Application for H&S Approval of Honors Course

NOTE: The University Honors Committee evaluates and approves courses using the H&S_Honors_Rubric. Please direct any questions about this process to Associate Director for Academic Affairs Rebekah Page.

Course Title*
Course Department Code*
Course Number*
Department Head Name*
Faculty Name, if applicable
This course is*
- new course, currently being added to catalog for next year
- new course, recently added to the catalog
- existing course that has undergone recent changes
- existing course that was previously denied approval
If this is a new course, please briefly describe the status of the course in the university's curricular approval process.
If this is an existing course that has undergone recent changes, please describe those changes here.
We plan to offer this course as a*
- Stand-alone honors course
- Breakout section of a larger non-honors course
In order to be approved for CHP credit, an honors course should • Create an environment of higher-ordered learning (analysis, synthesis, argumentation) and promote independent critical thinking. • Require students to actively engage with course material through, for example, discussion, writing, creative expression, research, experiential learning and/or problem solving. Said course material should be more advanced than that in a non-honors equivalent version of the course.• Allow for meaningful faculty-student interaction. • Emphasize strong communication skills, both written and oral. • As appropriate, emphasize primary over secondary texts. • As appropriate, provide opportunities for peer collaboration as well as independent research. • As appropriate, provide opportunities for publication or presentation of work. PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW THIS COURSE MEETS THOSE CRITERIA.*
Honors empahsizes learning more, not doing more. Please discuss what students will learn in this course and how it differs from non-honors versions of this course or subject matter. If applicable, please include details about the level of student-faculty interaction.*
Please describe how consistency and continuity will be achieved in the teaching of this course among different instructors.*
If this course is an honors version of an existing non-honors course (e.g. 107/101), please articulate how this course differs from the non-honors version in ways not already discussed above.
All course submissions will be vetted by the University Honors Committee using the H&S Course Approval Rubric (linked above). Please provide your own evaluation of how your course meets the requirements of the rubric, including how you would score the course and why. Please reference specific areas of the rubric in your response and indicate how specific areas are reflected in the syllabus and/or other course materials.*
Please attach a course syllabus for review. NOTE: The syllabus should include a robust course description which includes a discussion of what makes the course honors. As a document that serves as a contract between students and instructor, it is crucial that a syllabus for an honors course reflects the criteria that make the course "honors."*
If available, please attach samples of course assignments and/or exams for review.
Drop files here or

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Honors & Scholars Programs
Division of Student Success

Application for H&S Approval of Honors Course