The Honors College curriculum provides students both the opportunity to experience more in-depth courses within their major and minor fields, and to explore other disciplines that interest them. This culminates in a greater overall undergraduate experience.

Honors Designations

There are four Honors College graduation distinctions: University Honors Scholar, University Honors Research Scholar, Honors Scholar and Honors Research Scholar. These are conferred at the time of graduation and printed on students’ diplomas and transcripts.

To earn the designation University Honors Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:

  • 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses, AND

  • 6 hours of coursework identified as Signature Impact Experiences

Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.4 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.

To earn the designation Honors Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of Honors College coursework, including a minimum of:

  • 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses

Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.

 

To earn the designation University Honors Research Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:

  • 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses; 1 hour of which must be “Honors Lyceum: Research at Auburn”

  • 3 hours of Honors Research Methods

  • 6 hours of Honors Seminars

  • 6 hours of designated Honors Research Seminars

  • 6 hours of coursework identified as Signature Impact Experiences

Student must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.4 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.

To earn the designation Honors Research Scholar, students are required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of Honors College courses, including a minimum of:

  • 3 hours of Honors Participation Courses; 1 hour of which must be “Honors Lyceum: Research at Auburn”

  • 3 hours of Honors Research Methods

  • 6 hours of Honors Seminars

  • 6 hours of designated Honors Research Seminars

Students must also complete their disciplinary requirements and have a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA at the time of graduation.

Honors Course Types

Honors Academic Courses

Students may earn Honors credit by taking the Honors version of required University Core courses. 

Example: Students may take Honors World Literature before 1600 as their required core literature course of Honors Calculus I as their required core math course. 

*Please note that Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, ACT/SAT, and dual-enrollment credits, while accepted as Auburn University credits, will not be accepted as Honors College credits.*

Students may choose to complete the Honors version of major specific, departmental courses.

Example: Student who are required by their major, or minor, to take Organic Chemistry may opt to take the Honors version of Organic Chemistry or students who are majoring or minoring in a business based field may take Honors Principles of Accounting to fill a requirement while receiving Honors credit.

*Please note that some courses have prerequisites.*

Study and Travel courses entail classroom-based study of a specific location (sometimes in the U.S., sometimes in another country) for one hour a week during the Fall or Spring semester, followed by a faculty-led excursion to that country or region for 10 to 14 days at the end of the semester or over spring break. Usually these courses are 3 credits, with 2 of the course credits earned during travel.  

Example: Dr. Allen Furr, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, taught a small group of Honors students about the culture and history of India. Once the semester ended, the students took a trip to India to explore the subject matter they studied during the regular semester. 

Seminars, usually capped at 15 students, provide opportunities for intensive exploration of topics through critical reading and discussion. While topics can range widely, the college prioritizes topics that fall outside the usual boundaries of traditional departmental courses and bring together students from a range of majors. There are no prerequisites. 

Research Seminars, which usually have a capacity of 8 to 18 students depending on the field and topic, allow students to pursue collaborative research or creative endeavor under the close supervision of a faculty mentor. There are usually no prerequisites, but faculty may request them depending on their topic. 

 

Honors Contracts enable students to earn credit by incorporating an Honors component within a regularly offered class. This is a great way to customize your Honors experience, form a relationship with your professors, and get the most out of your major or minor classes. Completion of the Honors Contract form with faculty member and department head approval is required and must be submitted by the 15th day of class. Courses that may be contracted include:

  • A core course that cannot be taken as Honors due to a scheduling conflict or lack of an Honors version.

  • A course required to complete the student's College Curriculum Model.

Learn more about how to contract a course with our contracting resource page. {link to contracting}

Honors Participation Courses

The Freshmen Exploration course introduces students to Auburn University and the Honors College. Each week, guest speakers present topics relevant to Honors students. Some of the topics discussed include Study Abroad, campus involvement, course registration, National Prestigious Scholarships, service learning, and more.

Lyceums, named after the gymnasium in which the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle taught, provide a curricular setting for highly interactive discussion and the exchange of ideas.  

 

Book Clubs bring together a small group of students with one instructor to discuss one-to-three books.  

Students enrolled in the Forum course select a minimum of ten campus lectures, films and performances from a pre-approved list to attend. The events span a wide range of subjects, and students submit a reflective essay after each event attended.

This class is a great way for students to engage in the vast array of opportunities provided by the University and its partners while earning honors credit.

Honors Signature Impact Experiences

Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing.

Typically, students will participate in honors research their junior or senior year. For majors that require research, you can take the honors version of research and meet both your requirement and receive honors credit.

Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing and produce a written document or oral presentation.

Honors thesis is a wonderful option for any student who wants the experience of writing an undergraduate thesis. Writing a thesis benefits both students preparing to attend professional or graduate school, as well as those entering directly into the workforce.

Students work with a departmental professor in their major or minor to complete a project of their choosing. Honors Contract courses in the major field of study at the 4000-5000 level Students may contract courses in their major field of study by incorporating an Honors component within a regularly offered class.

This course is very similar to Honors Research. It gives students an opportunity to work one on one with a professor on a project that is interesting to them.

Students who meet the required pre-requisites may take graduate-level courses within their field of study. A maximum of twelve of these hours may count towards both the student’s undergraduate and graduate degrees at Auburn University. These graduate courses tend to be 6000 level courses that bridge undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Study and Travel courses entail classroom-based study of a specific location (sometimes in the U.S., sometimes in another country) for one hour a week during the Fall or Spring semester, followed by a faculty-led excursion to that country or region for 10 to 14 days at the end of the semester or over spring break. Usually these courses are 3 credits, with 2 of the course credits earned during travel.  

Example: Dr. Allen Furr, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, taught a small group of Honors students about the culture and history of India. Once the semester ended, the students took a trip to India to explore the subject matter they studied during the regular semester. 

Seminars, usually capped at 15 students, provide opportunities for intensive exploration of topics through critical reading and discussion. While topics can range widely, the college prioritizes topics that fall outside the usual boundaries of traditional departmental courses and bring together students from a range of majors. There are no prerequisites. 

Research Seminars, which usually have a capacity of 8 to 18 students depending on the field and topic, allow students to pursue collaborative research or creative endeavor under the close supervision of a faculty mentor. There are usually no prerequisites, but faculty may request them depending on their topic. 

 

Specialized Minor

The Honors Business minor consists of the five 3-hour courses below. Four of the five courses must be taken at the honors level to successfully complete the minor. The minor is limited to students in the Honors College.

  • ECON 2020/2027 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 hours

  • ACCT 2110/2117 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 hours

  • FINC 3610/3617 | Principles of Business Finance | 3 hours

  • MNGT 3100/3107 | Principles of Management | 3 hours

  • MKTG 3310/3317 | Principles of Marketing | 3 hours

The Honors College Business Minor is administered through Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business. Students interested in more information, or those who would like to declare it as a minor, must contact the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business directly.

Students pursuing an Honors minor may apply the hours taken for the minor towards their Honors designation.

The Honors Public Health Minor is 15 hours consisting of five 3-hour courses: four required courses (12 hours) and one elective course (3 hours). Four of the five courses must be taken at the honors level to successfully complete the minor. Three of the PAOH courses are honors level, so the chosen elective must be an honors elective or contracted for honors credit (arranged through Honors college) to make four total honors courses. The elective must be approved by the Advisor. The minor is limited to students in the Honors College.  

  • PAOH 2107 | Honors Introduction to Public Health | 3 hours

  • PAOH 3017 | Honors Introduction to Epidemiology | 3 hours

  • PAOH 4837 | Honors Global Comparative Health Systems | 3 hours

  • PAOH 4910 | Observing Needs in Public Health | 3 hours

  • Honors Elective | Approved by Advisor | 3 hours

Students pursuing an Honors minor may apply the hours taken for the minor towards their Honors designation.

Few places are more of an academic paradise than Italy. Incredible art, history and culture are set against a backdrop of exquisite land and seascapes, amazing food and friendly people. As a student in the Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program, your assignment is simple: experience it all. By program’s end, you will earn an Honors International Minor in Human Sciences—an impressive addition to any resume in today’s global society. This experience differs significantly from other study abroad options on campus and elsewhere: our program is structured so that you will not just learn about Italian culture—you will live it.  

You will stay as a full-time resident, in Ariccia, Italy in the grand Palazzo Chigi, a 15th-century palace once home to Italian nobility, at Auburn’s only permanent overseas campus. Our 12-week curriculum enables you to immerse yourself in the international landscape while earning an International Honors Minor for a total of 16 hours of academic credit (14 of which are Honors) here at Auburn.

Lectures are taught in English by notable international scholars and professionals in sustainability, world history, architecture, art, design, language, cuisine and culture. Campus instruction is supplemented by field trips and experiential learning activities to other parts of Italy to enhance and bring meaningful context to the knowledge you have gained in the classroom.

  • HUSC 3380 | CHS at AU in Italy: Pre-Departure and Orientation | 2 hours

  • HUSC 4017 | Honors CHS at AU in Italy: Integrated Global Studies | 6 hours

  • HUSC 4387 | Honors CHS at AU in Italy: Study and Travel | 2 hours

  • HUSC 4947 | Honors CHS at AU in Italy: Directed Field Experiences | 6 hours

Students pursuing an Honors minor may apply the hours taken for the minor towards their Honors designation.

Current Honors Course List | Spring 2027

Honors Lyceums

The course offers both a comprehensive introduction to the topic of ‘antisemitism,’ its history and evolving manifestations, as well as its encounters with the law across times, populations, and spaces. The ‘oldest form of hatred’ is studied with the aim of understanding (1) the challenge antisemitism poses to democracy and the rule of law in America, particularly as it relates to the bounds of the First Amendment, (2) the unique double standard to which Jews are held in contemporary legal and social discourse, and (3) why innovative education in these areas is one solution to navigating hate in a complex legal landscape. Students will, in time, be prepared to (1) recognize manifestations of antisemitism in their own lives, (2) develop a nuanced understanding with a mind toward historic roots and current societal challenges, and (3) become equipped with knowledge to engage in advocacy to combat antisemitism.

In Research Venture Lyceums (RVL), a small group of students work together with their instructor to complete a small-scale research or creative project. These lyceums provide opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions to a project as part of a team,  learn first-hand what it is like to conduct research or creative endeavor in the given field, gain a faculty mentor and acquire the skills and confidence to join more advanced research. 

