Honors Experiences are meant to enrich a student’s undergraduate education. They encourage students to extend their learning both inside and outside of the traditional classroom setting.
To remain in good standing in the Honors College, Honors scholars are required to complete 21 credits of coursework. Scholars must complete a minimum of 5 credits by the end of the freshman year (credits earned through the Honors Colloquium and Honors Seminar) and 13 credits total must be completed by the end of the junior year to maintain good standing in the Honors College.
In addition to your two credit Honors Colloquium and Honors Seminar(s) during your freshman year, students select and complete 16 credit hours of Honors Experiences from the following list before graduation:
Students collaborate with faculty mentors on an ongoing faculty research or creative activity project, or conduct independent research under the guidance of a faculty member. This experience provides students with an inquiry-based learning opportunity and engages them as active learners in a research or creative activity setting. Either the student’s own project or the faculty member’s project to which the student is contributing should utilize the methods for creating new knowledge that are recognized in the field and should result in a unique contribution to the field of knowledge.
Please Note: Honors scholars already enrolled in departmental research credit (e.g., PSY 498, CHE 290) do not need to follow the process detailed below in order to receive Honors experience credit as the credits will automatically be picked up.
If your department is not able to offer you research credit or if you are completing an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at another school, you can still receive Honors credit by submitting an Honors Petition. Requests for Honor Experience credit via the petition process should be submitted by the following deadlines:
Petitions received after the aforementioned deadlines will be reviewed in the following cycle. Decisions will relayed to you via email within 4 weeks of the posted deadlines.
In order to complete the petition process, you will be asked to submit a reflection paper to the Honors College and for your supervisor’s contact information. When you submit the petition completion form, your supervisor will be automatically be sent request to confirm the number of hours you completed in this experience. Your supervisor will not receive your reflection paper. Petitions will not be accepted and added to your Honors record without supervisor approval.
Students have the option of individualized student work under the guidance of a faculty member. Independent study courses are intended to pursue topics that are not currently offered through regular coursework at UB. Independent study may be the focal point in the design of an individual program or it may merely add desired depth or breadth to a student’s formal degree program. To enroll in independent study, students must identify a member of the faculty or appropriate professional staff member willing to sponsor their work and gain approval of the appropriate department.
Please Note: Honors scholars already enrolled in departmental internship/co-op credit (e.g., MAE 496, ES 429, theatre practicums) do not need to follow the process detailed below in order to receive Honors experience credit as the credits will automatically be picked up during our review.
If your department is not able to offer you internship credit, you can still receive Honors credit by submitting an Honors Petition. Requests for Honor Experience credit via the petition process should be submitted by the following deadlines:
Petitions received after the aforementioned deadlines will be reviewed in the following cycle. Decisions will relayed to you via email within 4 weeks of the posted deadlines.
In order to complete the petition process, you will be asked to submit a reflection paper to the Honors College and for your supervisor’s contact information. When you submit the petition completion form, your supervisor will be automatically be sent request to confirm the number of hours you completed in this experience. Your supervisor will not receive your reflection paper. Petitions will not be accepted and added to your Honors record without supervisor approval.
Learn more about the travels and adventures of some recent Honors alums.
The following coursework, including major-specific capstones, will automatically count for Honors Experience credit once grades for the semester post. No additional action is needed for the courses listed below. Remember that you must be enrolled in the appropriate coursework by the end of the Drop/Add Period.
NOTE: If your Capstone is not found on the pre-approved list below, a note from the instructor or department stating that the course was a capstone will be required.
