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, Levine Scholars Program, Martin Scholars Program, a college or departmental honors program, or have the permission of the Honors College. To obtain permission please contact Colette Chenault (Administrative Support Associate) at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.

spring 2025 Schedule of classes

Lower Division elective courses

HONR 1501- H01  (CRN#24347) Global Social Science (HONR)
Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 am  – 11:15 am
David Sinclair

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.
“Urban Explorations: Charlotte in a Global Perspective” What exactly is a city, and why do we live this way? This interdisciplinary undergraduate course delves into the multifaceted world of urbanism and urban spaces through exploration of contemporary, ancient, and imaginary cities such as New York, Gobekli Tepe, and Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project. Students will engage in both theoretical discussions in the classroom and immersive experiences in the urban landscape to see their surroundings with new perspectives. The course aims to foster a deep understanding of urban realities, especially those faced by low-income communities, by guiding students through intentional explorations of daily activities in Charlotte compared to how other cities address these issues. As they navigate these tasks, students will journal environmental observations, task-related data, and cost analyses, culminating in a personal project and public showing of their work. The course draws on diverse backgrounds and degree programs of the students, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and a holistic approach to urban issues. It explores various facets of urbanism, including political, artistic, and aesthetic theories, anthropology, archaeology, public data analysis, contemporary urbanism, and government administration.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Freshman and Sophomore only (first year UHP students may be approved to take this course)

HONR 1511- H02 (CRN#24349) Local Social Science (HONR)
Tuesday and Thursday 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Denise Lynch

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.
“Mental Health & Higher Education: Creating the Balance” In this course, we will investigate some of the major mental health issues facing students in higher education, focusing on anxiety disorders and depressive disorders, and examine some of the issues that manifest as a result (e.g., imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear of failure, etc.). We will appreciate what is different and understand what is similar in the experiences and expressions of college-age students versus other age groups in the United States, exploring how local structures and cultural traditions frame their experiences. To create the balance, we will learn effective strategies for managing these mental health concerns by participating in activities and assessments, as well as exploring local resources. Assignments will require regular attendance and active participation and will include discussions, reflections, research, and writing.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Freshman and Sophomore only (first year UHP students may be approved to take this course)

ARCH 1502- H03 (CRN#26378) Global Arts/Humanities (HONR)
Thursday 2:30 pm – 5:15 pm
Betsy West

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.
“Architecture, the Arts and Social Justice” Architecture, the performing arts, and fine arts have the capacity not only to spotlight societal injustices but also provide meaningful commentary on these issues and, in the best cases, provoke changes in society. ‘Society’ may refer to an entire country or region or to a relatively small subset of the larger world that a group of people hold in common—for instance the community where you live, your specific religion, or your specific profession. Injustice, of course, refers to bias, unfairness and the violation of the rights of another. Racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, poverty, and religious or political persecution are all forms of injustice. It’s a hard truth to accept, but architecture, the performing arts and fine arts have all been involved in systemic biases and injustices. This course will look at those issues, but the larger balance of our time will be spent exploring the power we have to use our craft for greater meaning and as a catalyst for positive change. This involves using our skills either overtly or subversively for a greater good.

Course Content: We will study 1) contemporary and historical works of architecture, music, theatre, dance, film, photography and art that respond to social injustices such as racism, sexism, poverty, political and religious persecution, health, productivity, climate stewardship, etc. 2) minority artists and architects as well as professional arts and architecture organizations whose work addresses aspects of social justice; 3) issues of personal and cultural identity, relevance and purpose.

Methodology: The methodology will be fourfold. 1) Presentations will be given by educators in the arts, dance, music, theatre and architecture; 2) students will be assigned films, essays, book chapters and articles in the popular press that pertain to the topics of the course; 3) students will conduct research that they will present to the class; and 4) students will create a work in their discipline—or in another discipline if they so desire—that addresses a real-world social injustice of their choosing (students may work individually or in groups).