Meets: Thursdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor:Ariel Liberman

Credit: One

CRN: 17057

Students will gain an understanding of the lives and challenges of Tactical Athletes (TAs) through visits with the Auburn Firefighters, police and military collaborators. Students will explore the challenges they experience doing their jobs through discussions with TAs, and brainstorm research ideas to investigate solutions for these challenges. Working together, students will develop one research project that may be carried out the following terms (optional).

In Research Venture Lyceums (RVL), a small group of students work together with their instructor to complete a small-scale research or creative project. These lyceums provide opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions to a project as part of a team,  learn first-hand what it is like to conduct research or creative endeavor in the given field, gain a faculty mentor and acquire the skills and confidence to join more advanced research. 

Meets:Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m.

Instructor: JoEllen Sefton

Credit: One

CRN: 17076

Learn the process of creative research by making a visual art journal and exhibit it in a culminating art show. Activities include hands-on artmaking, writing-to-learn, feedback and discussion, and collaboratively mount a professional art exhibit. This course challenges students to develop skills in independent creative problem-solving, resilience, communication, and team work.

In Research Venture Lyceums (RVL), a small group of students work together with their instructor to complete a small-scale research or creative project. These lyceums provide opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions to a project as part of a team,  learn first-hand what it is like to conduct research or creative endeavor in the given field, gain a faculty mentor and acquire the skills and confidence to join more advanced research. 

Meets: Wednesdays | 1-1:50 p.m.

Instructor: Millian Giang Pham

Credit: One

CRN: 17067

Across the United States, there has been a growing interest in how neighborhood governance, particularly Homeowners' Associations (HOAs), shapes local ecology and residents' expectations for their own property. This course examines that question in Auburn, comparing yards in HOA neighborhoods to those without HOA oversight, and comparing both to nearby natural areas. Students will choose a social or ecological focus: on the social side, this may involve surveys, interviews, or analysis of HOA governance covenants; on the ecological side, students will deploy trail cameras and acoustic recording devices to document wildlife activity across yard types and natural areas. Throughout the semester, students will read and discuss relevant literature, assist with field data collection, analyze basic datasets, and synthesize their findings into a final summary of what the class learned.

In Research Venture Lyceums (RVL), a small group of students work together with their instructor to complete a small-scale research or creative project. These lyceums provide opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions to a project as part of a team,  learn first-hand what it is like to conduct research or creative endeavor in the given field, gain a faculty mentor and acquire the skills and confidence to join more advanced research. 

Meets: Wednesdays | 1-1:50 p.m.

Instructor:Chris Lepczyk, Jean Fantle-Lepczyk

Credit: One

CRN: 17070

This innovative interdisciplinary Honors College course introduces students to the philosophy, concepts, and transformative role of outreach-centered education and engages learning in addressing current and future societal challenges, particularly within rural healthcare and underserved communities. Students will critically examine how outreach initiatives, community partnerships, healthcare innovation, service-learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration contribute to improving public health outcomes, educational access, mental wellness, healthcare equity, and civic engagement in Alabama and beyond. Through current literature, case studies, collaborative discussion, and project development, students will explore how universities and healthcare systems serve as catalysts for community transformation through outreach and applied scholarship. This course will emphasize the role of student learning experiences in creating socially responsible leaders capable of addressing complex global and rural challenges through empathy, innovation, research, and engagement. The course is intended for Honors College students in STEM and non-STEM disciplines, including Agriculture, Biomedical Sciences, Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Administration, Public Health, and Social Sciences.

In Research Venture Lyceums (RVL), a small group of students work together with their instructor to complete a small-scale research or creative project. These lyceums provide opportunities for students to make meaningful contributions to a project as part of a team,  learn first-hand what it is like to conduct research or creative endeavor in the given field, gain a faculty mentor and acquire the skills and confidence to join more advanced research. 

Meets: Wednesdays | 1-1:50 p.m.

Instructor: Muralikrishnan Dhanasekaran

Credit: One

CRN: 18199

Inside the Game – An Introduction to Sports Management provides an immersive introduction to the dynamic field of sports management, with a special focus on collegiate athletics. Students will explore core concepts and real-world practices across finance, law and ethics, human resources, marketing, media relations, facility design, event planning, and game day operations. Emphasis is placed on current issues and innovations shaping today’s sports industry. Through critical discussion, collaborative problem-solving, and project-based learning, students will gain both practical insights and theoretical foundations. This course culminates in a research-driven presentation analyzing a selected topic within the context of a college or university athletics department of their choice.

Meets: Thursdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Holly Davenport

Credit: One

CRN: 17058

Writing, particularly when it happens in the public eye, has always been shaped by the way it’s presented—where it is, how it’s made, and how it moves. In this course, we will use rhetorical theory and a historical approach to think about how media consumption shapes when, how, and why we read and write. We’ll analyze compositions in specific moments, and use this analysis to think through our current moment and how we’re moving into the next. Considering inventions like the printing press, the internet, social media, and AI, we’ll consider how we compose and how that affects what we make and how we share it. Each week will spotlight a new genre and/or technology, engaging with the benefits and limitations and considering how it fits into a larger timeline of communication. Keeping media literacy at the forefront of our discussion, we’ll think through why media matters and how we use it both to consume and to influence the way we compose. We’ll finish the class with a piece of researched work that is composed in a genre we examined over the course of the semester.

Meets: Wednesdays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Rachael Green-Howard

Credit: One

CRN: 17059

In this course students are expected to conduct 15 hours of service and do an in-class presentation on their service experience. This class will meet 4-6 times during the semester, but most of your weekly meeting times will be canceled, allowing for community service time.

Meets: Wednesdays | 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Zachary Werninck

Credit: One

CRN: 17060

In this course students are expected to conduct 15 hours of service and do an in-class presentation on their service experience. This class will meet 4-6 times during the semester, but most of your weekly meeting times will be canceled, allowing for community service time.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m.

Instructor: Sarah Crim

Credit: One

CRN: 17061

This course investigates how social media platforms, cultural expectations, and contemporary social structures influence human happiness. Discussions will draw from psychology, sociology, and media studies. Students will examine why happiness feels harder to achieve in a hyperconnected world and what they and society can do about it. The course will blend academic research with reflective practice and encourage students to analyze their own digital habits.

Meets: Wednesdays | 12:30-12:50 p.m.

Instructor: Rochelle Johnson

Credit: One

CRN: 17063

In this Lyceum the speakers will discuss their involvement in research within their particular field. This is a great class to introduce you to research opportunities on Auburn's campus, and explore the different types of research that contributes to our R1 status. This course is for students interested specifically in Engineering research opportunities.

Meets: Mondays | 1-1:50 p.m.

Instructor: Matthew Garnett

Credit: One

CRN: 17064

In this Lyceum the speakers will discuss their involvement in research within their particular field. This is a great class to introduce you to research opportunities on Auburn's campus, and explore the different types of research that contributes to our R1 status. This course is for students interested specifically in COSAM research opportunities.

Meets: Mondays | 4-4:50 p.m.

Instructor: Keri L. Marshall

Credit: One

CRN: 17064

From Bluebird Cafe to a voice heard around the world, Taylor Swift has become one of the most influential artists of all time. She has set record after record- the Eras Tour alone grossing over $1 billion. How did she become a stand-out artist? What about her music is so relatable to a global audience? How has she created the most loyal of fan bases that would wait hours online just for the chance to earn a chance to attend one of her concerts? Come together with your fellow Swifties to discuss multiple topics, including but not limited to, economics, gender, fashion, storytelling, communication/media, sociology, and the entertainment industry. Prepare to get out of your comfort zone, stretch your mind, and learn about other disciplines that have contributed to the brand that is Taylor Swift. Let’s analyze Taylor Swift Easter Eggs together and become “MASTERMINDS” on all things that have created a global superstar.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m.

Instructor: Amy Flynn

Credit: One

CRN: 17066

In this Lyceum the speakers will discuss their involvement in research within their particular field. This is a great class to introduce you to research opportunities on Auburn's campus, and explore the different types of research that contributes to our R1 status.

Meets: Tuesdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor: Suzanne Hunter

Credit: One

CRN: 17069

This Lyceum will provide an overview of major national and international scholarships, such as Rhodes, Marshall, Goldwater, Fulbright, and Truman awards, along with other opportunities such as Peace Corps, Teach for America, and elite graduate schools. It will also offer advice about applying for each of these opportunities, while guiding students through assignments that provide practice for personal statements, interviews, and other typical elements of the applications.

Meets: Tuesdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Stu McLaughlin

Credit: One

CRN: 17071

This course introduces intercultural communication and provides activities for managing and overcoming communication barriers.

Meets: Mondays | 1-1:50 p.m.

Instructor: Lora Merchant

Credit: One

CRN: 18164

This course is a fun and rewarding way to help Freshman Honors students AND give back to the Honors College. Peer Instructors are assigned to one of the Freshman Exploration sections. Interested in being a peer instructor? Applications are open and are found online at aub.ie/peerinstructor Questions can be sent to Savannah Baker: slw0083@auburn.edu

Meets: N/A

Instructor: Taylor Mullins

Credit: One

CRN: 17072

This lyceum introduces students to Economic Development from both a global and local perspective. While broadly exploring the process of improving the well-being of people, the primary focus will be on economics. The course will encourage students to be curious while keeping their heads, look outward, work wisely saving the best, use the human touch to change the world, and have fun through informal discussions.

Meets: Tuesdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Instructor: Joseph S. Johnson

Credit: One

CRN: 17073

Adulting is no joke!  This course is designed for college students to be more prepared for the realities of life they will face post-graduation. From retirement options to life skills to navigating life a new city, this class aims to address some of the things you simply just don’t learn in a textbook.  Through participating in this course, students will  learn to budget on their potential first salary, practice everyday life skills (like writing a check or ironing a shirt!), discover strategies to make new friends after college and set realistic goals in seasons of transition.

Meets: Wednesdays | 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Savannah Baker

Credit: One

CRN: 17074

The course is designed to help students in developing a career plan and investigating the work world in terms of the students' career/life goals. Students will explore career competencies that are sought by employers and graduate schools, and learn how best to represent these competencies on resumes and in interviews.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Instructor: Whitney R. Comer

Credit: One

CRN: 17068

From Goodnight, Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Amelia Bedelia and Pete the Cat—children's literature has made a resounding impact on the social fabric of America. But what shapes a children's book? What propels the success of storytelling, book crafting, and illustrating—especially when evaluated by some of the most honest and youngest judges of literature? Why do certain works of children's literature soar and defy the tests of time? In this class, we will explore these questions and more, as we dive into Crafting Children's Literature. This course is for the curious, the creative, and the children-at-heart. In this course, we will examine children's literature and its impact, explore the craft of writing and illustrating, and produce our very own works of children's literature. All majors are welcome, and no experience or expertise is required—only a healthy appreciation for pure joy and fun, and a desire to intellectually play in the sunlight of childhood imagination!