Department | Course Number | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|---|
AAS | 363 | Directed Readings | 3 |
AHI | 400 | Senior Tutorial | 1-3 |
AHI | 497 | Honors Thesis Tutorial | 3 |
APY | 338 | Field Research Archaeology | 6 |
APY | 444 | Ethology Practicum | 3 |
ARC | 404 | Architecture Design Practicum | Up to 9 |
ARC | 467 | Research Practice | Up to 9 |
ART | 494 | Senior Thesis Project | 3 |
ASI | 300 | University Honors Seminar | 3 |
ASI | 400 | Service Learning in Buffalo Public Schools | 3 |
BCH | 401 | Introduction to Research | 1 |
BE | 493 | Research and Design in Biomedical Engineering | 3 |
BE | 494 | Senior Capstone Project | 3 |
BIO | 487 | Honors Research Methods | 2 |
BMS | 492 | Biomedical Sciences Seminar | 1 |
CDS | 480 | Clinical Observation | 1 |
CDS | 493 | Honors Research Seminar | 3 |
CE | 404 | Product Design | 4 |
CE | 408 | Chemical Engineering Plant Design | 4 |
CHE | 105 | Honors Chemistry I | 5 |
CHE | 106 | Honors Chemistry II | 5 |
CHE | 251 | Honors Organic Chemistry I | 5 |
CHE | 252 | Honors Organic Chemistry II | 5 |
CHE | 290 | 1 | |
CHI | 494 | Senior Capstone Course | 3 |
CIE | 415 | Professional Practice | 3 |
CIE | 416 | Civil Engineering Capstone Design | 3 |
CIE | 447 | Sustainability | 3 |
CIE | 449 | Environmental Engineering Design | 3 |
CIE | 475 | Geometric Design of Highways | 3 |
CL | 426 | Archaeology Practicum: Turkey | 3 |
CSE | 442 | Software Engineering Concepts | 4 |
CSE | 453 | HW/SW Integrated System Design | 3 |
DAC | 337 | Zodiaque Dance Studio | 4 |
DAC | 338 | Zodiaque Dance Studio | 4 |
DAC | 340 | Dance Studio | 1-8 |
DAC | 442 | Choreography II | 1-4 |
DAC | 455 | Special Topics in Dance | 0-4 |
DAC | 481 | Research In Dance | 3 |
DAC | 482 | Research In Dance | 3 |
EAS | 493 | Interdisciplinary Capstone Senior Design Seminar | 1 |
ECO | 380 | Economic Statistics and Data Analysis (Section H only) | 3 |
ECO | 405 | Microeconomic Theory (Section H only) | 3 |
ECO | 406 | Topics in Microeconomics (Section H only) | 3 |
ECO | 407 | Macroeconomic Theory (Section H only) | 3 |
ECO | 480 | Econometrics I (Section H Only) | 3 |
ECO | 488 | Practicum in Financial Economics I | 3 |
ECO | 489 | Practicum in Financial Economics II | 3 |
EE | 408 | Senior Design Implementation | 1 |
EE | 413 | Communication Electronics | 3 |
EE | 494 | Senior Capstone Design Project | 3 |
END | 418 | Global Innovation Challenge | 1 |
ENG | 394 | Writing Workshop (counts in internship category) | 3 |
ENG | 400 | Honors Seminar | 3 |
ENG | 401 | Honors Early Literature | 3 |
ENG | 437 | Advanced Writing Workshop | 3 |
ENG | 470 | Special Topics | 3 |
ENG | 480 | Creative Writing Capstone | 3 |
ES | 429 | ES Internship | up to 9 |
ESL | 320 | Conversation Seminar | 2-3 |
GEO | 470 | Integrated Environmental Management | 3 |
GER | 494 | Senior Capstone Course | 3 |
GGS | 392 | Thesis writing class | 3 |
GGS | 490 | Senior Seminar: Research Project | 3 |
GGS | 494 | Senior Capstone Course | 3 |
GLY | 407 | Field Work | 3-6 |
GLY | 412 | Field Course in Tropical Marine Ecology | 2 |
GLY | 449 | Climate Change and Sustainability | 3 |
GLY | 493 | Pegrum Colloquium | 1 |
GR | 444 | Reading Greek Literature | 3 |
HMN | 380 | Writing Center Theory and Practice | 3 |
IE | 409 | Six Sigma Quality | 3 |
IE | 420 | Industrial Systems Lab | 3 |
IE | 494 | Senior Capstone Industry Project | 3 |
INF | 430 | Applied Informatics Research | 3 |
INF | 494 | Informatics Capstone | 3 |
JPN | 494 | Senior Capstone Course | 3 |
LAI | 490 | Seminar & Practicum In Early Childhood | 3 |
LAT | 443 | Reading Latin Literature | 3 |
MAE | 434 | Aircraft Design | 3 |
MAE | 451 | Design Process and Methods | 3 |
MAE | 494 | Design Project | 3 |
MFC | 333 | Section INT | 3 |
MGB | 360 | Leadership Development I | 2 |
MGB | 361 | Leadership Development II | 1 |
MGO | 403 | Fundamentals of Strategic Management | 3 |
MT | 401 | Clinical Biochemistry | 4 |
MT | 402 | Clinical Immunology | 4 |
MT | 405 | Clinical Immunohematology | 4 |
MT | 407 | Clinical Chemistry | 6 |
MT | 408 | Hospital Chemistry | 3 |
MT | 409 | Clinical Microbiology | 3 |
MT | 410 | Hospital Microbiology | 3 |
MT | 411 | Clinical Hematology | 4 |
MT | 412 | Hospital Hematology | 3 |
MT | 413 | Clinical Elective | 3 |
MT | 414 | Hospital Blood Bank | 3 |
MT | 416 | Clinical Parasitology | 1 |
MT | 417 | Laboratory Education and Seminar | 2 |
MT | 419 | Phlebotomy | 1 |
MT | 420 | Clinical Correlations | 1 |
MT | 421 | Clinical Urinalysis and Body Fluids | 1 |
MTH | 153 | Honors Calculus 1 | 4 |
MTH | 154 | Honors Calculus 2 | 4 |
MTH | 251 | Honors Calculus 3 | 4 |
MTR | 405 | Gemms Musical Theatre Company | 1-4 |
MUS | 450 | Senior Thesis | 4-6 |
