Interested in doing a creative honors project? Would you like to develop a multimedia project, photojournalism, documentary? Or, perhaps you are interested in writing literary journalism, memoir, biographical profiles, feature articles, or some other creative nonfiction project you?ve always hoped to get to. If creativity is at the heart of your honors project, this seminar will assist you in developing a concept, as well as refining and reflecting on the process for archival purposes.

The Internet and social media have reshaped our understanding of basic information literacy and access to information, but how have these changes influenced our human behavior and the value we place on information in a country dedicated to supporting First Amendment principles? This course will examine the Internet from conception to Web 2.0, and the digital platforms that have developed to facilitate immediate interaction over the "spine" of the Internet. Students in this course will examine several aspects of contemporary digital communication as they develop their own Honors Thesis.

Throughout the planet, women create common spaces for a better world in response to threats to their livelihood. This course uses the concept ?woman? to refer to bodies feminized by power, to include both transgender and cis women. Students will analyze the axis of oppression and resistance that sit at the core of women?s experiences. Focusing on gender, sexuality, the economy, and ethnic/racial oppression will help students zero on the structural aspect of women?s organizing.

The goal of the course is to better understand randomness and uncertainty, and develop tools to make more informed decisions under uncertain situations. In the beginning of the first semester, the instructor covers some fundamental and relevant concepts from probability, decision theory, and psychology. The presentation will be made in a way accessible to students from all majors and no advanced knowledge will be required. The goal is to lay the foundations for deeper investigation by students in their theses.

In this course, students will conduct an honors thesis by creating an instrument to pursue a biological science research question. Students will be encouraged to coordinate with an existing research enterprise on campus. In the first semester, students will develop a thesis proposal and construct a prototype instrument. During the semester, students will explore case studies about creating/deploying instruments combined with hands-on activities to develop technical skills for instrument development.

This two-semester, 8-credit honors thesis/project course focuses on two of the most intractable structural issues confronting contemporary American society: immigration and mass incarceration. This course will place these two issues in historical context through a variety of academic, journalistic and autobiographical texts and documentaries, which will allow students to see how the contemporary phenomena of immigration and mass incarceration have common ideological underpinnings and common historical roots.

In the second part of this two-semester Honors Thesis seminar, students will learn about the psychological and historical forces that have shaped house and home in the United States. Dominant norms evolved that other nations and cultures must variously mimic, alter or resist.

Globalization will serve as the cornerstone of our study in this two-semester seminar as students undertake their honors thesis. By globalization I mean the increasingly integrated nature of our world's economy, culture and consciousness. Some of the main issues of globalization the course will explore are: strengthening borders against outsiders (refugees, immigrants); increasing borderlessness of technology, which reaches into all corners of the globe and the relationship between globalization and the distribution of income across countries.

This two-semester, 8-credit interdisciplinary Thesis Seminar examines the complex problem of making weapons out of biological organisms. This includes understanding the history of research and development into creating biological weapons, as well as describing the extent and categories of actual use, including consideration of accidental and/or unintentional use, as in the historical exposure of indigenous cultures to European diseases.

Students registering for this Honors Practicum must complete a contract with their honors sponsor. Appropriate forms and more information are available at the Bloom Honors Advising Center - 201 Commonwealth Honors College.