Course Policies

Honors Contracts

  1.  Honors Contract Unit Limits

    • There is a limit to how many honors units a student can earn via Honors Contracts. Students may contract 12 units. If a student needs an exception to this policy the student should contact their Honors Academic Advisor. 

  2. Grading of the Honors Contract

    • No grade is given for the contract. The student either meets the terms of the Honors Contract or they do not. Instructors are required to determine whether the student has completed the terms of the contract by the same date that grades are regularly due for the course. 

  3. Honors Contract impact on the student’s overall grade in the course

    • The work assigned as a result of the Honors Contract will not determine or impact the student's final grade in the class. That is, the fact that the student is working on an Honors Contract does not guarantee a high grade. Final grades should reflect the quality and content of all of the student's work in the course. Additionally, if the student does not complete the terms of the Honors Contract, this will not negatively impact the student’s final grade in the class. If the student does not complete the terms of the Honors Contract, the consequence would be that the student will not receive honors credit for the course.

  4. Courses Co-Convened with a 500-level Graduate Class

    • Students typically are not able to create an Honors Contract for a class that is co-convened with a 500-level graduate class. If this is a student’s very first semester at the University of Arizona OR they have less than 60 earned units, students should contact an Honors Academic Advisor to learn how they could potentially earn honors credit for the course. If a student has at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the University of Arizona AND has at least 60 earned units, they would not create an Honors Contract. Instead, the student would fill out the Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Course form and turn it into the Office of the Registrar, Administration 210.

  5. Courses Ineligible for an Honors Contract 

    • There are certain courses that are NOT eligible for an Honors Contract.
    • Classes you cannot make an Honors Contract for are:
      • Courses that offer an Honors section option this semester
        •  If there is a course that offers an honors section, you must be enrolled in the honors section in order to earn honors credit.
      • Preceptorship
        • Courses numbered: 191, 291, 391, 491
      • Independent Study
        • Courses numbered: 199, 299, 399, 499
      • Study Abroad courses
        • Courses taken at other institutions cannot be contracted. 
      • Courses with alternative grading
        • S (superior), P (pass), F (fail)
      • Courses taken in the Winter session
        • These are courses taken between the fall and spring semesters.

Individual Studies

  1. An Honors individual studies course, including independent study (X99H or X92H), internship credit (X93H) and preceptorship (X91H) should be qualitatively different from the non-Honors individual studies normally undertaken in the department or discipline. Even in the laboratory setting, The Honors student taking an Honors section should be doing demonstrably different work than students registered for a non-Honors individual study.
  2. This difference, indicating that the experience is worthy of The Honors designation, and therefore of a grade, should be indicated and described on the required departmental registration form.
  3. This "demonstrably different work" will vary depending upon discipline, but in general should mean not additional assignments, but a deeper, more challenging and more intense engagement with the subject matter or work of the independent study.
  4. Faculty in individual departments shall determine, along with their colleagues in the discipline, what this specific and more challenging work shall be, but in general it might involve some or all of the following: engagement with theory, closer and/or more frequent contact with faculty members and/or principal investigators, interrogation of underlying assumptions and received wisdom, more advanced engagement with the material, faster progress through the curriculum for the course, etc.
  5. Only active university Honors students should be registered for Honors independent study.

Special Considerations for Independent Studies Credit:

Honors independent study work will provide a depth and intensity that exceeds the scope of a regular independent study. As such, honors independent study credit provides a letter grade that is included in the cumulative GPA, as opposed to non-honors independent study which is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Special Considerations for Internship Credit:

If an internship is aligned with a student’s major or minor, the student should seek Honors credit through that academic department. If the internship takes place in a field outside of his/her chosen major or minor, the student may be eligible to earn Honors credit through The Honors College. Internships originating in The Honors College (HNRS 193H-493H) include different and additional requirements which may include:

  • Identify and read a (scholarly) book pertinent to the internship.
  • Keep a journal throughout the tenure of the internship.
  • Use the book and journal excerpts to inform a 7-10 page paper that reflects on the internship.

Special Considerations for Preceptors:

Honors preceptorships should reflect a depth and intensity of work that exceeds the scope of a non-Honors preceptorship. Whether assisting during a lab course, running study sessions, or supporting a professor directly, Honors preceptors should be required to exceed the standard preceptor duties, primarily by the addition of an intellectual, academic or research component. In addition to the preceptor’s standard duties, Honors preceptorships might include the following components:

  • An assignment that includes both research into and analysis of information relevant to the preceptoring duties.
  • An assignment in self-reflection, which might include a portfolio or journal.
  • An in-depth study into a specific area of the discipline upon which the course is based, requiring The Honors student to engage more intensely with the material than the non-Honors preceptors.
  • Engagement in the study of theory appropriate to the discipline.
  • Assessment of the learning outcomes from the assignments listed above would occur through an individual presentation to the class where the preceptorship is conducted, a panel presentation by several preceptors to the class, or a report submitted to the professor.
  • Additional research or reading from which the student writes a 5 - 7 page paper that relates to the preceptorship experiences.
  • Regular meetings with the faculty member in charge of the course in order to assist students in self-reflection and self-assessment.

Franke Honors Seminars

A one-credit Franke Honors seminar (HNRS 195H, 195I, 195J, and 195K) is required for all students in the Franke Honors College. It is recommended to take one of these courses within your first year. Seminars topics span the social sciences, sciences, humanities, and fine arts. 

Non-Honors Students

Students who are not active in Honors may not enroll in honors courses or sections including Honors independent studies, Honors contracts, Honors sections of general education, and any other Honors courses. The exceptions to this policy is English 109H. Ability to take these courses is based on placement scores rather than Franke Honors College enrollment.