NSG | 348 | Introduction to Nursing Research | 3 |
NSG | 368 | Human Sexuality Research | 3 |
NSG | 373 | Therapeutics Practicum | 3 |
NSG | 375 | Women and Children Practicum | 4 |
NSG | 447 | Advanced Clinical Nursing | 3 |
NSG | 474 | Health and Restoration Practicum | 4 |
NSG | 479 | Clinical Seminar: Complex Acute Care | 1 |
NSG | 481 | Acute Care Practicum | 4 |
PHC | 413 | Pharmaceutics Seminar | 1 |
PHC | 414 | Pharmaceutics Seminar | 1 |
PHI | 401 | Honors Tutorial | 1-8 |
PHI | 402 | Honors Tutorial | 1-8 |
PHY | 117 | Honors Physics 1 | 4 |
PHY | 118 | Honors Physics 2 | 4 |
PSC | 490 | Honors Seminar | 3 |
PSC | 492 | Pre-Law Honors Seminar | 3 |
PUB | 494 | Modern Public Health Problems and Solutions | 4 |
OT | 472 | Level 1 Fieldwork A | 1 |
SOC | 471 | Projects in Social Research | 3 |
SSC | 315 | Field Ecology | 3-6 |
SSC | 479 | Environmental Education Practicum I | 3 |
SSC | 493 | Ecology of Unique Environments | 3 |
TH | 135 | Production Practicum | 1 |
TH | 136 | Production Practicum | 1 |
TH | 235 | Production Practicum | 1 |
TH | 236 | Production Practicum | 1 |
TH | 335 | Production Practicum | 1 |
TH | 336 | Production Practicum | 1 |
TH | 340 | Makeup Studio | 1-4 |
TH | 341 | Studio Lab I | 1-4 |
TH | 342 | Studio Lab II | 1-4 |
TH | 343 | Studio Lab III | 1-4 |
TH | 344 | Studio Lab IV | 1-4 |
TH | 345 | Costume Construction Studio | 1-4 |
TH | 346 | Costume Design Studio | 1-4 |
TH | 347 | Scene Design Studio | 1-4 |
TH | 348 | Lighting Design Studio | 1-4 |
TH | 349 | Technical Studio | 1-4 |
TH | 350 | Properties Studio | 1-4 |
UBE | 102 | Dynamics of Leadership | 2 |
UE | 201 | Experiential Learning Network: Sophomore Seminar | 1 |
The Honors Contract permits students to turn a regular university course into an Honors course by contracting with the instructor to complete extra work. The contract involves an agreement among the honors student, a UB faculty member, and the University Honors College. All of the terms stated in the contract must be successfully completed by the agreed upon due date in order for the student to receive honors credit.
The contract project should add an academic dimension by introducing new material or by allowing the student to go into greater depth than normally required in some aspect of the course. Contracts may also be service-learning focused through student engagement in a service project and reflection related to the course content. It should be made clear on the Contract for Honors Credit how this work exceeds regular course requirements. Since a faculty member must supervise the contract, students should select faculty who have the time to oversee their projects to completion.
Honors Contracts will not be accepted later than the end of the second week of the semester or the first week of a summer session.
Students should expect to spend approximately 30 hours of work or service hours (including reflection) during the semester or summer session to complete their honors contracts. Faculty should expect to add individual student supervision meetings and any necessary lab time to their current semester workload.
The contract is complete when the instructor is satisfied with the student’s completed work per the terms of the contract by the due date. An evaluation form is sent to the course instructor at the end of the semester and must be signed by the instructor before being returned to the Honors office. Only then is the contract complete.
The Honors Contract does not affect the student’s grade in the course. To receive honors credit for the course, honors students must satisfactorily complete the terms of the contract during the semester that credit is earned. Students receiving an “I” in a course that they have contracted will not receive honors credit upon completion. Instructors will not penalize students who do not complete the terms of their honors contracts; these students will receive the grade earned in the class. Faculty must inform the University Honors College of the status of the contracted work at the same time they report grades for the course. A form will be mailed to the instructor for this purpose near the end of the semester.
If you have any questions about contract coursework, please contact the Honors College at 716-645-3020 or by email at honors@buffalo.edu.
Occasionally, an Honors student will complete a noteworthy experience and not earn academic credit or pursue an experience that does not fit into the existing categories of Honors Experiences. When this occurs, the student may petition to include the experience towards their Honors credits by submitting an Honors Experience Petition Request.
* Denotes non-coursework category
Last updated: October 07, 2021 4:26 pm EST