This class will be held in Storrs 186.
Restrictions: Freshman and Sophomore only (first year UHP students may be approved to take this course)

HONR 1512 – H04 (CRN#24357) Local Arts/Humanities (HONR)
Monday and Wednesday 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm
Randi Beem

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.
“We Believe That Women are People and are Governed”: Women’s History in Charlotte and North Carolina” During this class, we will focus on the stories of women in Charlotte through interacting with primary source collections from Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives. Students will be able to understand the narrative of women in Mecklenburg County from the 1700s to the 2000s and will retell the story by building a one-case exhibit using primary sources from the collections that will be displayed in the library. 

This class will be held in Atkins 123.
Restrictions: Freshman and Sophomore only (first year UHP students may be approved to take this course)

BINF 1101 – H03 (CRN#24405) Introduction to Bioinformatics and Genomics (HONR)
Monday and Wednesday 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Monday 12:15 pm – 2:15 pm (lab)
Alex Dornburg


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.
Introduction to the genomics perspective in the life sciences, combining a general introduction to genomic technologies and the bioinformatics methods used to analyze genome-scale data with a presentation of real world scientific problems where these technologies are having an impact.  The lab component provides hands-on experience with topics in bioinformatics, genomics, and generative artificial intelligence, using small-scale projects to introduce students to the world of bioinformatics research.

ECON 2102 – H01 (CRN#20957) Principles of Economics-Micro
Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Ted Amato

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.
Pricing mechanism of a market economy, the industrial organization of the U.S. economy, problems of economic concentration, the theory of income distribution, and comparative economic systems. The honors section involves greater depth of analysis while the small section size facilitates more group discussion of real world applications.

Restrictions: Sophomore and higher

WRDS 2101 – H01 (CRN#26216) Advanced Writing & Research (HONR)
Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Kefaya Diab

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.
Whenever you write, whether an email to your teacher, a text message to your friend, or a grocery list to yourself, you respond with awareness to a specific rhetorical situation or context that includes a targeted audience, purpose, message, and occasion, among other surrounding circumstances. Within the various rhetorical situations of our lives, we write differently. Therefore, developing awareness of the rhetorical situation that prompts you to write in ways that make sense is the focus of this course.

While practicing writing with awareness of the rhetorical situation, this course is designed to help you improve your writing skills in the intersection with research and critical analysis, which are areas that you will navigate in school, civic life, and the workplace. The course will invite you to identify a problem or an issue in the world that requires your writing response to make the world a better place of living. You will investigate the issue of your interest by conducting primary research to include [1] data collection by employing systematic observations, interviews, and surveys as methods; [2] analysis of the data that you collected to arrive at applicable findings; [3] synthesis of your findings in relation to past secondary (library and online) research; and [4] the delivery of your findings to audiences beyond your classmates and teacher. 

This honors section is especially designed for honors students who have placed out of WRDS 1103/1104 and want to continue to develop their writing.

Prerequisite: WRDS 1103/1104

Critical Thinking courses


CTCM 2530 – H71 (CRN#24359) Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking and Communication (HONR)
Tuesday and Thursday 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Malin Pereira

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.
“Inquiry Into African American Poetry” In this critical thinking course, we will conduct individual and group inquiries into African American poetry. We will read, discuss, research and write about a wide array of poems by Black American poets. Assignments will require preparation of poems before class, academic research into poetry, writing about poems, and robust class discussion.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Sophomore and higher
Prerequisite: WRDS 1103/1104

CTCM 2530 – H72 (CRN#24395) Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking and Communication (HONR)
Wednesday 2:30 pm – 5:15 pm
Melinda Adnot

