Course Descriptions

While many students have a notion that honors courses are, by default, harder, we always say that honors classes are different. With an average class size of just 17 students, honors classes allow students to have far more interaction with their professors and fellow students; in turn, this allows professors to design their classes to revolve around discussion and active learning rather than lectures and tests.

Generally speaking, the Honors College offers two levels of honors courses that are available to all honors students. Lower Division electives, which also fulfill general education requirements, and Upper Division electives (HONR 3700), which are upper-level discussion intensive courses.

Please note: you must be enrolled in the University Honors Program, Business Honors Program, Arts + Architecture Honors Program, Computing Honors Program, a college or departmental honors program, be a Levine Scholar, OR have the permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault (Administrative Support Associate) at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.

summer 2026 Schedule of classes

Critical Thinking course
CTCM 2530 – H81 (CRN#31145) Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking and Communication (HONR) Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Second half term (Summer II) / On-line Synchronous Jason Black “*Music, Communication, and Mental Health*“ In this course, we will explore the importance of popular music as a communication form in the United States. We will specifically emphasize how music is a conduit for communicating and grappling with Mental Health. Music is understood here as not just a product, but rather as a process. Thus, we define music as “the capacity for humans to create, perform, organize cognitively, react physically and emotionally to, and interpret the meanings of humanly organized sounds” (Rice). We will specifically root our analysis of Mental Health through music (e.g., song lyrics and music videos) in two frames: (1) the Rhetorical Tradition and (2) Ethnomusicology. The Rhetorical Tradition emphasizes the way communication forms like music creates meaning in society which, in turn, helps us: make sense of our human experiences; constitute our identities; and live our public lives together” (Black). Ethnomusicology is the study of how and why people deploy and consume music – the ways we “do musicking” together – as rhetors/musicians and audiences, respectively (Rice). Together, the Rhetorical Tradition and Ethnomusicology permit us the soulful ability to analyze Mental Health through music. Music, Mental Health, and Communication focuses on examinations of song lyrics and music videos within topical contexts connected with Mental Health: 1) self-care and self-actualization; 2) relational health; 3) addiction and recovery; 4) empathy and support systems; and 5) cultural identity and mental health. This course will involve a series of modest analytical and creative assignments tied to music texts (lyrics, music videos) and scholarly terms about critical music and mental health. These smaller tasks will lead to a final CTCM mini-project that includes writing original song lyrics and analyzing them critically by way of a short podcast that relies on the scholarly concepts we discover together in class. Prerequisite: WRDS 1103/1104 Restrictions: Sophomore and higher Must be enrolled in Honors (AAHP, BHP, UHP, or departmental) OR be a Levine Scholar; OR have permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.

Critical Thinking course

CTCM 2530 – H81 (CRN#31145) Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking and Communication (HONR)
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Second half term (Summer II) / On-line Synchronous
Jason Black

“Music, Communication, and Mental Health“ In this course, we will explore the importance of popular music as a communication form in the United States. We will specifically emphasize how music is a conduit for communicating and grappling with Mental Health. Music is understood here as not just a product, but rather as a process. Thus, we define music as “the capacity for humans to create, perform, organize cognitively, react physically and emotionally to, and interpret the meanings of humanly organized sounds” (Rice). We will specifically root our analysis of Mental Health through music (e.g., song lyrics and music videos) in two frames: (1) the Rhetorical Tradition and (2) Ethnomusicology. The Rhetorical Tradition emphasizes the way communication forms like music creates meaning in society which, in turn, helps us: make sense of our human experiences; constitute our identities; and live our public lives together” (Black). Ethnomusicology is the study of how and why people deploy and consume music – the ways we “do musicking” together – as rhetors/musicians and audiences, respectively (Rice). Together, the Rhetorical Tradition and Ethnomusicology permit us the soulful ability to analyze Mental Health through music. Music, Mental Health, and Communication focuses on examinations of song lyrics and music videos within topical contexts connected with Mental Health: 1) self-care and self-actualization; 2) relational health; 3) addiction and recovery; 4) empathy and support systems; and 5) cultural identity and mental health. This course will involve a series of modest analytical and creative assignments tied to music texts (lyrics, music videos) and scholarly terms about critical music and mental health. These smaller tasks will lead to a final CTCM mini-project that includes writing original song lyrics and analyzing them critically by way of a short podcast that relies on the scholarly concepts we discover together in class.

Prerequisite: WRDS 1103/1104
Restrictions: Sophomore and higher
Must be enrolled in Honors (AAHP, BHP, UHP, or departmental) OR be a Levine Scholar; OR have permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.