Meets: Tuesdays | 3:30-4:20 p.m.

Instructor: Katie Martin

Credit: One

CRN: 18162

Pollinators are essential to global food production, biodiversity, and healthy ecosystems, yet they face increasing threats from habitat loss, pesticides, diseases, invasive pests, and climate change. This course introduces students to the biology of honey bees and other pollinators while exploring their ecological, agricultural, and societal importance. Through interactive lectures and discussions, students will examine honey bee biology, colony organization, pollination ecology, sustainable beekeeping, and current challenges affecting pollinator health. The course will also highlight how scientific research informs conservation efforts, agricultural practices, and public policy. To complement classroom learning, students will be able to participate in hands-on activities at the Auburn University Bee Center, where they will safely observe and inspect live honey bee colonies while learning the fundamentals of beekeeping and colony management. Students will also discuss current scientific literature and contemporary issues related to pollinator conservation and food security.

Meets: Mondays | 3-3:50 p.m.

Instructor:Léna Barascou

Credit: One

CRN: 18181

This course will examine how scientific and technological advances have shaped modern agriculture and environmental systems, while also considering the challenges that have emerged alongside industrialization. Topics will include rising temperatures, environmental degradation, nutrient pollution, resource depletion, and other pressures affecting agricultural sustainability.
The course will then shift from identifying these challenges to exploring potential solutions, with emphasis on renewable and biobased energy, carbon-removal technologies, sustainable agricultural practices, and emerging approaches for reducing environmental impacts. Students will be encouraged to connect historical developments with current challenges and critically consider how science and technology can contribute to a more sustainable future.
This course would benefit Honors students from a wide range of academic backgrounds who are interested in understanding how agriculture, industrialization, technological development, and environmental change have shaped modern society. It would be particularly valuable for students outside STEM fields who may not otherwise encounter these topics in an integrated scientific context, while also offering students in agriculture, engineering, and the sciences a broader, interdisciplinary perspective beyond their specialized coursework. The course is intended for students who want a well-rounded discussion of how agricultural and industrial systems developed, the benefits and challenges they created, and the scientific and technological approaches being explored for a more sustainable future.
By the end of the course, students should be able to connect historical developments with current issues such as climate change, nutrient pollution, resource use, and environmental degradation; critically evaluate the trade-offs associated with modern agricultural and industrial systems; and discuss emerging solutions including renewable and biobased energy, carbon-removal technologies, and sustainable agricultural practices. The course will emphasize systems thinking and encourage students to consider how scientific, technological, economic, and societal factors interact when addressing complex sustainability challenges.

Meets: Tuesdays | 8-9:15 a.m.

Instructor: Nitesh Kumar Kasera

Credit: One

CRN: 18198

Honors Seminars

This course will introduce the many influential voices that shaped nature conservation, outside of scientists and academics. To do this, we will explore how the arts and letters impacted and influenced the conservation of nature. Using a mixed media approach the course will cover stories (e.g., the Lorax), music (e.g., John Denver), photographers (e.g., Ansel Adams), painters (e.g., Georgia O'Keefe), and authors (e.g., Rachel Carson), to understand how they collectively impacted and influenced conservation.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Instructor:Jean Fantle-Lepczyk, Chris Lepczyk

Credit: Three

CRN: 17102

The focus of this course will be exploring the portrayal of nature and wildlife in film. Many films in a variety of contexts incorporate wildlife, ranging from background to main characters and from major adversaries to inspirational elements worth fighting for and saving. Regardless of how wildlife is portrayed, films often depict wildlife from an anthropocentric viewpoint, ignoring the accepted biology and natural history of the animals and events being depicted.

Because films can strongly influence how people view and value wildlife, the purpose of this course will be to watch and discuss films in which wildlife is a major component or character within the story and evaluate both the devices used to impart the film makers viewpoint and their scientific accuracy. We will watch films within themes such as Man vs. Nature, Spiritual Connections with Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Animals as Heroes, among others. To better understand the context of each film, after viewing, students will research events and ideas presented in each film, which we will then discuss and synthesize as a class.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m. 

Instructor: Jean Fantle-Lepczyk

Credit: Three

CRN: 17110

In the Declaration of Independence, 250 years ago, representatives from thirteen British colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America declared—at enormous personal risk—that the British monarch no longer had the "consent of the governed" and that it was therefore the colonists' right "to provide new Guards for their future security." The government that eventually took the place of British rule was a democracy, at least if we understand that term broadly: certain citizens of this new country would elect representatives to craft laws with an eye toward the common good. This course will explore some foundational issues concerning democracy. First, we'll look at work in social contract theory from the 17th and 18th centuries that influenced how the American colonists were thinking about political legitimacy. Then, we'll see to what extent these ideas from social contract theory were expressed both in the colonists' arguments for independence and in the Federalists' arguments for ratifying the Constitution. Finally, we'll explore thinking about democracy since the American Revolution. Among other topics, we'll look at the Marquis de Condorcet's mathematical work on voter aggregation during the French Revolution (along with 20th-century refinements of that work) and an argument by a prominent contemporary philosopher (Alex Guerrero) for sortition, in which citizens are randomly selected to serve on a legislature for a fixed amount of time. The class should be of particular interest to those studying philosophy, law and justice, history, and political science.

Meets: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays | 1-1:50 p.m. 

Instructor: Brian McLoone

Credit: Three

CRN: 17104

“No one would choose to live without friends, even if he possessed all other good things.”
—Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
Friendship seems to be a vital element of living a good life. But what exactly is friendship, and why is it so important to our lives? Are there different kinds of friendships? Should you treat your friends differently than you treat others? Is friendship an important part of being a good person? Is friendship just as valuable as other kinds of loving relationships, such as romantic or familial ones? Can you have a friendship with someone you have a romantic relationship with? How has the internet changed the way we navigate friendships? In this course, we will attempt to answer these questions by investigating some of the central theories on the nature of friendship in the history of philosophy and by using these theories to analyze classic cases of friendship in literature, film, and history.
Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor:Vivian Feldblyum

Credit: Three

CRN: 17105

This course will explore the long Atomic Age from the first use of nuclear weapons during World War II to today’s anxieties over nuclear energy and the possibility of nuclear warfare. While Americans no longer talk about their fears of someone finally “dropping the big one,” and schools no longer run drills telling children what to do in the event of a nuclear attack, the lingering effect of these and other aspects of the latter half of the twentieth century find expression in today’s world. We will begin with the development and deployment of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and then move closer to today through readings in a variety of genres (non-fiction, history, science-fiction, poetry) as well as viewings of relevant film and television.

Meets:Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Matthew Spencer

Credit: Three

CRN: 17106

Throughout the semester, we will engage in discussions and activities on case studies and ethical problem-solving, exchanging wide-ranging perspectives on dilemmas involving algorithmic bias and fairness, privacy and surveillance, automation and labor, creativity and authorship, and the social responsibilities of technologists and policy makers across a multitude of sectors. The experience culminates in the AI Ethics Iron Bowl, a friendly debate competition that brings Auburn and Alabama teams head-to-head before a panel of expert judges in industry, government, and higher education, blending collaborative learning, applied ethical reasoning, and the excitement of Alabama's most famous rivalry to prepare students to think critically and practically about technology's role in shaping our collective futures.

Meets: Mondays & Wednesdays | 3-4:15 p.m.

Instructor:DeElla Wiley

Credit: Three

CRN: 18174

For thousands of years, mythology has long shaped storytelling, deeply shaping literature and heavily influencing popular culture. Although seldom taught as a formal subject, mythology is something many encounter from an early age. Its characters and themes feel familiar, but this familiarity often goes unexplored. In literature, film, and popular culture, myths introduce enduring characters, archetypes, and narratives that continue to be reinterpreted across generations, allowing authors to explore fundamental aspects of the human experience: love, heroism, fate, and transformation.

This course examines how ancient myths from diverse cultural traditions continue to inform and inspire modern storytelling across literature, film, and popular culture. Students will investigate how mythological themes are adapted in contemporary fiction and how mythic elements manifest in graphic novels, movies, holidays, festivals, and even concepts of romantic attraction. Through comparative analysis and critical discussion, students will examine how mythological narratives are introduced and internalized across the lifespan and gain a deeper appreciation for the ways mythology evolves while remaining deeply embedded in today's cultural and literary expressions.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor: Yvette Stone

Credit: Three

CRN: 17107

Detective fiction has captured readers’ imaginations since Wilkie Collins published The Moonstone in 1868, setting up narrative patterns and detective figures that influenced later writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Early mysteries grew out of Victorian sensation fiction, with its focus on secrets and suspense, and developed through the twentieth century into Golden Age puzzle stories, hardboiled noir, and police procedurals. In the twenty-first century, mystery stories are everywhere. Detective novels, psychological thrillers, and mystery films attract large audiences and show how crime narratives have adapted to new media. This course traces the evolution of mystery across literature and popular culture, looking at how different forms have responded to changing social conditions, new technologies, and shifting cultural interests. Students will explore how mystery stories raise questions about justice, authority, expertise, community, and the effects of consuming crime as entertainment, while considering the historical and cultural contexts that shaped them. In this seminar, we will attempt to answer the following questions: Why does mystery endure as a cultural form, and how has it evolved in response to changing historical and social pressures? What anxieties, desires, and institutional narratives become visible in stories about crime and investigation? In doing so, we will examine the ways in which detective and crime narratives represent issues such as justice and punishment, surveillance and expertise, community and isolation, and the ethics of consuming crime as entertainment. We will also consider shifting genre expectations, from the puzzle mystery to noir to contemporary thrillers and true crime media, and what these shifts reveal about cultural values over time.

Meets: Mondays & Wednesdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor: Ellen Campbell

Credit: Three

CRN: 17108

This course will prepare students to make more informed job/career decisions and strategies. They will participate in a comprehensive assessment to identify their “motivated” abilities. Using these insights, students will learn about “Goodness of Fit” and how to match their talents to the critical motivations required for both performance and satisfaction in their chosen job/career. Participants will be guided in developing long-term goals, short-term plans, job interviewing skills, mentorship relationships, and co-curricular learning opportunities.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor: Joseph S. Johnson

Credit: Three

CRN: 17109

This course explores the science of well-being and happiness while equipping students with practical tools to lead more fulfilling lives. The course will follow Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning, emphasizing active learning experiences that foster deep understanding and transformative growth.” We will focus primarily on the science of happiness and integrate findings from positive psychology. Some concepts in psychiatry, behavioral genetics, and neuroscience will be explored.

