Honors Program in General Education (HNRS)

Only students enrolled in the Honors Program are eligible to take HNRS courses.

Related Catalog Entry: College of Arts and Sciences

Related Mason Website: Honors Program in General Education (http://www.honors.gmu.edu/), College of Arts and Sciences (http://www.gmu.edu/departments/cas/)

Because HNRS is an integrative program, the courses in one semester are generally prerequisite to the courses in the following semester. (Exceptions for majors in certain departments have been arranged and are available in the Honors office.)

110 Introduction to Research (3:3:0). Introduces students to basic research and writing skills that will be required in every course in the curriculum: how to select a suitable problem or question, how to formulate an argument or thesis, how to find and select evidence to support the argument, how to organize ideas into a coherent essay, and how to write clearly and elegantly.

121 Reading Cultural Signs (3:3:0). Uses methods introduced from cultural studies and communication as well as sociology, economics, and psychology. Explores ways in which contemporary arts, mass media (including advertising), and cultural events, as well as social institutions, reflect and shape personal and social values.

122 Reading the Arts (3:3:0). Uses methods developed in PAGE 121 and introduced from literary study and fine arts. In fostering appreciation, explores the relationship of the parts to the whole in a work of art, connections among different art forms, and links between art and its historical context.

125, 225 Analysis and Solution of Quantitative Problems I, II (3:3:0), (3:3:0). Discusses real-world modeling and problem solving techniques and, in conjunction with the computer and tools introduced from the mathematical sciences, applies these to the analysis and solution of a variety of quantitative problems in the natural and social sciences as well as the business environment.

130 Conceptions of Self (3:3:0). Drawing from appropriate works in the social sciences, arts, and humanities, examines different conceptions of the self characteristic of different cultures.

131 Contemporary Society in Multiple Perspectives (3:3:0). Explores methods and perspectives in the social sciences and humanities to evaluate the contribution of different disciplines to an understanding of significant social issues and their global ramifications.

227, 228 Scientific Thought and Processes I, II (4:3:3), (4:3:3).Prerequisite: Taken in sequence. Explores and integrates the principles of classical and modern science through the study of such topics as cosmology, evolution, ecology, mechanics, relativity, and quantum physics.

230 Cross-Cultural Perspectives (3:3:0). Enables students to broaden cultural horizons and to understand human behavior by studying in depth a society different from their own.

240 Reading the Past (3:3:0). Considers the construction(s) of historical narratives by examining significant current topics from their origins to the 20th century. Includes visits to area sites to consider public narratives. Provides context for HNRS 253 The Contemporary United States.

252 The Decision-Making Process and the Choice of Technologies (3:3:0). Examines decision making in large organizations, its effects on the choice of technologies, and the impact of these choices on values.

253 The Contemporary United States (3:3:0). Studies specific aspects of contemporary U.S. Society from historical, sociological, political, economic, cultural, and global perspectives.