should consult the departmental listings in this catalog, the current class schedule, and the University Honors Program Course Guide for further details about these courses.






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