Fall 2021 Honors Courses - AVAILABLE TO FIRST-YEAR HONORS STUDENTS Please contact the Honors Program at
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Fall 2021 Honors Courses
AVAILABLE TO FIRST-YEAR HONORS STUDENTS
Please contact the Honors Program at
honors@syr.edu
if you have questions about these courses.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION
CHE 109 GENERAL CHEMISTRY – Honors (Extension ID H01)
4 credits total (you will automatically be enrolled in the 1-credit Honors lab CHE 129)
This course is the honors equivalent of CHE 106. Credit will be given for one or the
other, but not both. The CHE 129 lab is the honors equivalent of CHE 107.
CHE 109 is the first half of a general chemistry course for students with strong science
interests. The emphasis is on quantitative, physical and inorganic chemistry, with
reference to applications in current research. Pre-requisite: Honors or AP-level high-
school course in chemistry recommended.
CHE 129 is introduction to chemical laboratory techniques. Experiments are designed to
provide an understanding of physical measurements of chemical systems. Topics include
surface tension and viscosity, molecular weight determination, polymer synthesis,
thermodynamics of gases and solutions, chemical equilibrium, biochemical isolation and
molecular absorption spectroscopy. General principles underlying the experiments are
emphasized.
EAR 105 EARTH SCIENCE – Honors (Extension ID H01)
4 credits total (you will automatically be enrolled in the required EAR 104 lab)
This course is a lecture, laboratory, and field-based introduction to physical geology,
earth processes, and the science of the earth system. The course begins with a discussion
of how geologists study the earth with attention to the scientific method and the tools and
techniques we use to conduct our work. A broad overview of plate tectonics (the “grand
unified theory of the earth”) leads into detailed investigation of minerals and rocks, how
they form, and how they relate to the history and composition of our solar system. We
will explore earth’s internal compositional and mechanical layering, earthquakes, melting
and volcanism, metamorphism, and deformation.
Surface processes (weather and climate, oceans and atmosphere, deserts and glaciers,
rivers and coasts) are discussed in terms of earth’s structure, history, and plate tectonic
processes. All aspects of the earth system that we investigate inform urgent and
immediate political and social debate, including global warming, energy and industry,
food and water supply, and pollution. Throughout the course, and in particular as the
course concludes, the intersection between earth sciences and geopolitics will be
addressed from a scientific, data and measurement-oriented perspective, using both in-
class and hands-on exercises.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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GEO 155 THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT – Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
In this class we will explore how the landscapes that make up our natural environment
come to look the way they do. We will examine major components of the environment:
climate; vegetation; soils; hydrology (water); and landforms. The processes and
environmental interactions that shape these systems will be stressed, and we will look at
the varying processes and forms found in different environments. We’ll be concerned
with the geographic distribution of natural features – not as simple memorization
exercises, but as the reflection of how the processes we study shape the surface of our
globe. We’ll also discuss some of the problems that can arise in the interactions between
human activity and the natural systems that we are studying, including some issues that
are currently in the news.
HNR 250 SEEING LIGHT (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
The goal for this course is to change how you 'see' the world using light: You will gain a
deeper understanding of light and vision that you can apply to your interests and to your
experience. Light is both a central tool in science and an object of study by science. It
runs through many areas of human experience and thought. Together we will study
questions in light and vision: How has our concept of human vision and color changed
over the past 2500 years? Why are peacock feathers and titanium jewelry iridescent?
What makes a moon halo? How do 3D movie glasses work? Why can nothing go faster
than the speed of light? Why are high doses of X-rays bad for you while cell phone
radiation is not harmful? During the class, we will read about these subjects, including
primary writings over time, have frequent extensive discussions, and carry out small
experiments to learn about the properties of light.
PHY 215 GENERAL PHYSICS I - Honors (Extension ID H01) (Honors version of
PHY 211)
4 credits total (you will automatically be enrolled in the 1-credit lab, PHY 221)
This course covers Mechanics, a field of study pioneered by Isaac Newton in the 17th
century that is primarily concerned with describing the motion of macroscopic objects in
response to forces. In developing this subject we will encounter several important
concepts such as energy, momentum, and angular momentum. This course is geared
towards physics majors and students in the Honors program. Thus, we will move at a
fairly quick pace as we try to touch on more advanced topics beyond the standard
Mechanics curriculum. The course involves two lectures per week with discussions of
physical concepts along with extensive hands-on demonstrations. In addition, there will
be problem-solving sessions each week. The level of mathematics used in the course
requires that students have taken, or are at least co-registered for, MAT 285 or MAT 295.
Students will also be registered for the 1-credit laboratory course, PHY 221. Academic
credit is given for PHY 211 or PHY 215, but not both.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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PHY 216 – GENERAL PHYSICS II – Honors (Extension ID H01) (Honors version
of PHY 212)
4 credits total (you will automatically be enrolled in the 1-credit lab, PHY 222)
Pre-requisites: Score of 3 or higher on AP Physics C (Mechanics) and a calculus
course.