Upper Division elective course(s)
HONR 3700 – H81 (CRN#32174) Honors College Topics: Apartheid in South Africa and Beyond Monday and Tuesday 2:30 pm – 4:23 pm Thursday and Friday 2:30 pm – 4:22 pm First half term (Summer I) / On-line Synchronous Tatiana Height This course is an exploration of how institutional forms of segregation impacts Black people in various contexts. As a part of this course, students will examine the now outlawed system of institutional racial segregation in South Africa, known as apartheid, through films, historical research, and the memoirs and narratives of the people who lived it. We will then examine and discuss books, documentaries, articles, videos, and podcasts detailing apartheid-like phenomena that occur in the realms of medicine, food, and educational systems in the United States. Students should expect to lead and engage in rigorous discussions of assigned materials. Prerequisite: CTCM 2530 Restrictions: Junior and higher Must be enrolled in Honors (AAHP, BHP, UHP, or departmental) OR be a Levine Scholar; OR have permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.
HONR 3700 – H82 (CRN#30935) Honors College Topics: The Pursuit of Happiness for Health: From Theory to Practice Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Second half term (Summer II) / On-line Synchronous Alicia Dahl This honors-level course examines the science and practice of happiness as a foundation for healthier individuals and communities. Through an interdisciplinary lens—drawing from public health, psychology, philosophy, and the arts—students will explore how happiness influences physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being across local and global populations. In an era marked by global uncertainty and stress, understanding the factors that contribute to happiness is essential for fostering resilience and improving quality of life. Students will engage in evidence-based inquiry, experiential learning, and creative reflection to analyze global perspectives, evaluate interventions, and design strategies for promoting well-being at both personal and community levels. Self-directed exploration activities and meaningful intellectual collaborations will challenge students to synthesize research, apply theoretical frameworks, and critically examine ethical and cultural dimensions of happiness. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to use the science of happiness to address real-world public health challenges and to lead initiatives that foster holistic well-being. Prerequisite: CTCM 2530 Restrictions: Junior and higher Must be enrolled in Honors (AAHP, BHP, UHP, or departmental) OR be a Levine Scholar; OR have permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.

Upper Division elective course(s)

HONR 3700 – H81 (CRN#32174) Honors College Topics: Apartheid in South Africa and Beyond
Monday and Tuesday 2:30 pm – 4:23 pm
Thursday and Friday 2:30 pm – 4:22 pm
First half term (Summer I) / On-line Synchronous
Tatiana Height

This course is an exploration of how institutional forms of segregation impacts Black people in various contexts. As a part of this course, students will examine the now outlawed system of institutional racial segregation in South Africa, known as apartheid, through films, historical research, and the memoirs and narratives of the people who lived it. We will then examine and discuss books, documentaries, articles, videos, and podcasts detailing apartheid-like phenomena that occur in the realms of medicine, food, and educational systems in the United States. Students should expect to lead and engage in rigorous discussions of assigned materials.

Prerequisite: CTCM 2530
Restrictions: Junior and higher
Must be enrolled in Honors (AAHP, BHP, UHP, or departmental) OR be a Levine Scholar; OR have permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.

HONR 3700 – H82 (CRN#30935) Honors College Topics: The Pursuit of Happiness for Health: From Theory to Practice
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Second half term (Summer II) / On-line Synchronous
Alicia Dahl

This honors-level course examines the science and practice of happiness as a foundation for healthier individuals and communities. Through an interdisciplinary lens—drawing from public health, psychology, philosophy, and the arts—students will explore how happiness influences physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being across local and global populations. In an era marked by global uncertainty and stress, understanding the factors that contribute to happiness is essential for fostering resilience and improving quality of life. Students will engage in evidence-based inquiry, experiential learning, and creative reflection to analyze global perspectives, evaluate interventions, and design strategies for promoting well-being at both personal and community levels. Self-directed exploration activities and meaningful intellectual collaborations will challenge students to synthesize research, apply theoretical frameworks, and critically examine ethical and cultural dimensions of happiness. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to use the science of happiness to address real-world public health challenges and to lead initiatives that foster holistic well-being.

Prerequisite: CTCM 2530
Restrictions: Junior and higher
Must be enrolled in Honors (AAHP, BHP, UHP, or departmental) OR be a Levine Scholar; OR have permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.

Previous Course Listings

Curious about previous honors courses? The links below are to honors course listings from previous semesters. Some courses may be offered again in future semesters.

Course Descriptions for academic years 2015-2016 through 2019-2020