Meets:Mondays & Wednesdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Instructor: Patrick M. George

Credit: Three

CRN: 18169

The Confident Communicator is an Honors-level communication course that challenges students to build, practice, and level up their communication skills, confidence, and mindset for academic, leadership, and professional success. Building on foundational public speaking skills, students will explore how mindset, self-awareness, and confidence influence the way they communicate and connect with others. Students will apply communication strategies to situations connected to their interests, majors, careers, and campus involvement. Through hands-on challenges, real-world communication experiences, presentations, and reflection, students will develop the confidence, adaptability, and communication skills to step outside their comfort zones, communicate with purpose, connect with audiences, and make an impact.

Meets:Tuesdays & Thursdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Instructor: Sherrie Gilbert

Credit: Three

CRN: 17111

For Week of Service counselors only.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Instructor: Margaret V. Rogers

Credit: Three

CRN: 17112

Leadership is more than a position. Everyone must lead in their sphere of influence. During this class, students will study the five leadership practices proposed in the Leadership Challenge. Students will evaluate their own perception of their leadership skills, as well as received feedback from others on their leadership. The goal is to gain a better understanding of important leadership skills, develop an action plan for developing those skills, and applying these lessons to their lives now.

Meets: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays |10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Whitney R. Comer

Credit: Three

CRN: 17113

What makes you unique? How do you learn the best? How do your relationships with others shape your potential? These questions are explored in this interdisciplinary honors seminar using evidence-based assessments, positive psychology, learning science, and social network mapping. Inspired by Shawn Achor’s book, "Big Potential", students look beyond their own individual achievement to discover how understanding themselves and the people around them can strengthen success, resilience, teamwork, and lifelong learning. This course incorporates a variety of validated assessments to help students create their own personal development portfolio that reveals their strengths, values, learning preferences, relationships, and potential for becoming the person, student, and leader they aspire to be.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor:Janet Moore

Credit: Three

CRN: 17114

Students will learn how creative principles are used to innovate in any business or discipline. This course will explore innovative individuals and businesses that have influenced their fields by the use of creative practice. The creative principles that drive innovation will be explored in depth and many examples of these creative principles will be explored.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Instructor: Christopher J. Qualls

Credit: Three

CRN: 17115

Honors Research Seminars

This course will expose students to hands-on research experience on several cutting-edge biomedical research techniques including cell culture, transfection, site-directed mutagenesis, ligand binding assay, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, western blotting, and radioimmunoassay.

Meets: Mondays | 2-4:30 pm

Instructor: Ya-Xiong Tao

Credit: Three

CRN: 17116

This course is designed for students who are interested in pursuing careers in data science or bioinformatics, equipping them with the skills needed to conduct bioinformatics research using state-of-the-art technologies. It is designed to familiarize students with biomedical research, with a particular focus on AI-driven studies impacting biomarker discovery and drug repositioning in complex diseases. The students will learn the basics of data processing and relational database construction. The students will follow the state-of-art techniques in processing the multi-omics data and enhance their understanding of the frontiers of bioinformatics algorithms, tackling biomedical questions, such as the stratification of the patients and identifying potential cohort-specific oncogenes and treatment. Students will be coding in this course.

Meets: Tuesdays | 1-3 p.m.

Instructor: Zongliang Yue

Credit: Three

CRN: 17117

The students will be trained to identify the lacuna / gap in the current research literature associated with an etiopathology of a neurological disease and the pertinent requirement for a new prophylactic or therapeutic drug therapy. Open to all majors. Research focus can be customized to interest and career goals.

Meets: Wednesdays | 3-5 p.m.

Instructor:Muralikrishnan Dhanasekaran

Credit: Three

CRN: 17118

This Honors Research Seminar course, Understanding Global Perspectives: Qualitative Methods in Action, prepares students to effectively collect and analyze qualitative data in international contexts. This course combines components of cultural intelligence and exploratory methods to support structured, credible applications of qualitative research. Students completing this course will be armed with the knowledge to extract and analyze consumer and end-user preferences in environments both within and outside of the United States. The cultural and exploratory research methods presented in this course have direct application in careers that involve product design and development, business expansion, international team collaboration, international branding, and communication relating to diplomatic and humanitarian endeavors.

Meets: Tuesday & Thursday | 2-3:315 p.m.

Instructor: Adam Book

Credit: Three

CRN: 18034

This course will investigate drug use and addictive behaviors through various methodologies employed in the psychological sciences and the medical humanities. Our understanding of human behavior has been advanced through a combination of clinical practices and research methodologies used in fields such as clinical and experimental psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral pharmacology. The medical humanities draw on clinical practice and scholarship along with literature, films, art, and other mediums to explore the subjective, social, and cultural aspects of the human experience. The goal of this course is to use knowledge gained through the psychological sciences, medical practices, and the humanities to develop a holistic understanding of drug use and addictive behaviors.

Meets: Tuesdays and Thursdays | 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Instructor: Chris Correia

Credit: Three

CRN: 17120

Honors Book Club

What happens when the person you trust most may be hiding everything? In this class, students will explore Chris Pavone’s The Expats and Two Nights in Lisbon, two suspenseful novels that blend international settings, political intrigue, and complex personal relationships. Students will examine themes of identity, trust, deception, power, and globalization while considering how individuals construct and conceal their true selves in personal and professional contexts.

Meets: Mondays| 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Katie Lackey

Credit: One

CRN: 17081

College is a time of big questions: What matters most? What kind of life do I want to build? Where is my path leading? In this course, students will explore these questions through a shared reading of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a modern classic about purpose, perseverance, and the courage to pursue one's dreams. As we follow Santiago's journey, we will examine themes of identity, resilience, intuition, transformation, and the pursuit of one's "Personal Legend," reflecting on how these ideas connect to our own experiences as students navigating life, learning, and the future. Together, we will explore timeless questions about purpose, values, and personal growth while building community with fellow Honors students.

Meets: Mondays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Vanessa Harrison

Credit: One

CRN: 17082

Ask any professional animal trainer for a book recommendation to better understand how behavior works, and they will say, "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor. In this course, we will use this timeless text to gain insight into the whys and hows of the behavior of ourselves and others. We'll also explore how we can use the principles of Behaviorism to set ourselves up for success in academics and in life!

Meets: Tuesdays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor:Mandi Buckalew

Credit: One

CRN: 17083

This course explores personal meaning, purpose, and transformation through two contemporary novels: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Students examine themes of regret, identity, intuition, and destiny while engaging in weekly discussions and reflective activities. Together, the texts offer a compelling journey into how individuals navigate choice, possibility, and the search for a fulfilling life.

Meets: Wednesdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Rochelle Johnson

Credit: One

CRN: 17084

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

Meets: Wednesdays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Carolyn Huntington

Credit: One

CRN: 17085

'Great performance is more valuable than ever, but where does it come from?' This book club will discover that the mystery of great performance on any aspect of our life (work, school, sports, hobbies) can be linked to a specific type of work that almost ALL of us can do. Furthermore, in this book club, the principles of great performance will be applied to virtually any activity in our lives.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m.

Instructor: Jason Sawyer

Credit: One

CRN: 17086

Science fiction writing can take the form of a short story, a 1000-page novel, and everything in between. This course focuses on one of the most popular lengths of science fiction: the novella. Longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel, the novella has offered writers the opportunity to hone in on a small group of characters in a sharply defined world and develop focused, quick moving plots. We will read some recent science fiction novellas, many of them prize winners. Throughout the course, we will explore not only the themes and topics of the books we read, but also the question of what makes the novella such a compelling form for writers of science fiction.

Meets: Tuesdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Benjamin Fagan

Credit: One

CRN: 17087

Explore imaginative worlds, groundbreaking science, and thought-provoking questions through a selection of contemporary science fiction novels. This Honors Book Club will feature books that combine compelling storytelling with themes such as space exploration, artificial intelligence, technology, humanity, survival, and the future. Students will engage in lively discussions about both the science and the larger ethical, philosophical, and human questions raised by each book. Whether you're already a science-fiction fan or simply enjoy a great story, this club offers a chance to explore what fiction can teach us about ourselves and the world we may one day inhabit.

Meets: Mondays | 3-3:50 p.m.

Instructor: Jennifer Monkman

Credit: One

CRN: 17088

Explore memoirs or novels focusing on protagonists' journeys of self-discovery, resilience, and developing their passions.

Meets: Mondays | 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Ashley Sullivan

Credit: One

CRN: 17089

Moderated discussions of significant ideas found in Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us.

Meets: Wednesdays | 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Dory Thompson

Credit: One

CRN: 17091

We will read two selected texts about global climate change, focusing on practical solutions we can take that can help avert the most disatrous outcomes. Discussion will focus on your reactions and suggestions for local, national, and world actions.

Meets: Wednesdays | 12-12:50 p.m.

Instructor: Christopher Wyckoff

Credit: One

CRN: 17092

Taught by the author, Roger Thurow explores the history of hunger in America, from the Starving Time of Jamestown—when cannibalism nearly doomed the American experiment before it could begin—through the Trail of Tears, slavery that built an empire with stolen land and stolen labor, and Jim Crow segregation at the lunch counter. He shows how deeply hunger is woven into our present day, in which 38 million people—including 14 million children—are classified as “food insecure,” and many food bank clients must make heartbreaking choices between paying for food and other necessities, like rent, utilities, and medical care.

Meets: Mondays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Roger Thurow

Credit: One

CRN: 17093

Why do some meetings, events, and social experiences leave us energized, connected, and inspired while others feel awkward, forgettable, or even exhausting? In this discussion-based book club, students will explore Priya Parker's bestselling book The Art of Gathering and explore how intentional design influences the way people connect, collaborate, and build community. From workplace meetings, student organizations, study groups, and friend groups, Parker challenges readers to rethink conventions about gatherings and reveals how small changes can influence participation, trust, engagement, and group success. The course emphasizes skills and frameworks that benefit everyone – neither prior interest in event planning nor an extroverted personality are required. Through conversations, activities, reflections, and analysis of real-world examples, students will gain practical tools for creating meaningful and memorable experiences.