This course will cover the core concepts of Electricity, Magnetism and Special Relativity.
The course will be different from the standard introduction in several important ways. As
the target audience for this course will be students majoring in physics and those in the
honors program, we will move through the fundamental material at a more rapid pace.
This will allow extra time to cover more topics than the standard course, including
Special and General Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics. In addition, we will
complement the more standard material with connections to modern research in the fields
of cosmology and particle physics. This includes research of the early universe, black
holes, and the search for the `God particle' at LHC. Students taking PHY 216 will also be
registered for the lab, PHY 222. In addition, there will be problem-solving sessions (a
recitation) each week. Academic credit is given for PHY 212 or PHY 216, but not both.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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HUMANITIES DIVISION
HNR 240 THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT – Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
This course examines a variety of interpretations of the human situation, drawn from
three disciplines: the love of wisdom (philosophy), the science of mind and behavior
(psychology), and applied theology (religion). Topics pertaining to the human situation to
be considered in this course include abnormal behavior, change, consciousness, death,
free will, gender differences, heroism, human needs, humor, intelligence, life's meaning,
love, the mind-body problem, metaphysics, motivation, personality, sex, and virtues.
The course is subdivided into two aspects of the human situation: (1) Among living
things, what makes human beings constitutionally unique? (2) What are the contextual
factors that affect an individual human being's situation? The first question is concerned
with the characteristics that all human beings share. The second question is concerned
with the influences of time and place on an individual's feeling, thinking, and behaving.
These questions constitute a current that will run beneath the surface of every topic to be
considered in this course. Please note: This course can be taken as either a
humanities (HNR 240) or a social science (HNR 260, see below). Please discuss with
your college advising office which option would be best for you.
HNR 240 POWER OF EVIL IN POST-REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIAN LIT -
Honors (Extension ID H05) 3 credits
The study of literature and film of post-revolutionary Russia will provide insights and
stories of the human condition beyond the comprehension of most who live in
contemporary times. What strength of character, beliefs and morality allowed people to
survive? This course will explore these and other questions related to the human
condition. Works to be studied include “Matryona’s Home” and 10 selected chapters
from "The Gulag Archipelago" by A. Solzhenitsyn; "Master and Margarita" by M.
Bulgakov; "Grey Is the Color Of Hope" by Irina Ratushinskaya; “Requiem” by A.
Akhmatova and "Within the Whirlwind" by Evgenia Ginzburg. Films to be viewed
include “Burnt by the Sun, ” Nikita Mikhalkov's 1994 film about the Stalin period and
“Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears,” Vladimir Menshov’s film which won an Academy
Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1980.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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HNR 240 POETRY FOR THE PEOPLE– Honors (Extension ID H06)
3 credits
This course is designed to highlight the importance of spoken word poetry and
community organizing for students interested in enhancing their public engagement
skills. Each workshop will begin with a dialogue on poetry. Students will also get
feedback and will be critiqued on their written poetry and their command of the stage.
Students are expected to attend three Verbal Blend poetry workshops and three open
mics within the semester. Students will be required to submit a new or old poem each
week designed to build their writer’s portfolio for future reading and campus
publications. We will learn about poetry as a genre and a craft, examine the lineage of
successful poets, and experiment with images, words and music. The course focuses on
why it is important to build community through poetry workshops, publishing, and open
mics. We will explore poetry as an emotional and therapeutic outlet for poets to voice
their experiences—whether personal, comical, political, socially conscious, cultural or
spiritual. Students in this course will discover that poetry has no boundaries and poetry
allows individuals to stretch their imagination and create a new world.
PHI 109 INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY - Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
This course introduces students to philosophy by considering a selection of the most
fundamental problems in metaphysics and epistemology including: the mind-body
problem, the existence of God, the nature of knowledge, skepticism, free will vs.
determinism. Our approach will be topical: we will learn what a philosophical problem
is, and what methods philosophers use to solve such problems, by attempting to answer
philosophical questions.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION
HNR 260 THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT – Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
This course examines a variety of interpretations of the human situation, drawn from
three disciplines: the love of wisdom (philosophy), the science of mind and behavior
(psychology), and applied theology (religion). Topics pertaining to the human situation to
be considered in this course include abnormal behavior, change, consciousness, death,
free will, gender differences, heroism, human needs, humor, intelligence, life's meaning,
love, the mind-body problem, metaphysics, motivation, personality, sex, and virtues.
The course is subdivided into two aspects of the human situation: (1) Among living
things, what makes human beings constitutionally unique? (2) What are the contextual
factors that affect an individual human being's situation? The first question is concerned
with the characteristics that all human beings share. The second question is concerned
with the influences of time and place on an individual's feeling, thinking, and behaving.