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.
“Labor, leisure, learning, and a good life” How do our work, play, rest and learning fit into a well-lived life? How might the time we devote to each vary across our lifetimes? In this interdisciplinary course, we will examine theory and empirical evidence from the fields of economics, education, sociology and philosophy to provide insight into these questions. Students will examine structures and systems in the United States that shape individuals’ choices regarding their time and will also engage in personal reflection about their own choices. The course also involves a semester-long inquiry project that involves proposing a topic, gathering research and writing a persuasive essay. 
Note that four of our sessions will occur at The Dubois Center in Uptown Charlotte so that we can learn from civic and industry leaders in Charlotte about how they think about building a good life.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Sophomore and higher
Prerequisite: WRDS 1103/1104

CTCM 2530 – H73 (CRN#24397) Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking and Communication (HONR)
Monday and Wednesday 10:10 am – 11:25 am
Andrew Keener

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.
“Inquiries into Identity and Community” This course facilitates critical thinking and process-oriented communication on the subjects of identity and community, by way of the forms – social forms, but also forms of speaking, writing, and artistic expression – that bring them into being. While providing a set of opportunities for strengthened engagement with and deliberation about complex, community-relevant topics in the city and world around us, this course also offers skill-building in evidence-based written argumentation, the exchange of supportive feedback, and purposeful, student-driven intellectual inquiry, all in a way that will prepare students for future work in honors, principally the senior capstone.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Sophomore and higher
Prerequisite: WRDS 1103/1104
CTCM 2530 – H74 (CRN#27305) Interdisciplinary Critical Thinking and Communication (HONR)
Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Abby Moore

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.
“The Hero’s Journey” Throughout our lives, we are constantly embarking on, making our way along, and coming to the end of journeys. Some journeys are inherent in the stages of our lives. Some journeys require us to climb mountains and slay dragons, either metaphorically or in reality. By examining the archetypal “hero’s journey”, also known as the monomyth, we will examine common patterns of human behavior across time and around the world, not only in popular culture and media, but in our own lives as well. We’ll closely examine how screenwriters and authors have defined and redefined what it means to be a hero and why, at certain times in our lives, we find comfort and strength in these tales. Finally, we’ll analyze the depiction of the “dark hero” in order to understand how and why this character deviates from the archetypal hero. This course will be driven by curiosity, critical thinking, and inquiry into “accepted,” as well as “redefined” definitions of heroes and heroines in popular culture and in society.
This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Sophomore and higher
Prerequisite: WRDS 1103/1104

Upper Division elective courses


HONR 3700 – H01 (CRN#21406) Honors College Topics: The Civil Rights Movement: A Cinematic Chronology
Thursday 11:30 am – 2:15 pm
Jordan Boyd

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.
In this course, students will study the concepts of servant leadership and social change with an emphasis on the ways in which race, class, education, and culture act as key variables in the subject’s multifacetedness. Coupled with various lessons throughout the semester, students will be required to view a multitude of films detailing the timeline of sociopolitical strife in the context of social change throughout the United States. As students gather information about various historic events through film and peer reviewed articles, they will gradually build an inquiry project on a specific subelement of the Civil Rights Movement which interests them most. Along with experiential class sessions, a collection of biographical works on various influential figures will be used to familiarize students with the intersection of servant leadership and the fight for civil rights in the US. This course will be dissected into isolated units, each being concluded by a summative assessment. Reflective journal entries will be accompanied by each literary/film assignment to engage the historical, ethical, and moral foundations of servant leadership along with the issues such as poverty, educational opportunity, and social mobility. Attendance and participation are mandatory and will act as the two key elements of this course and will be reflected in your overall grade on a weekly basis.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Junior and higher
Prerequisite: CTCM 2530

HONR 3700 – H02 (CRN#21405) Honors College Topics:  Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies
Thursday 2:00 pm – 4:45 pm
Delbridge Narron

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.
This class is a survey of the Constitution of the United States focusing on the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment as applicable to the justice system. Students will read the Constitution, following revisions and amendments through time. The class will visit various offices in Charlotte that are involved with the justice system, which may include the district attorney, public defender, sheriff’s office, the police department, among others. The class will examine various constitutional topics and how the criminal justice system works or fails to work and how it might be improved. Along the way, students will investigate the meaning of portions of the Constitution, the various methods of interpretation that have been employed by the Supreme Court, and the current state of constitutional law with respect to various basic rights. When possible, the class will visit the Mecklenburg County Courthouse to observe various aspects of our legal system.