Meets: Fridays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Ashley Carr

Credit: One

CRN: 18026

We will read and discuss a book by one of the great American philosophers of the 20th century, Stanley Cavell, entitled “Pursuits of Happiness.” It is engaging and readable but it is also a profound look at life, love, art, marriage, and comedy. The book centers around romantic comedy movies from the 1930s. After reading the chapter and watching the movie, we will discuss themes of goodness, moral equality, the value of marriage and growing together.

Meets: Thursdays | 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Instructor: Alexandra Hayes

Credit: One

CRN: 18027

In mid‑20th‑century England, two close friends and scholars—C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien—crafted fantasy worlds that have captivated readers for more than 75 years. Their stories did not emerge in isolation; each was profoundly shaped by the authors’ personal histories and the cultural forces of their time.
In this class, students will read classic works by both Tolkien and Lewis while exploring the biographical and historical contexts that influenced their writing. Through this study, students will gain a deeper appreciation for these remarkable authors and reflect on how their own life experiences shape the way they understand the world and set goals for the future.

Meets: Mondays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Nathan Tubbs

Credit: One

CRN: 18028

The American poet, essayist, and activist Audre Lorde writes, “I feel, therefore, I can be free” (Lorde, "Poetry is not Luxury," 1984/2007: 38). Lorde suggests the unorthodox idea that we can be free in and through our feelings. If she is right, my free agency is not restricted to acting on the basis of feeling, but goes all the way to the feeling itself. Given the age-long tradition of thinking of feelings as passively encroaching upon us from outside our agency, this is a radical approach to feeling and freedom. Yet, Lorde is not the only 20th-century thinker deeply concerned with freedom who suggests that, no matter how receptive feelings are, and how vulnerable we are to them, they are part of what we usually regard as our agency. Simone de Beauvoir writes, “Passion is not inflicted upon [a person] from without” (Ethics of Ambiguity, 1946/1976: 11). And her fellow existentialist thinker, Jean-Paul Sartre, adds, “man is responsible for his passion” (“Existentialism is Humanism,” 1946/2007: 29).
This course is designed to give this idea that we are agents even in feeling emotions (not only in acting on their basis) a fair hearing. Being unorthodox, this idea requires a transformation in how we think about free agency and about human feelings. First, we will need to reevaluate the prevalent assumption that free agency requires voluntary control and envision an alternative. Can we be agents even in feeling and believing, which we don’t have ‘at will’? Second, we will need to reconsider what it means for human feelings to be passions—in what sense feeling is an activity, though different from intentionally acting, what feelings’ passivity amounts to, and why this passivity does not prevent human emotions from being active in a way sufficient for agency? Is it possible that we are not external spectators of our emotions, but active participants in feeling them? Third, we will need to consider what this might imply about the relation between human emotions and reason: are the emotions irrational or a-rational, as a long tradition suggests? And if they are rational, are they rational in the same way that beliefs and actions are rational? To explore the freedom of feelings, we will read the authors introduced above as well as Iris Murdoch, Charles Taylor, James Baldwin, Martha Nussbaum, and Jonathan Lear.

Meets: Wednesdays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Keren Gorodeisky

Credit: One

CRN: 18029

"Connections Are Everything: A College Student's Guide to a Relationship-Rich Education" is a practical guide to building the connections students need to thrive in and after college from the authors of the best-selling Relationship-Rich Education.


Decades of research demonstrate how important relationships with peers, professors, and staff are for students academically, personally, and professionally. Even one significant relationship can make all the difference. Yet many students lack the strategies to develop educationally purposeful relationships in college.


"Connections Are Everything" shows students the simple steps they can take to make their own college experience meaningful and transformational. In short, practical chapters, this guide helps readers learn how to build relationships through various strategies, such as seeking out brief “mentoring conversations” that can have a big impact, building a constellation of mentors, and participating in “relationship accelerators” like internships, undergraduate research, and campus employment.


Drawing on interviews with undergraduates from across the U.S., the authors empower students to seek out relationships by demystifying the varied ways they can cultivate significant connections.

Meets: Mondays | 10-10:50 pm

Instructor: Liesl Reiners

Credit: One

CRN: 17095

Grit helps students remain resilient as they persevere through challenges and adversity to pursue rigorous majors leading to high level careers, but what role does Capacity play? Can Grit overcome Capacity? This course will explore the relationship of Grit and Capacity Building using the lenses of Angela Duckworth, author of GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance and Robert Glazer, author of Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others.

Meets: Tuesdays | 12:30-1:20 p.m.

Instructor: Judith M. Sanders

Credit: One

CRN: 17096

In this course, we will explore the many different facets of the enneagram and how it contributes to our own self-discovery. The authors provide an overview of the enneagram and in-depth descriptions of each number. This course is designed to help you not only discover your number but to also help you learn more about those around you and how to best relate to them. Your journey to self-discovery will culminate with a Continued Journey Plan explaining how you will use your understanding of the enneagram to set important life goals and reach them.

Meets: Tuesdays | 12:30-1:20 p.m.

Instructor: Ruthie Spiers

Credit: One

CRN: 17097

Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs remains one of the most influential suspense novels of the twentieth century, while Jonathan Demme's Academy Award-winning film adaptation is widely regarded as one of the greatest thrillers ever made. Through the story of FBI trainee Clarice Starling and her uneasy alliance with Dr. Hannibal Lecter, students will explore how literature and film create suspense, develop complex characters, and shape our understanding of crime, fear, and justice.
By reading the novel and viewing the film, participants will examine the relationship between page and screen while considering broader questions about gender, power, morality, and the cultural fascination with serial killers. Discussions will focus on adaptation, the psychology of fear, and the enduring popularity of one of modern fiction's most iconic villains.

Meets: Wednesdays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor:Stuart Miller

Credit: One

CRN: 17098

Readings selected by students at the start of the semester

Meets: Wednesdays | 3-3:50 p.m.

Instructor: Suzanne Hunter

Credit: One

CRN: 17099

This course explores the twists, turns, and hidden secrets that make thriller novels so hard to put down. We begin with First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston as our anchor novel, examining themes of deception, identity, trust, manipulation, and the lengths people will go to get what they want. Students will then select a second thriller from a curated list of 3–4 companion reads, allowing the class to explore different approaches to suspense, mystery, and psychological tension. Through lively discussion and comparative analysis, students will consider what makes a thriller successful, why we are drawn to stories that keep us guessing, and how authors use unreliable characters, unexpected twists, and moral ambiguity to challenge readers’ assumptions.

Meets: Tuesdays | 3:30-4:20 p.m.

Instructor:Taylor Mullins

Credit: One

CRN: 17090

This Honors College course invites students to rethink the relationship between their academic major, personal interests, and future career possibilities. Grounded in Dr. Katharine Brooks’s You Majored in What? Designing Your Path from College to Career, the course challenges the common assumption that a degree determines a single, linear career path. Instead, students will explore Brooks’s Wise Wanderings approach, which encourages creative reflection, curiosity, storytelling, visual mapping, and small-scale experimentation as tools for discovering meaningful possibilities beyond conventional career planning. Students will engage in guided discussions, reflective exercises, career mapping activities, and peer conversations designed to help them identify patterns in their experiences, articulate the value of their Honors education, and develop parallel plans. Students will learn to embrace uncertainty, connect their learning to emerging opportunities, and develop practical next steps for exploring careers with confidence and purpose. By the end of the course, students will have created a personalized career exploration portfolio that includes career maps, reflective narratives, experimental action steps, and strategies for communicating their strengths, interests, and education to future employers, graduate programs, mentors, and professional networks.

Meets: Mondays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Liesl Reiners Sexton

Credit: One

CRN: 17094

Honors Study & Travel

This course offers Honors students a unique opportunity to explore how Denmark and Sweden approach leadership, work, and everyday life differently from the United States. Through a comparative lens, students will examine how cultural values, workplace traditions, and society influence the way organizations define success and support well-being. Throughout the semester, students will explore these ideas through discussions, case studies, and conversations with global organizations. The course culminates in a 10- to 14-day international experience in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden, where students will bring classroom concepts to life through organizational visits, cultural immersion, and firsthand exploration of Nordic society. In Copenhagen, students will experience a city known for innovation, community, and quality of life while exploring how hygge reflects Danish values of connection and balance. In Stockholm, students will discover a global center of creativity, experience the beauty of a Swedish archipelago, and explore fika—the Swedish tradition of pausing to connect and enjoy conversation over coffee and food. By comparing Nordic and U.S. approaches to leadership, organizations, and daily life, students will gain a deeper understanding of how different cultures create environments where people and organizations can thrive

Applications Due: October 15, 2026

Meets: Thursdays | 4-4:50 p.m. 

Instructor: Katie Boyd

Credit: Three

CRN: 15556

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to theatre and movie industries on a global scale. Each week students will learn about a topic related to either theatre or cinema and explore the interdisciplinary implications of the entertainment industry in different countries. This is coupled with the opportunity to travel abroad to Austria and Greece, where students will apply the knowledge learned in the class to the real-world.

Applications Due: October 15, 2026

Meets: Thursdays | 2-2:50 p.m. 

Instructor: Emily Prim

Credit: Three

CRN: 15557

This course offers Auburn students a unique opportunity to develop global leadership and intercultural communication skills by blending theory, real-world engagement, and global immersion to develop students’ cultural intelligence (CQ) and global mindset. It is interdisciplinary and designed for students across all majors, culminating in a 10-day embedded study abroad trip to the Netherlands, a global hub of innovation, sustainability, human rights, and multicultural exchange. Through direct engagement with diverse communities, world-class institutions, and innovative organizations in the Netherlands, participants will learn to navigate difference, build trust, and lead with influence – capabilities increasingly recognized as essential for career and civic success by organizations such as NACE, NAFSA, and other global education and workforce leadership bodies.

Applications Due: October 15, 2026

Meets: Thursdays | 3-4:30 p.m. 

Instructor: Adeola Fayemi

Credit: Three

CRN: 15558

Other Available Courses

First year course that introduces new Honors College students to the Honors College and Auburn University and helps students become better informed about its resources and services. Topics include Honors College advising, Study Abroad, Campus Involvement, the Career Center, Academic Support and Study Skills, and many more. This course is for first year honors students only.

Meets: Tuesdays | 8:30-9:20 a.m.

