Undergraduate Catalog

Centennial Honors College

Dean: Dr. Lorette S. Oden
Office: Horrabin Hall 6
Telephone: (309) 298-2228
Email: Honors@wiu.edu
Website: wiu.edu/Honors

Program Offerings and Locations

  • Minor in Pre-Law Honors: Macomb

The Centennial Honors College provides academically talented and motivated students an enriched academic curriculum and opportunities for leadership, professional growth, and service learning. At the University level, its curriculum of special General Honors courses and colloquia is an integral part of the University’s General Education. Within departments or areas of study, the honors curriculum is an integral part of the major with offerings of in-course honors, projects, seminars, recitals, and internship opportunities. General Honors courses, taught by a select faculty, foster opportunities for discussion and debate and promote critical reasoning, cross-disciplinary thinking, and communication skills. Honors work within departments and areas provides opportunities for in-depth study, research, and professional development.

Eligibility

Only students who are enrolled in the Centennial Honors College may register for honors courses. To qualify for the Centennial Honors College, entering freshmen must satisfy A, B, or C:

  1. Have an overall high school GPA of 3.75 or above (4.0 scale)
  2. Meet two of the following three criteria:
    1. 3.4 high school GPA (4.0 scale)
    2. 24 ACT / 1160 SAT
    3. Top 15% of high school graduating class
  3. Submit a 300-word essay discussing your personal and academic experiences that have prepared you to be successful in meeting and maintaining the Honors College graduation requirements. Use specific examples of experiences you believe make you a strong candidate for the Centennial Honors College.

Transfer and current Western students who wish to join the Honors College must either have a 3.4 grade point average on a 4.0 scale based on 12 or more semester hours, or submit a 300-word essay discussing their personal and academic experiences that have prepared them to be successful in meeting and maintaining the Honors College graduation requirements. Transfer and current Western students should use specific examples of experiences they believe make them strong candidates for the Centennial Honors College. Honors credit may be given for honors coursework completed at other accredited institutions.

International students are encouraged to apply and may contact the Dean.

Honors College Requirements for Graduation

To graduate from the Centennial Honors College, students must complete an honors curriculum in University Honors, Honors in the Major, General Honors, or the Pre-Law Honors minor. All honors students must complete the one-hour honors colloquium (G H 299).

University Honors includes two General Honors seminars, an honors section of the First Year Experience (a General Honors seminar may be substituted in some cases), G H 299, and the appropriate discipline-specific honors requirements in the major. Transfer students are eligible for University Honors if they have completed an appropriate number of honors courses at a college or university before enrolling at Western Illinois University.

Honors in the Major includes the appropriate discipline-specific requirements in the major and G H 299.

General Honors includes two General Honors seminars, an honors section of the First Year Experience (a General Honors seminar may be substituted in some cases), and G H 299.

Pre-Law Honors Minor: 21 s.h.

The Pre-Law Honors minor is a unique interdisciplinary minor for students who are enrolled in the Centennial Honors College and who plan careers in law. The curriculum for this minor is designed to provide students with skills and knowledge important as a foundation for the study of law. Emphasis is given to the development of effective written and oral communication, analytical and critical reasoning, and an understanding of institutions, social processes, and human values important to legal studies. Students from all majors are eligible for this honors option, and upon completion of the requirements will graduate as Honors Scholars.

  • A minimum overall and honors coursework GPA of 3.40
  • 21 s.h. from Categories A and B below
  • 18 s.h. as honors hours with the option of 6 honors hours in General Honors
  • A minimum of 12 honors hours from Categories A and B
  • 18 s.h. outside of the major (one course may count toward the major and this minor)

Category A (complete all with or without honors credit)

  • ACCT 200 or 201; COMM 247; PHIL 120, 140

Category B (complete 9 s.h. with or without honors credit)

  • BC&J 400; B L 230; ECON 232; HIST 303; LEJA 212, 312; PHIL 420, 440; POLS 319, 402, 410, 411, 448; SOC 355, 463

Course Descriptions

GENERAL HONORS (G H)

101 Freshman Humanities Tutorial. (2–3, repeatable only if second tutorial is taught by a different department) (General Education/Humanities) Reading, writing, and discussion on topics in the humanities to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for freshmen. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced. Students may be eligible to receive WIU advanced placement credit for ENG 180 or ENG 280 but not for both ENG 180 and 280. G H 101 may be repeated only if taken in a different department; however, AP credit may be earned only once.