This class will be held at The Dubois Center in Uptown Charlotte. Light rail transportation is free for students (exit at the 9th Street Station). Students with main campus parking that includes TDC can also park there.
Restrictions: Junior and higher
Prerequisite: CTCM 2530

HONR 3700 – H03 (CRN#21386) Honors College Topics: Food, Migration & Place
Monday and Wednesday 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Colleen Hammelman

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.
Food links people across space and time. As it spirals outward from parochial sites of origin to articulate with new sites, actors, and scales, it assumes new substance and meaning in new places. The movement of food establishes dynamic foodways and gives rise to new foodscapes through which we can understand temporally connected sites of intense interaction. Through the work of itinerant traders, markets, politicians, immigrants, connoisseurs, and entrepreneurs, among others, food is used in projects of social reproduction, regional development, nation-building, and articulations with land, place and ‘home’. Consequently, as people have moved in the world, food has played a central role in shaping identity, reproducing myth and ritual, and connecting diasporic communities. A great deal of academic work investigates this interplay of food, practice, identity, and subject formation. In this course, we will explore this literature to better understand those relations as they shape our identities, histories, and the ongoing complexities of the spaces we inhabit in a transnational world. We will also apply that understanding to specific experiences and neighborhoods in the Charlotte region.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Junior and higher
Prerequisite: CTCM 2530

HONR 3700 – H04 (CRN#21900) Honors College Topics: An Exploration of Creativity
Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 am – 9:45 am
Cindy Gilson

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.
In this interdisciplinary seminar course, students will take a deep dive into exploring and discussing the concept of creativity. Essential questions considered in this course include: What is creativity? How do we think, theorize, research, and teach/learn about creativity? What human characteristics relate to creativity? How do we determine who and what is creative? We will dispel myths about creativity so students can develop their identities as creative individuals. By engaging in an in-depth exploration of the literature on creativity, students will be asked to develop their own conception of creativity and reflect on their understanding of the role of creativity in their personal, educational, and professional lives. To build students’ sense of belonging and a creative learning culture, we will begin each class with icebreakers and creative thinking warm-up activities.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restrictions: Junior and higher
Prerequisite: CTCM 2530

University Honors Program (UHP) only


HONR 3790 – H01 (CRN#23247) University Honors Program Capstone Proposal Seminar
Tuesday 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Melinda Adnot

Must be enrolled in the University Honors Program. 
Students in the University Honors Program (UHP) must complete an honors capstone project in order to graduate with University Honors. Students can satisfy this requirement by applying to a disciplinary honors program and completing a disciplinary capstone or thesis project (leading to dual honors; available for most majors on campus), OR can complete their capstone project in UHP by completing HONR 3790 and HONR 3791. In HONR 3790, students will identify an interdisciplinary inquiry question, conduct a review of scholarly literature on their topic, select a faculty committee, and submit an application to candidacy to the Honors College. Upon successful completion of HONR 3790, students will continue to HONR 3791 to develop and lead seminars on their topic for incoming UHP students as their capstone project. Both courses provide opportunities for collaborative work with peers, group discussions, reflection, and feedback. HONR 3790 focuses on development of a proposal for the University Honors Program (UHP) senior capstone project in consultation with an honors faculty committee selected by the student. Project proposals are submitted through the Application to Candidacy process for approval by the Honors College.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restriction: Must obtain approval from instructor by completing the Honors Capstone Pathways form

HONR 3790 – H02 (CRN#26386) University Honors Program Capstone Proposal Seminar
Wednesday 10:10 am – 11:25 am
Melinda Adnot

