The following 395H seminars are 3 credit hour classes. They are open to all University Honors Program students who have junior or senior class standing. Enrollment in these courses will follow regular University enrollment procedures and occur on a first-come, first-served basis in accordance with your assigned priority registration times.
Each course may meet additional degree requirements, such as ACE or college required hours. Specifics are noted with each course. If you think a course may be eligible to count towards hours in your major, please check with your major advisor about this possibility.
If this is your final semester and you have an unmet ACE need AND you have difficulties getting into a course section with that ACE, contact Dr. Tamy Burnett ASAP.
Previous semesters' courses
Summer 2025
UHON 395H
The Jazz Age to the Atomic Age: FDR’s America
Dr. Joann Ross
3 Week: MTWRF 11:00-1:00 | Meets on Zoom
ACE 5 & ACE 9 | CAS CDR Humanities
In this course, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to focus on American history from the end of WWI to the rise of the Cold War, considering Franklin Roosevelt’s effectiveness as the longest serving American president as he navigated crises both domestic and international. We will delve into such topics as the Jazz Age, race relations, the changing status of women within American society, prohibition, Japanese internment, a growing wartime industry, and America’s decision to use the atomic bomb. We will use an interdisciplinary approach, exploring music, art, literature, and history to understand how these events shaped these pivotal decades in American history.
Fall 2025
UHON 395H
"You MAD, Bro?": The Politics of Nuclear Weapons
Dr. Tyler White
MW 3:30 - 4:45 | Knoll
ACE 6 | CAS CDR Social Sciences
As we enter the ‘third nuclear era’ many Americans have forgotten about the looming threat of nuclear conflict. Gone are the days of the Cold War and now the US faces multiple potential adversaries armed with nuclear weapons. But what are these weapons and how are they used? How does the US manage this threat and what steps can be taken to control the spread of nuclear weapons? Drawing upon scholarship, visiting experts, and representations of nuclear weapons in the media and pop culture, we will raise your nuclear IQ by demystifying these terrifying weapons and help you to understand why nuclear weapons were developed, the role they play in international politics and their future as a tool of statecraft.
UHON 395H
Race and Redemption in the Literature of the Civil War and Reconstruction
Dr. Ken Price
TR 11:00-12:15 | Knoll
ACE 9 | CAS CDR Humanities or CDR Human Diversity | Counts as 300-level course for English majors/minors; Fulfills recent Lit or concentration requirement for English majors
For American culture, the crisis of Civil War was crucial and remains a matter of current tension as monuments, meanings, and memory are debated anew. Class discussions will explore how various writers analyzed and contributed to fundamental transformations in U.S. society. We will examine how these writers reacted to the implications of a war that (for the North) changed as the war progressed— Abraham Lincoln’s crucial shift in emphasis from the preservation of the union to the liberation of three million people. As Lincoln noted, Southerners and Northerners “prayed to the same God” and invoked the same founding fathers, yet ultimately understood the meanings of freedom and democracy quite differently.
UHON 395H
The Science of Kids: Critical Issues in Developmental Psychology
Dr. Ann Schutte
TR 3:30-4:45 | Burnett Hall
ACE 6 | CAS CDR Social Sciences | Counts as 300-level for Psychological Science option for Psych majors/minors
This class will examine current issues in theory and research in developmental psychology (e.g., nature vs. nurture). The course is an intermediate level study of developmental issues. We will also learn about theories and methods of developmental psychology. By the end of the semester, you will have developed: (1.) Critical thinking and understanding in key selected topics in developmental psychology. (2.) Basic knowledge about cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and cultural development. (3.) An understanding of the roles of biology, families, media, peers, and other developmental agents. (4.) Learn to conceptually integrate and apply developmental knowledge to real world issues.
UHON 395H
Quality TV: From Buffy to Breaking Bad
Dr. Tamy Burnett
MWF 12:30-1:20 | Knoll
ACE 5 or 7 | CAS CDR Humanities | Counts as 300-level for English majors/minors
In this course, we will learn about and apply theories of the critical category of “quality television” in order to reach an understanding about how various production and narrative elements can contribute to the artistic quality of a scripted television show. Using the television show with the largest body of critical scholarship, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as a point of comparison, we will examine exemplar episodes from several television series that scholars generally agree qualify as “quality TV” in order to develop an understanding of this visual media art form and critical approaches to it. We will explore a variety of shows from disparate genres including, The X-Files, The Sopranos, The West Wing, Veronica Mars, Game of Thrones, and Breaking Bad.
UHON 395H
Space Odyssey: Surveying the Past, Present, and Future of Outer Space
Professor Elsbeth Magilton
TR 12:30-1:45 | Knoll
ACE TBD
Human exploration, and the monetization of outer space uses and resources, is a rapidly developing area. From SpaceX to Rocket Labs, Russia to China, and NASA to JAXA, the use and defense of space is a dynamic and complicated field of study. This course will explore three core phases of human space use: the history of space activities in the United States and abroad, the more recent growth of commercial space activities and the ethics of how we regulate them, and the future challenges on the horizon. Through this journey students will consider the ethics of modern space operations and how humans interact with, alter, and experience the space environment – in Earth orbit and beyond.
UHON 395H
Living with Our Changing Climate
Dr. Eric Hunt
MWF 8:30-9:20 | Knoll
ACE 4
This course reveals the impact that each of us has on the climate. With this understanding, comes choices and actions for a more sustainable future. Earth’s climate is inherently variable but is currently changing at rates unprecedented in recent Earth history. Human activity plays a major role in this change and is projected to do so well into the future. By incorporating the latest science, this course elaborates on this human interaction with the climate system along with how climate variations affect humanity. The primary issues examined in this course include the human and ecosystem vulnerabilities to climate change; the role of energy choices in affecting climate; the actions humans can take through adaptation, mitigation, and policy to lessen vulnerabilities and, the psychological, political and financial reasons behind climate change denial.