These questions constitute a current that will run beneath the surface of every topic to be
considered in this course. Please note: This course can be taken as either a
humanities (HNR 240, see above) or a social science (HNR 260). Please discuss with
your college advising office which option would be best for you.
MAX 123 CRITICAL ISSUES FOR THE UNITED STATES - Honors (Extension
ID H01) 3 credits
This course examines democratic citizenship and its obligations, public education in an
era of new demands and increased disparities, health care access and outcomes, and the
modern wave of immigration. In this examination, the following questions will keep
popping up: How do we sustain a decent and caring society in an increasingly pluralistic
environment? How do we remain secure and prosperous in an increasingly “borderless”
world? How do we advance democracy’s prime values—equality and liberty—when
these goals sometimes come into conflict? How do we shape effective public policies
that remain respectful of both these values, while also obtaining the consent of the
governed? What other tradeoffs between highly sought after “good things” are involved
in effectively responding to the hard realities presented by contentious, complicated
societal and global problems that finally work their way onto the nation’s public agenda
for democratic action?
This is a course about a citizen’s duty to think broadly, fairly, deeply, and pragmatically
about questions that do not have obvious answers and are open to sustained debate.
Although as citizens we all start with the same obligation to think seriously about
societal issues, in the end, we will not all share the same considered judgments about
what society needs to do. Political differences, tempered and clarified by deliberation, are
the stuff of democratic politics. Unanimous agreement is the false promise of utopian
authoritarianism, of both the right and the left.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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With respect to each of the issues taken up by the course, you will be asked to examine
how your own thinking honors America’s lofty, shining ideals, and simultaneously how it
takes into account the grubby, pesky facts. You will be challenged by classmates and
instructors alike to answer other questions as well, such as: Is your position fair to all, or
only advantageous to some? Will your proposal work if tried, or is it merely pie-in-the
sky? Can we afford such an expensive public program? Can we tolerate the costs of the
status quo?
MAX 132 GLOBAL COMMUNITY – Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
This course examines debates about the nature and consequences of globalization. The
first unit explores ideas about what globalization and global community might mean and
why it matters. Unit II deals with the politics of the emerging global economy from a
variety of perspectives. Unit III focuses on trends and debates about globalizationʹs
cultural consequences, including whether societies worldwide are becoming
homogenized or polarized through increased interaction. Finally, Unit IV considers
global challenges such as climate change and the depletion of oil supplies and asks
whether we are able to achieve “global community” to a degree sufficient to meet these
emerging global challenges.
PST 101 INTRODUCTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC POLICY– Honors
(Extension ID H01)
3 credits
This course will focus on techniques widely used by government, business, and public
communications to evaluate public policy as well as their application to a problem area
selected from research activities of Syracuse faculty in social sciences and professional
schools. The Honors section will identify problems on campus and in the community and
apply the skills in the course to ameliorate those problems. They will complete the
written work required for the non-honors portion of the course. Work in the Honors
section will include participation in the weekly meeting and working on action projects
outside of class.
PSC 139 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
This course explores diverse world views and theoretical perspectives on issues in
contemporary international relations, including foreign policy, international conflict and
cooperation, international law & organizations, and global economic, health, and
environmental issues. Lectures, readings and case studies, analytic writing, and group
discussion. Academic credit is given for PSC 124 or PSC 139, but not both.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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PSY 209 FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR – Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
This course is the Honors equivalent of PSY 205. It fulfills the introductory requirements
for all additional coursework in psychology. It provides a comprehensive overview of the
field of psychology, and will cover some of the following topics: history of psychology,
the human nervous system, learning and conditioning, emotion and motivation,
developmental psychology, social psychology, perception, personality, and diagnosis and
treatment of behavior disorders.Honors Courses/Fall 2021
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WRITING STUDIO
WRT 109 PRACTICES OF ACADEMIC WRITING - Honors (Extension ID H01)
3 credits
Student writers investigate and design writing processes and practice an array of informal
writing strategies that strengthen learning and composing. They sharpen their critical
edges as readers, writers, and thinkers. The studio classroom forms an active intellectual
community collaboratively pursuing a common topic of inquiry by unraveling complex
texts, arguing relevant issues, and researching key problems.
WRT 109 PRACTICES OF ACADEMIC WRITING – Honors - WITH SERVICE
LEARNING (Extension ID H02)
3 credits
This section will include service learning opportunities. Service learning sections require
20-25 hours of community work at local not-for-profit agencies, many of which are
located on or near campus (a car is not a requirement for community service). The
Writing Program works with the University’s Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and
Community Service to provide placements that are both interesting to the students and
meaningful to the work of the writing course. The community work students do is part of
the course work, not "extra work," and is fully integrated into reading assignments and
class discussions, as well as the writing that students do for the course.You can also read