102 Freshman Social Sciences Tutorial. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Social Sciences) Reading, writing, and discussion on social science topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for freshmen. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

103 Freshman Science and Mathematics Tutorial. (2–4, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Natural Sciences and Mathematics) Reading, writing, and discussion on scientific and mathematical topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for freshmen. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

104 Freshman Science and Mathematics Tutorial with Lab. (3–4, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Natural Sciences and Mathematics) Laboratory analysis, reading, writing, and discussion of scientific and mathematical topics to be announced in advance. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements may be announced.

201 Sophomore Humanities Tutorial. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Humanities) Reading, writing, and discussion on topics in the humanities to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for sophomores. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

202 Sophomore Social Sciences Tutorial. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Social Sciences) Reading, writing, and discussion on social science topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for sophomores. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

203 Sophomore Science and Mathematics Tutorial. (2–4, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Natural Sciences and
Mathematics) Reading, writing, and discussion on scientific and mathematical topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for sophomores. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

204 Sophomore Science and Mathematics Tutorial with Lab. (3–4, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Natural
Sciences and Mathematics) Laboratory analysis, reading, writing, and discussion of scientific and mathematical topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for sophomores. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements may be announced.

207 Sophomore Multicultural Tutorial. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) (College of Arts and Sciences General Education/ Multicultural Studies) Reading, writing, and discussion on different topics concerning multicultural issues to be announced in advance.
Designed primarily for sophomores. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

299 Honors Colloquium. (1, repeatable for different topics) Exploration of topics focused on significant scientific and cultural achievements. Lectures, discussion, and field trips. Field trips.

301 Advanced Humanities Seminar. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Humanities) Reading, writing, and discussion on topics in the humanities to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for juniors. Normally a term paper and seminar
presentation will be required. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

302 Advanced Social Sciences Seminar. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Social Sciences) Reading, writing, and discussion on social science topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for juniors. Normally a term paper and seminar
presentation will be required. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

303 Advanced Science and Mathematics Seminar. (2–4, repeatable for different topics) (General Education/Natural Sciences and
Mathematics) Reading, writing, and discussion on scientific and mathematical topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for juniors. Normally a term paper and presentation will be required. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

333 Independent Study. (1–3, repeatable with no maximum) Intensive study and writing on interdisciplinary topics to be approved by the Honors coordinator and faculty supervisors. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College and must have upperdivision status.

401 Senior Humanities Seminar. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) Reading, writing, and discussion on topics in the humanities to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for seniors. Normally a term paper and seminar presentation will be required. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

402 Senior Social Sciences Seminar. (2–3, repeatable for different topics) Reading, writing, and discussion on social science topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for seniors. Normally a term paper and seminar presentation will be required. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

403 Senior Science and Mathematics Seminar. (2–4, repeatable for different topics) Reading, writing, and discussion on scientific
and mathematical topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for seniors. Normally a term paper and presentation will be
required. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.

444 Independent Senior Research. (3–6, repeatable to 6) Intensive research and preparation of an interdisciplinary senior honors
thesis or project report. Topics to be approved by the Honors coordinator and a faculty supervisor. Prerequisite: Open only to seniors who are enrolled in the Centennial Honors College.

499 Interdisciplinary Colloquium. (1–3, repeatable with no maximum) Reading, writing, and discussion on interdisciplinary topics to be announced in advance. Designed primarily for upper-division honors students. Normally a term paper and seminar presentation
will be required. Prerequisites: Students must be enrolled in the Centennial Honors College. Other special requirements to be announced.