Instructor: Taylor Mullins

Credit: One

Course: HONR 1077

CRN:17055

First year course that introduces new Honors College students to the Honors College and Auburn University and helps students become better informed about its resources and services. Topics include Honors College advising, Study Abroad, Campus Involvement, the Career Center, Academic Support and Study Skills, and many more. This course is for first year honors students only.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m.

Instructor: Taylor Mullins

Credit: One

Course: HONR 1077

CRN:17056

Students attend 10 approved events held around Auburn’s campus or virtually and submit short summaries of their experience online.  Events include research presentations, film screenings, academic seminars, plays, music concerts, lectures, Career Center workshops, etc.

Meets: This class does not have a time or meet in person but requires attendance to various on-campus events.

Instructors: Krista A. Grant 

Credit: One

Course: HONR 2077

CRN: 17077, 17078, 17079

Past Honors Course List | Fall 2026

Honors Lyceums

This lyceum, which will be conducted with partner institutions across the SEC, will focus on collegiate athletics—its controversies, strengths, future. It will alternate Zoom plenary sessions with in-person, on-campus sessions. Zoom sessions will include all parter institutions and students, and will aim to give students an inside look on college athletics and athletics department, which session topics possibly including licensing, revenue, journalism, the live sports experience, and more. In-person sessions might include a facilities tour, and examination of sports marketing on campus, and a discussion of the student experience of sports on campus. The Lyceum will culminate in a student presentation on a topic relevant to sports on campus.

Meets: Wednesdays | 4-4:50 p.m.

Instructor: Daniel Grace

Credit: One

CRN: 17124

This course will explore the lives of girls growing up in the 1990s from a historical cultural lens. Students will interact with different media to learn more about the period. We will begin by exploring the history of the decade, then each week dive into a different form of media to discover more about girls’ experiences growing up in the 1990s.

Meets: Thursdays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Amy Brock

Credit: One

CRN: 17125

In this course students are expected to conduct 15 hours of service and do an in-class presentation on their service experience. This class will meet 4-6 times during the semester, but most of your weekly meeting times will be canceled, allowing for community service time.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Instructor: Sarah Crim

Credit: One

CRN: 17126

Course reserved for Week of Service students.

Only for freshmen participating in Week of Service

Meets: Thursdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Maggie Rogers

Credit: One

CRN: 17127

Language is everywhere: in our group chats, on storefront signs, in political ads, and even in the way AI responds to us. Yet we rarely stop to notice how it works or why certain messages stick while others fade. This Honors Lyceum takes a curious, hands-on look at the messages that shape our world, from internet memes and emoji trends to workplace jargon, typography, and political campaigns.

Students will explore how language evolves, how it signals identity, and how design influences what we notice (and what we don’t). We’ll analyze real communication "in the wild" like viral posts, brand messaging, AI-generated text, and persuasive visuals, and experiment with our own small-scale creations. Expect thoughtful discussion, practical insights, and a few surprising linguistic rabbit holes.

By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of how language functions across contexts and how thoughtful communication — visual, oral, and digital — can shape identity, build community, and move ideas.

Meets: Wednesdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Jasey Herrington

Credit: One

CRN: 17128

This course investigates how social media platforms, cultural expectations, and contemporary social structures influence human happiness. Discussions will draw from psychology, sociology, and media studies. Students will examine why happiness feels harder to achieve in a hyperconnected world and what they and society can do about it. The course will blend academic research with reflective practice and encourage students to analyze their own digital habits.

Meets: Tuesdays | 12:30-1:20 p.m.

Instructor: Rochelle Johnson

Credit: One

CRN: 17129

Students in this lyceum will develop a piece of speculative fiction in either the science fiction, mystery, or thriller genres that contains a lesson about politics, economics, culture or international relations.

Meets: Wednesdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Peter White

Credit: One

CRN: 17130

This course is a fun and rewarding way to help Freshman Honors students AND give back to the Honors College. Peer Instructors are assigned to one of the Freshman Exploration sections. Interested in being a peer instructor? Applications will be open March 17th- April 4th and are found online at aub.ie/peerinstructor. Questions can be sent to Savannah Baker: slw0083@auburn.edu

Meets: Does Not Meet

Instructor: Savannah Baker

Credit: One

CRN: 17131

There are 5 distinct priorities that when in the right alignment will help you win in both your personal and professional life. Understanding and ensuring they are in the right alignment takes consistent reflection and recalibration of one’s priorities. This continual realignment allows the best leaders to keep the most important at the forefront, cutting through the constant barrage of tasks, activities, interruptions and urgent requests. Over the next 16 weeks we will be diving into understanding what these priorities are. The goal of the class is to bring awareness to how your priorities are aligned and give you the tools to win in both your personal and professional life.

Meets: Wednesdays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: William R Walker

Credit: One

CRN: 17132

In this Lyceum the speakers will discuss their involvement in research within their particular field. This is a great class to introduce you to research opportunities on Auburn's campus, and explore the different types of research that contributes to our R1 status. This course is for students interested specifically in COSAM research opportunities.

Meets: Mondays | 4-4:50 p.m.

Instructor: Keri Marshall

Credit: One

CRN: 17133

In this course, you will be volunteering with K-12 students while learning about Alabama’s education system, how poverty affects learning, hear from educators and leaders in education, and gain skills for positive behavior management. Impact students through mentoring, tutoring, and engaging in learning-based activities.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Instructor: Anna-Margaret Goldman

Credit: One

CRN: 17134

An Introduction to Sports Management provides an immersive introduction to the dynamic field of sports management, with a special focus on collegiate athletics. Students will explore core concepts and real-world practices across finance, law and ethics, human resources, marketing, media relations, facility design, event planning, and game day operations. Emphasis is placed on current issues and innovations shaping today’s sports industry. Through critical discussion, collaborative problem-solving, and project-based learning, students will gain both practical insights and theoretical foundations. This course culminates in a research-driven presentation analyzing a selected topic within the context of a college or university athletics department of their choice.

Meets: Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m.

Instructor: Holly Davenport

Credit: One

CRN: 18136

In this lyceum the speakers will discuss their involvement in research within their particular field. This is a great class to introduce you to research opportunities on Auburn's campus, and explore the different types of research that contributes to our R1 status.

Meets: Thursdays | 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Instructor: Suzanne Hunter

Credit: One

CRN: 17135

This course will introduce you to the opportunities available at Auburn University to perform research in molecular biology. Over the course of the semester, you will have the opportunity to interact directly with experts in many different fields, including cell biology,
bacteriology, plant biology, and immunology. This is a Freshmen only course.

Meets: Mondays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Rodney Tollerson

Credit: One

CRN: 17136

This course provides both a theoretical and practical foundation for the role of peer leader. The course will focus on increasing students’ knowledge of learning, leadership and development theories, practice of helping and transferable skills, and reflection to inform performance in the peer leadership position as well as career readiness and competencies.

Meets: Fridays | 9-9:50 p.m.

Instructor: Ashley Carr

Credit: One

CRN: 18090

In this course students are expected to conduct 15 hours of service and do an in-class presentation on their service experience. This class will meet 4-6 times during the semester, but most of your weekly meeting times will be canceled, allowing for community service time.

Meets: Wednesdays | 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Zachary Werninck

Credit: One

CRN: 18111

Learn about art, art history, and art museums at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art! Together, we’ll read some short texts, look carefully at works of art, talk to exhibiting artists, curators, and museum professionals, and undertake a series of hands-on activities to explore the various ways that art and the museum are part of the university community – and the world beyond. This course is for everyone – no art skills or museum experience necessary. Come see what the Jule has to offer!

Meets: Tuesdays | 5-5:50 p.m.

Instructor: Kathryn Floyd

Credit: One

CRN: 18161

You've taken personality assessments or at least heard of them, but what do they really do? How can you use them to your benefit? In this course students will take learning and personality assessments, explore the results, and discuss how to apply the finds to the real-world. Some of the assessments included in the course will be the Enneagram, Type Focus, True Colors, etc.

Meets: Tuesdays | 3:30-4:20 p.m.

Instructor: Suzanne Hunter

Credit: One

CRN: 17137

This course is connected to the Honors Peer Mentorship Program. The program is a lifeline for incoming Honors College freshmen to help ease the transition into the Honors College and university life by grouping new students with experienced upperclassmen. New students have a contact from the first day they arrive on campus to help them navigate this new step in their lives. Mentors are paired with a small group of first year students with whom they interact throughout the summer and fall semester. Students must apply to be a mentor.

Instructor approval. Must apply and be selected as a mentor.

Meets: Tuesdays | 3:30-4:45 p.m.

Instructor: Whitney Comer

Credit: One

CRN: 17138

From Goodnight, Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Amelia Bedelia and Pete the Cat—children's literature has made a resounding impact on the social fabric of America. But what shapes a children's book? What propels the success of storytelling, book crafting, and illustrating—especially when evaluated by some of the most honest and youngest judges of literature? Why do certain works of children's literature soar and defy the tests of time? In this class, we will explore these questions and more, as we dive into Crafting Children's Literature. This course is for the curious, the creative, and the children-at-heart. In this course, we will examine children's literature and its impact, explore the craft of writing and illustrating, and produce our very own works of children's literature. All majors are welcome, and no experience or expertise is required—only a healthy appreciation for pure joy and fun, and a desire to intellectually play in the sunlight of childhood imagination!

Meets: Wednesdays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Katie Martin

Credit: One

CRN: 18124

This lyceum introduces students to Economic Development from both a global and local perspective. While broadly exploring the process of improving the well-being of people, the primary focus will be on economics. The course will encourage students to be curious while keeping their heads, look outward, work wisely saving the best, use the human touch to change the world, and have fun through informal discussions.

Meets: Thursdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Instructor: Joseph S. Johnson

Credit: One

CRN: 17139

Honors Seminars

In the Declaration of Independence, 250 years ago, representatives from thirteen British colonies along the Atlantic coast of North America declared—at enormous personal risk—that the British monarch no longer had the "consent of the governed" and that it was therefore the colonists' right "to provide new Guards for their future security." The government that eventually took the place of British rule was a democracy, at least if we understand that term broadly: certain citizens of this new country would elect representatives to craft laws with an eye toward the common good. This course will explore some foundational issues concerning democracy. First, we'll look at work in social contract theory from the 17th and 18th centuries that influenced how the American colonists were thinking about political legitimacy. Then, we'll see to what extent these ideas from social contract theory were expressed both in the colonists' arguments for independence and in the Federalists' arguments for ratifying the Constitution. Finally, we'll explore thinking about democracy since the American Revolution. Among other topics, we'll look at the Marquis de Condorcet's mathematical work on voter aggregation during the French Revolution (along with 20th-century refinements of that work) and an argument by a prominent contemporary philosopher (Alex Guerrero) for sortition, in which citizens are randomly selected to serve on a legislature for a fixed amount of time. The class should be of particular interest to those studying philosophy, law and justice, history, and political science.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Instructor: Brian McLoone

Credit: Three

CRN: 17162

The book, A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World by William J. Bernstein, explores the history of global trade from ancient times to the modern era, showing how the movement of goods, ideas, and people has shaped civilizations. The narrative traces trade routes that connected early empires—from the Silk Road to the spice trade—and examines how merchants, explorers, and empires competed and collaborated in the pursuit of wealth and resources.

