Honors Program Courses & Senior Thesis

These courses are required of all Honors Students

First Year

Honors students begin their coursework at Walsh by taking their general education writing and theology courses together as a cohort where they hone their writing and discussion skills to prepare themselves for upper-level Honors courses. They also challenge themselves with a college-level math course.

  • Students take:
    • Honors Writing Course
    • Honors Theology Course (The Catholic Intellectual Tradition)
    • Statistics, Pre-Calculus, or Calculus

First or Second Year

Honors Foundation courses allow Honors students to explore a variety of general education subjects as an Honors cohort with an emphasis on further developing their writing skills. Previous topics have included: Music Innovators or Impersonators, Voices of the Holocaust, and Biological Exploration and Exploitation. Honors students are required to take two Honors Foundation courses.

  • Students choose two Honors Foundation courses from the following six categories:
    • Natural Science
    • Sociology/Psychology
    • Art/Music
    • GFA/Economics
    • Philosophy
    • Literature/History

Third Year

Honors Themes Seminars are interdisciplinary in nature and are organized around a specific topic. They incorporate aspects of Leadership/Responsibility/Social Justice, Science Innovation/Environmental Sustainability, or Creativity in Arts/Culture/Humanities. Previous topics have included: Atlantic Revolutions, Controversies in Biology and Bioethics, and Culture and Medicine in American Society.

In addition, students develop the foundational knowledge that they need to complete their thesis in their senior year through a research methods course and writing their Junior Honors Project (JHP), which is typically a literature review associated with the student’s field of study, career path, and academic goals, which will help them determine their thesis topic. It is completed under the supervision of the faculty advisor of their choosing.

  • Students take:
    • 2 Theme Seminar Courses:
    • Research Methods Course
    • Junior Honors Project (JHP)

Fourth Year

In the fourth year, Honors students complete a Senior Thesis which is the capstone of the Walsh Honors Program. It involves an independent research study, applied project, or a creative endeavor usually based on their JHP Literature Review under the supervision of their faculty advisor. The Thesis experience concludes with a written publishable paper and an oral presentation given to the campus community to celebrate the student’s success.

  • Students complete their Honors Thesis

Please see the course catalog for more detailed information about the Honors courses. Should you have any questions regarding the Honors Curriculum, please feel free to contact our Co-Honors Directors at honorsdirector@walsh.edu.