Wheelock Honors Program FAQ's
1. What are the benefits of participating in the Honors Program?
2. Do I have to take all Honors classes to be in the program?
3. What are the requirements for completing the Honors Program?
4. As an Honors student, will I receive academic advice to help me through the program?
5. What makes an honors-designated class an honors class?
6. How much of the general education requirement do Honors courses fulfill?
7. What honors courses will be offered in the upcoming year?
8. Will I have a limited choice of majors if I participate in the program?
9. Are Honors students separated from the rest of their classmates in residence life or in the classroom?
10. What will happen if I decide to leave the Honors Program?
1. What are the benefits of participating in the Honors Program?
Joining the Honors Program brings you a learning experience that will benefit you far beyond your college years. It is your opportunity to explore new ideas, to research topics alongside your peers and professors, and to assume a position of intellectual leadership in the college community.
2. Do I have to take all Honors classes to be in the program?
No. In the Wheelock Honors Program, you are required to take at least eight honors-designated courses before the end of your senior to complete the Program. Honors students will typically take one or two of these classes each semester.
3. What are the requirements for completing the Honors Program?
After completing eight honors designated courses, you will be expected to complete an independent project (the Honors Project) under the supervision of a faculty member. This could take the form of a creative project, a research project, a community service project, or advanced study in an academic discipline. During your work on this project, you will also be required to complete a course called Honors Seminar, in which you formally share your progress and findings with other students at work on their own projects.
4. As an Honors student, will I receive academic advice to help me through the program?
Yes. During their first year in the program, students entering into the Honors Program share the same advisor, who is attuned to the special requirements of the program. This is the instructor of their First Year Seminar (FYS). The Honors Program Director is also available to counsel Honors students and answer questions about choices and requirements.
5. What makes an honors-designated class an honors class?
In Honors courses, assignments and discussions will challenge your critical, creative, and practical intelligence. You will be expected to complete substantial readings or problem sets in preparation for class sessions, and you will be introduced to advanced methods of analysis.
6. How much of the general education requirement do Honors courses fulfill?
All honors-designated courses are Arts & Sciences courses, and each meets a specific general education requirement. However, in order to fulfill the requirements of the College, you will also need to take other general education courses that are not honors designated. All of these selections will be made by you in collaboration with your designated faculty advisor, who is your First-Year Seminar instructor.
7. What honors courses will be offered in the upcoming year?
In the fall, Honors Human Growth and Development (HDP 120) will be offered, in addition to Honors English 111. To enter into the latter course, you must show proficiency on the essay writing exam offered during summer advising. Also, Math 140 counts as an Honors course and to enter this course, students must take a placement test and be planning to concentrate in education.
In the spring, Honors Math 141 will be offered, along with the continuing sequence of the Honors Human Growth Development course (HDP 121). In addition, two honors-designated courses in history, philosophy, or literature will be offered.
8. Will I have a limited choice of majors if I participate in the program?
No. You may major –or double major—in any subject when participating in the program. In addition, an Honors Project may be completed in any discipline or major in the College.
9. Are Honors students separated from the rest of their classmates in residence life or in the classroom?
At Wheelock College, the Honors Program is designed to encourage the participation of any student who has a passion for learning. There is no separate Honors residence arrangement. You will take many classes in the regular curriculum, and you will get to know students outside of the Honors Program. Honors-designated classes are in fact open to all students, on a space-available basis. As a Wheelock College Honors student, however, you will show intellectual leadership in the College through your committed participation in the Honors Program.
10. What will happen if I decide to leave the Honors Program?
A student may decide to leave the Honors Program and pursue study in the regular mode. There is no stigma attached to a crossover from Honors to the regular curriculum. If a student decides to leave the Program, he or she may still enroll in honors-designated courses but may not undertake the Honors Project or graduate as an Honors Program students.