The book highlights both the benefits and the costs of trade. Global commerce spread prosperity, technology, and culture across continents, but also sparked wars, exploitation, and inequality. Bernstein argues that trade is one of the most powerful forces in human history, shaping politics, economies, and even daily life. Ultimately, the book suggests that understanding trade is essential to understanding how today’s interconnected world developed.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 9:30-10:45 a.m.

Instructor: Mary Catherine Colley

Credit: Three

CRN: 17171

This course investigates identities constructed through food by examining how food and cooking serve as a cultural marker. The course explores how immigrants negotiate their sense of belonging through food in the new host culture. Through reading fictional and non-fictional works, scholarly articles, and viewing films, we will examine the intricate relationships that immigrants have with food.

Meets:Tuesdays & Thursdays | 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Instructor: Lava Asaad

Credit: Three

CRN: 17170

From Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, songwriters and musicians have long understood the ability of music to make change in the world. Music is power: it can heal, motivate, inspire and elevate the human experience. This course will help us better understand how music is a driving force in the world.

Meets: Mondays & Wednesdays | 12-1:15 p.m.

Instructor: Jennifer Bohler

Credit: Three

CRN: 17165

Generative AI tools are reshaping how students write, research, create, work, and live while also raising urgent questions about authorship, authenticity, bias, and the future of human expertise. This seminar approaches AI not only as a set of tools to learn, but as a cultural and historical transformation that students must understand to navigate it wisely. Thriving with AI is specifically designed for students from any major, with no prior technical background required. You will gain practical experience with generative AI for writing, research, media creation, and workflow support, while also building a foundation in how these technologies work. You will cultivate critical AI literacy, including the ability to reflect on when AI strengthens learning and when it short-circuits it, and the judgment to use these tools responsibly in different contexts. The course will also explore the broader implications of the AI revolution, drawing on historical analogies and using past technological disruptions to think more clearly about the present and examining AI as a sociotechnical system shaped by data, political and economic incentives, and cultural assumptions. Related topics will include intellectual property, algorithmic bias, misinformation, automation, and transparency. Through current events, discussion, readings, mini-lectures, hands-on experimentation, and guest speakers from industry and research, you will develop the critical thinking skills, problem identification instincts, and question-formulation habits that are the real competitive edge in an AI-driven world. You will emerge better prepared to judge when AI serves your goals, when it undermines them, and how to use it thoughtfully and responsibly. To provide it the cross-disciplinary approach this course promises, it is co-instructed by Industrial and Systems Engineering and History of Technology faculty.

Meets: Mondays & Wednesdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor: Xaq Frohlich & Dan O'Leary

Credit: Three

CRN: 17166

This course will introduce undergraduate students to the world of casinos and clubs.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 12:30-1:45 pm

Instructor: Imran Rahman

Credit: Three

CRN: 17167

Students will learn how creative principles are used to innovate in any business or discipline. This course will explore innovative individuals and businesses that have influenced their fields by the use of creative practice. The creative principles that drive innovation will be explored in depth and many examples of these creative principles will be explored.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Instructor: Christopher Qualls

Credit: Three

CRN: 17164

Since the human genome sequencing was first finished in 2003, our knowledge of genomics and genetic diseases caused by mutations in single or multiple genes have exploded. The future of human and veterinary medicine is individualized treatment. For example, for the same disease, cystic fibrosis, different patients need to be treated differently due to different mutations they harbor. The future of pharmacy practice is also going to be individualized, because the same drug can have different effects based on different genetic makeups of the patients, a branch of science called pharmacogenomics. This course will introduce honors students who are interested in pursuing a career in human or veterinary medicine or pharmacy to some examples of this rapidly expanding field. Methods used in obtaining the knowledge will also be introduced. With this course, the student is expected to have a thorough understanding of the historical and current status of the studies on genomics and personalized medicine.

Meets: Mondays | 2-4:30 p.m.

Instructor: Ya-Xiong Tao

Credit: Three

CRN: 17168

This course will prepare students to make more informed job/career decisions and strategies. They will participate in a comprehensive assessment to identify their “motivated” abilities. Using these insights, students will learn about “Goodness of Fit” and how to match their talents to the critical motivations required for both performance and satisfaction in their chosen job/career. Participants will be guided in developing long-term goals, short-term plans, job interviewing skills, mentorship relationships, and co-curricular learning opportunities.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor: Joseph Johnson

Credit: Three

CRN: 17169

This course will explore the long Atomic Age from the first use of nuclear weapons during World War II to today’s anxieties over nuclear energy and the possibility of nuclear warfare. While Americans no longer talk about their fears of someone finally “dropping the big one,” and schools no longer run drills telling children what to do in the event of a nuclear attack, the lingering effect of these and other aspects of the latter half of the twentieth century find expression in today’s world. We will begin with the development and deployment of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and then move closer to today through readings in a variety of genres (non-fiction, history, science-fiction, poetry) as well as viewings of relevant film and television.

Meets: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays | 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Matthew Spencer

Credit: Three

CRN: 17163

This is a class about knowledge, understanding, and trust. While epistemology is, in general, the philosophical study of knowledge, this class will focus on its intersection with a variety of social issues that complicate our attempts to understand the world around us: who can we trust? How do others help us know? Which are the right experts and how can we tell? How does our social positional and the quiet structures around us affect our ability to know?

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Instructor: Guy Rohrbaugh

Credit: Three

CRN: 17172

Honors Research Seminars

The students will be trained to identify the lacuna / gap in the current research literature associated with an etiopathology of a neurological disease and the pertinent requirement for a new prophylactic or therapeutic drug therapy. Open to all majors. Research focus can be customized to interest and career goals.

Meets: Wednesdays | 3-5 p.m.

Instructor: Muralikrishnan Dhanasekaran

Credit: Three

CRN: 17174

This course is designed to familiarize students with biomedical research, with a particular focus on AI-driven studies impacting biomarker discovery and drug repositioning in complex diseases. The students will learn the basis of data processing and relational database construction. The students will follow the state-of-art techniques in processing the multi-omics data and enhance their understanding of the frontiers of bioinformatics algorithms, tackling biomedical questions, such as the stratification of the patients and identifying potential cohort-specific oncogenes and treatment. This course will introduce the Honors College’s students who are interested in pursuing careers in bioinformatics or data science, equipping them with the skills needed to conduct bioinformatics research using state-of-the-art technologies.

Meets: Tuesdays | 1-3 p.m.

Instructor: Zongliang Yue

Credit: Three

CRN: 17175

This Honors Research Seminar course, Understanding Global Perspectives: Qualitative Methods in Action, prepares students to effectively collect and analyze qualitative data in international contexts. This course combines components of cultural intelligence and exploratory methods to support structured, credible applications of qualitative research. Students completing this course will be armed with the knowledge to extract and analyze consumer and end-user preferences in environments both within and outside of the United States. The cultural and exploratory research methods presented in this course have direct application in careers that involve product design and development, business expansion, international team collaboration, international branding, and communication relating to diplomatic and humanitarian endeavors.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 2-3:15 p.m.

Instructor: Adam Book

Credit: Three

CRN: 17176

Maternal mental health is the leading individual cause of death among perinatal populations and the leading cause of disability among women of reproductive age. In Alabama, maternal mental health needs such as depression, anxiety, and substance use are exacerbated by health systems issues, especially in rural communities and maternity care deserts. In this course, students will work with Alabama Extension to map the needs, challenges, and opportunities among health systems actors to supporting maternal mental health in rural settings. Students will gain experience in the fundamentals of public health, community-based research, systems mapping, and needs/resources assessments. 

Meets: Wednesdays | 8-10:30 a.m.

Instructor: Regan Moss & Silvia Vilches

Credit: Three

CRN: 17177

Honors Book Club

Fairytales and folklore have never truly disappeared — they continue to shape contemporary fantasy through stories that revise familiar narratives, reimagine villains, and uncover new meanings in ancient archetypes. From winter spirits and village legends to gothic fairytale worlds and romantic mythic quests, modern retellings reveal how deeply we rely on inherited stories to make sense of identity, power, fear, and desire.

This Honors book club explores fantasy with a particular focus on folklore and fairytale-inspired retellings, asking why these stories endure and what changes when authors reshape them for modern audiences. Rather than following a fixed syllabus, the club will draw from a rotating selection of contemporary novels that engage traditional tales in inventive ways.
Our list will include: Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser , The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, Upon the Starlit Tide by Kell Woods, and 10,000 Doors of January by by Alix E. Harrow.

Expect lush atmosphere, familiar tales turned strange, and lively discussion about the stories we inherit — and the ones we choose to rewrite.

Meets: Wednesdays | 1-1:50 p.m.

Instructor: Ellen Campbell

Credit: One

CRN: 17153

We assume we have free will, but do we really? Let's take a look at how nature and nurture take on biology and chemistry in the contest we call decision-making. Ultimately, learning about how we work leads not just to self-acceptance, but to a happier, healthier human community.

Meets: Wednesdays | 12-12:50 p.m.

Instructor: Christopher Wyckoff

Credit: One

CRN: 17146

Science fiction writing can take the form of a short story, a 1000-page novel, and everything in between. This course focuses on one of the most popular lengths of science fiction: the novella. Longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel, the novella has offered writers the opportunity to hone in on a small group of characters in a sharply defined world and develop focused, quick moving plots. We will read some recent science fiction novellas, many of them prize winners. Throughout the course, we will explore not only the themes and topics of the books we read, but also the question of what makes the novella such a compelling form for writers of science fiction.

Meets: Tuesdays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Benjamin Fagan

Credit: One

CRN: 17147

In mid‑20th‑century England, two close friends and scholars—C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien—crafted fantasy worlds that have captivated readers for more than 75 years. Their stories did not emerge in isolation; each was profoundly shaped by the authors’ personal histories and the cultural forces of their time.