Must be enrolled in the University Honors Program.
Students in the University Honors Program (UHP) must complete an honors capstone project in order to graduate with University Honors. Students can satisfy this requirement by applying to a disciplinary honors program and completing a disciplinary capstone or thesis project (leading to dual honors; available for most majors on campus), OR can complete their capstone project in UHP by completing HONR 3790 and HONR 3791. In HONR 3790, students will identify an interdisciplinary inquiry question, conduct a review of scholarly literature on their topic, select a faculty committee, and submit an application to candidacy to the Honors College. Upon successful completion of HONR 3790, students will continue to HONR 3791 to develop and lead seminars on their topic for incoming UHP students as their capstone project. Both courses provide opportunities for collaborative work with peers, group discussions, reflection, and feedback. HONR 3790 focuses on development of a proposal for the University Honors Program (UHP) senior capstone project in consultation with an honors faculty committee selected by the student. Project proposals are submitted through the Application to Candidacy process for approval by the Honors College.

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restriction: Must obtain approval from instructor by completing the Honors Capstone Pathways form

Recommended Courses (do not count as honors credit for UHP)


HONR 2720 – H01 (CRN#23246) Competitive Scholarship Workshop
Tuesday 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Andrew Keener

This course welcomes students who are enrolled in Honors (AAHP, BHP, UHP, or departmental), OR are in the following Scholars programs: Albert, Freeman, Johnson, Levine, Martin. Additionally, non-honors students are welcome to request permission to register; to do so, please contact Colette Chenault at cchenaul@charlotte.edu.
This course provides students a supportive workshop environment for researching, developing, drafting, and revising written material towards nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. At the beginning of the semester, students will select opportunities to apply for, and will work towards the submission of a complete application over the course of the semester. Assignments and topics covered may include resumes, personal statements, research statements, frequently-appearing short answer questions, establishing and sustaining connections with faculty, and tips and practice for interviewing. By the end of the course, students will have developed a set of application materials that will be relevant not only to a nationally competitive award, but also for internships, graduate programs, and jobs. 

This class will be held in Levine Hall 183 or 184. The instructor will communicate which room.
Restriction: Must obtain approval from instructor by completing the Interest Questionnaire

WRDS 1103 – H01 (CRN#22372) Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts I and II (HONORS)
Tuesday and Thursday 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm
Malcolm Campbell

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.
Recommended honors writing section(s) for honors students needing WRDS 1103. 
“Studies in Advanced Curiosity and Deliberate Thinking.” Students write extensively as they explore literacy and writing. They engage critically with the opinions and voices of others while developing an extended inquiry project that integrates materials from varied sources and includes writing in multiple genres. Students write, revise, edit, and reflect on their writing with the support of the teacher and peers. Students also immerse themselves in a conversation about a topic through reading, questioning, and process writing. Students learn to distinguish rhetorical contexts, practice different conventions, and develop positions in relation to research. They also adopt digital technologies to network, compose, and/or critique and disseminate their work. Grades are derived primarily from portfolios that include work generated throughout the term.

WRDS 1103 – H02 (CRN#25647) Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts I and II (HONORS)
Tuesday and Thursday 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Malcolm Campbell

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.
Recommended honors writing section(s) for honors students needing WRDS 1103. 
“Studies in Advanced Curiosity and Deliberate Thinking.” Students write extensively as they explore literacy and writing. They engage critically with the opinions and voices of others while developing an extended inquiry project that integrates materials from varied sources and includes writing in multiple genres. Students write, revise, edit, and reflect on their writing with the support of the teacher and peers. Students also immerse themselves in a conversation about a topic through reading, questioning, and process writing. Students learn to distinguish rhetorical contexts, practice different conventions, and develop positions in relation to research. They also adopt digital technologies to network, compose, and/or critique and disseminate their work. Grades are derived primarily from portfolios that include work generated throughout the term.

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.