In this class, students will read classic works by both Tolkien and Lewis while exploring the biographical and historical contexts that influenced their writing. Through this study, students will gain a deeper appreciation for these remarkable authors and reflect on how their own life experiences shape the way they understand the world and set goals for the future.

Meets: Mondays | 3-3:50 p.m.

Instructor: Nathan Tubbs

Credit: One

CRN: 17148

Dare to Lead by Brene’ Brown (primary book); The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (secondary if we have time)

Meets: Mondays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Rochelle Johnson

Credit: One

CRN: 17150

In this book club course, we will read The Shepherd King duology by Rachel Gillig—comprised of One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns—to explore how power, myth, and systems shape identity, authority, and truth. Through close reading and guided conversation, students will examine how the novels construct meaning through layered symbolism, including tree mythology and botanical associations tied to character names; the Providence Cards as archetypal, political, and magical tools; and social behaviors and relationships shaped by folklore, the “infection,” and degeneration. Additionally, attention will be given to how incomplete, misinterpreted, or deliberately obscured knowledge functions as a mechanism of control within the narrative.

This course will be reading-intensive, with classes designed to encourage collaborative analysis of how fantasy worlds reflect real-world questions about power, belief, and how history is presented as the truth—and by whom. By examining symbolism, mythology, psychology, and systems of power within the duology, the course invites students to practice interdisciplinary thinking while engaging deeply with contemporary gothic fantasy literature.

Note: If you enroll in this course, you are required to read the first six chapters of One Dark Window prior to the first week of class so we can start discussions on day one. Come to class prepared to discuss.

Meets: Mondays | 4-4:50 p.m.

Instructor: Autumn Frederick

Credit: One

CRN: 17154

Thomas Jefferson said “Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.” Sustainability is the effort to apply the latest understanding of the world, the way it works, its challenges and opportunities, to create a future “that meets the needs of all of humanity within the means of our lifegiving planet.” (Kate Raworth) This course will explore the foundations and relevance of sustainability, the underlying human values that energize this worldview and movement, and offer guidance for ways of being in the world that contribute to a more safe and just future.

Meets: Tuesdays | 4-4:50 p.m.

Instructor: Michael Kensler

Credit: One

CRN: 17160

This course challenges students to explore leadership as a personal and intentional journey. Through reading, discussion, and reflection, students will examine how their experiences, values, and strengths shape their influence at Auburn and beyond. The course equips students to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Meets: Thursdays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Patrick George

Credit: One

CRN: 17151

Honors College book club offers students a unique approach to development by exploring why impoverished countries fail to develop and progress despite international aid and support. To respond to this question, students are expected to read two books: The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs and The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier. Sach’s emphasis on solving poverty through global investment, increased foreign aid, sustainable development, and global cooperation will be compared with Collier’s focus on structural challenges, governance limitations, and institutional reforms. Students will explore both authors’ theories and approaches to governance, public policy, international aid, and institutional reforms. The readings and discussions are essentially necessary in the recent event of U.S foreign policy scaling back foreign aid and reducing the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Students are expected to read a minimum of 40 pages per week and submit a final policy brief in which they will propose approaches to ending global poverty in a changing political environment. In addition, students are expected to respond to weekly thoughtful board posts on Canvas. The overall goal of this course is to broaden students’ knowledge of public policy, governance, and institutional reforms for development. At the end of this course, students will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign aid, its benefits and limitations, and institutional reforms through the application of both authors' policy frameworks and apply these theories to real-world problems.

Meets: Thursdays | 12:30-1:20 p.m.

Instructor: Chinonye (Austin) Ekwujuru

Credit: One

CRN: 18351

“The Lexus and the Olive Tree” by Thomas Friedman. Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2 edition

Meets: Tuesdays | 12:30-1:45 p.m.

Instructor: Joseph Johnson

Credit: One

CRN: 17152

What if one morning you woke up to find a small box on your doorstep—one that reveals exactly how long you will live? Would you open it? Could you ignore it? And how would that knowledge change every relationship, decision, and dream you hold? In this Honors book club, we confront the ultimate “what if” as we explore two contemporary novels: Nikki Erlick’s The Measure and Chloe Benjamin’s The Immortalists. Both novels challenge us to examine the tension between fate and freedom, the ethics of knowing the future, and the way mortality shapes how we choose to live. Does knowing the end give life meaning, or take it away? How do we reconcile choice with inevitability? What responsibilities do we have, to ourselves and others, when faced with limited time? And ultimately: Would you want to know?

Meets: Wednesdays | 2-2:50 p.m.

Instructor: Yvette Stone

Credit: One

CRN: 17155

"Connections Are Everything: A College Student's Guide to a Relationship-Rich Education" is a practical guide to building the connections students need to thrive in and after college from the authors of the best-selling Relationship-Rich Education.


Decades of research demonstrate how important relationships with peers, professors, and staff are for students academically, personally, and professionally. Even one significant relationship can make all the difference. Yet many students lack the strategies to develop educationally purposeful relationships in college.


"Connections Are Everything" shows students the simple steps they can take to make their own college experience meaningful and transformational. In short, practical chapters, this guide helps readers learn how to build relationships through various strategies, such as seeking out brief “mentoring conversations” that can have a big impact, building a constellation of mentors, and participating in “relationship accelerators” like internships, undergraduate research, and campus employment.


Drawing on interviews with undergraduates from across the U.S., the authors empower students to seek out relationships by demystifying the varied ways they can cultivate significant connections.

Meets: Mondays | 11-11:50 a.m.

Instructor: Liesl Reiners

Credit: One

CRN: 17156

University's Common Book Program Book for 2026. Freshmen only.

Meets: Mondays | 3:30-4:20 p.m.

Instructor: Suzanne Hunter

Credit: One

CRN: 17157

University's Common Book Program Book for 2026. Freshmen only.

Meets: Wednesdays | 10-10:50 a.m.

Instructor: Whitney Comer

Credit: One

CRN: 17158

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

Meets: Wednesdays | 9-9:50 a.m.

Instructor: Carolyn Huntington

Credit: One

CRN: 17159

Honors Study & Travel

The application deadline for this course has passed. Be sure to check out Spring 2027 options in early fall. Consider applying early and reach out to wrc0024@auburn.edu if you have questions.

Instructor: Lydia A. Witt

Credit: Three

CRN: 17736

The application deadline for this course has passed. Be sure to check out Spring 2027 options in early fall. Consider applying early and reach out to wrc0024@auburn.edu if you have questions.

Instructor: Clark Danderson

Credit: Three

CRN: 17737

Other Available Courses

First year course that introduces new Honors College students to the Honors College and Auburn University and helps students become better informed about its resources and services. Topics include Honors College advising, Study Abroad, Campus Involvement, the Career Center, Academic Support and Study Skills, and many more. This course is for first year honors students only.

Credit: One

Course: HONR 1077

There are 14 sections available for Fall 2026:

CRN: 17118 | Wednesdays | 10-10:50 a.m. | Emily Prim

CRN: 17116 | Thursdays | 8-8:50 a.m. | Malory Beck

CRN: 17115 | Tuesdays | 11-11:50 a.m.| Maggie Rogers

CRN: 18135 | Wednesdays | 9-9:50 a.m. | Morgan Martin

CRN: 18137 | Thursdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m. | Amy Thomas

CRN: 17114 | Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m. | Jonathan Hallford (CLA students only)

CRN: 17112 | Tuesdays | 2:30-3:20 p.m. | Taylor Davis

CRN: 17117 | Mondays | 3-3:50 p.m. | Savannah Baker

CRN: 17113 | Mondays | 10-10:50 a.m. | Liesl Reiners

CRN: 17119 | Mondays | 2-2:50 p.m. | Savannah Baker

CRN: 17120 | Wednesdays | 2-2:50 am | Katie Cooper (COSAM students only)

CRN: 17121 | Tuesdays | 3:30-4:20 p.m. | Taylor Davis

CRN: 17122 | Tuesdays | 9:30-10:20 a.m. | Amy Flynn

CRN: 17123 | Thursdays | 2-2:50 p.m. | Katie Martin

Students attend 10 approved events held around Auburn’s campus or virtually and submit short summaries of their experience online.  Events include research presentations, film screenings, academic seminars, plays, music concerts, lectures, Career Center workshops, etc.

Meets: This class does not have a time or meet in person but requires attendance to various on-campus events.

Instructors: Krista A. Grant & Meredith A. Powell

Credit: One

Course: HONR 2077

CRN(s): 17140, 17141, 17142, 17143

 

This is a course that fills a need for Honors students to receive a broad instruction to both STEM and Humanities research methodologies to prepare them for future research endeavors. This course is open for all honors students but is required for students pursuing Honors Research Scholar or University Honors Research Scholar.

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays | 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Instructor: Piper Cumbo

Credit: Three

Course: HONR 2097

CRN: 17161

Policies and Retention Criteria

A grade of “C” or better in Honors courses is required to earn Honors College credit.

In order to remain in good standing as a member of the Honors College, students must meet the following minimum criteria:

I. Students are required to maintain satisfactory progress in completing the requirements of the Honors curriculum. Satisfactory progress is defined by attaining the following minimums by the end of the specified academic year:

  • First year: 7 Honor hours

  • Second year: 14 Honor hours

  • Third year: 21 Honors hours

II. First-year students must attain a minimum 3.0 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA and second, third, and fourth-year students must maintain a minimum 3.2 cumulative unadjusted Auburn GPA. Students whose GPA falls below the minimum is give one semester to correct the deficiency or be suspended from the Honors College.

III. All first-year students in the Honors College must meet with an Honors Academic Advisor in the fall semester and submit a Plan of Study prior to registration for spring courses. Any changes to the Plan of Study should be done at a meeting with an Honors College Advisor.

IV. Second, third, and fourth-year students must meet with an Honors Academic Advisor at least once a year to ensure retention and understanding of the program and to confirm progress is being made toward the completion of the Honors requirements.

V. Students who do not successfully maintain good standing (Honors course progression, GPA, meeting at least once a year with their Honors advisor, and/or submission of the Plan of Study) will be suspended from the Honors College. Students may be reinstated upon attaining the minimum GPA and/or providing the Honors College with an updated Plan of Study for Honors courses. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the College when good standing has been attained.

VI. Any scholarships awarded by the Honors College are contingent upon maintaining membership in good standing in the Honors College. Suspension from the Honor College will result in a loss of Honors scholarship funding.