Honors Courses at Oakton
All participation in the Honors Program begins with signing up for an Honors Course. In this section, we will go through the registration process, how to find course listings, and unique opportunities such as the Honors Contract (an independent study added to a non-Honors course). Scroll down to view course descriptions for current and upcoming Honors Classes.
Quick links: the Fall 2024 Honors Course Listings, and The Honors Contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Admission into the Honors Program grants you automatic eligibility to register for Honors courses. Our Course Listings are available (see PDF files above, fuller descriptions below). Instructions on finding Honors sections when you register are available here.
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There are no minimum course requirements. We welcome all levels of participation! To complete the Honors Scholar Designation requires 18 credits of Honors classes. Any Honors class you take will appear as “honors” on your transcript.
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Many students get better grades in Honors classes than they ever have in the past. Why?
Honors academic work is not necessarily ‘harder’ or more work, but it is academic work of a different kind. Honors courses take students beyond the textbook and focus on experiential learning (e.g., student research, creative projects, site visits), co-curricular learning (e.g., guest speakers, arts events, conferences), and collaborative learning. More than mastering the course materials, your professors are there to help you become a more confident and engaged student.
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Nearly all of our courses will fulfill your general education requirements and are transferable in Illinois and nationally. To make your decisions easier, we list the Gen Ed (General Education) and Concentration requirements our courses fulfill with our course descriptions. We also routinely meet with students one-on-one to ensure that our courses fit into their anticipated major and program requirements. In all things, our aim is to support your success on your terms.
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The Honors Program offers Honors sections of regular Oakton classes. We change our specific course offerings every semester, but students can expect that Humanities and Arts, Social Science, and STEM fields will be represented.
Learning communities combine two courses from two different disciplines to allow for an interdisciplinary examination of complex topics, such as racial justice (Sociology and Statistics) or global ethics (Philosophy and Global Studies). The seminars are team-taught by two Honors professors, and all students enroll in both courses. Students and faculty form close bonds in these classes and often cite them as THE HIGHLIGHT of their Oakton education.
The Faculty-Student Seminar: Special Topics in Philosophy is offered to Honors students and faculty. Philosophy professors enroll in the class as students, and the seminar offers a unique opportunity to interact with professors as fellow learners. The course is a great option for students who want to explore big ideas in an environment that is very welcoming and supportive.
Work one-on-one with a professor to complete an Honors Contract. Honors credit may not always be available in courses you need. Therefore, you may choose to earn Honors credit in regular classes by ‘contracting’ with your professor to work one-on-one and complete an additional project that enriches your experience of the class. To see examples of past student projects, check out the Honors Student Showcase.
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The Honors Scholar Designation is awarded to Honors students who have met the following criteria:
Maintained a 3.25 GPA *
Complete at least 18 credit hours in Honors classes with the appropriate distribution:
At least 6 credits come from an Honors Learning Community
Only 2 classes (usually 6 credits) from Honors Contracts can count towards the Honors Scholar Designation
After the Honors Program has verified your course record, the designation is added to your college transcript. It represents the highest distinction available through the Honors Program. When transferring and applying for scholarships, the Honors Scholar Designation sets you apart from other students with high GPAs and is taken as a mark of serious academic achievement and dedication.
*This may be calculated on the basis of the GPA maintained per semester since joining the Honors Program—recognizing that students may come to Oakton after an absence of some time and a pre-existing GPA that is too low to bring up to a 3.25 by the time of graduation or transfer.
Fall 2024 Honors Courses
Learning Community (register for both classes):
Honors: Environmental Ethics AND Native American Literature
Professors Tom Bowen and Marian Staats
MW 11:00AM-12:15AM, 12:30AM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for both PHL 204 0H1 (CRN: 31586) & EGL 135 0H1 (CRN: 31587)
Gen Ed: Humanities, Communications, Global Studies, U.S. Diversity Studies
Concentrations: Environmental Studies, Great Books, WGSS
Description: Coming Soon
Core Seminar:
Honors: Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Lab Research
Professors Gary Mines and Suzanne Ziegenhorn
T 12:30PM-1:45PM, R 11:30AM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for either BIO 240 0YH (CRN: 31153) or CHM 240 0YH (CRN: 31063)
Gen Ed: Lab-Life Science elective or Lab-Physical Science elective, Recommended for pre-majors
Description: Investigations into the Ecology of Microbial Biofilms. Interested in a career in the sciences? Don’t miss this opportunity to enroll in a course that will give you hands-on experience in a laboratory setting investigating the ecology of microbial biofilms. This class will give you the chance to explore primary scientific literature and participate in the scientific method as we work to identify potential inhibitors and/or promoters of biofilm formation by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Honors Sections of Gen Ed Classes
Honors: Introduction to the Study of Religion
Professor Charles Townsend
Online Mix (Online Asynch with once weekly Online Synch meetings) M 7:00-8:15PM
Register for PHL 110 HC1 (CRN: 31584)
Gen Ed: Humanities, Global Studies
Description: Are you interested in understanding: How religious beliefs inform people’s decisions? Why religion is too often a motivation for violence? What makes a book a ‘scripture’? The roles and rules religions prescribe surrounding gender and sexuality? What some of the commonalities are among various religions? Introduction to the Study of Religion introduces the academic study of religion(s) and examines the impacts and relevance of religion across the globe today. This introductory level class fulfills both Oakton’s ‘Area E’ (Humanities) and ‘Area F’ (Global Studies) General Education Requirements and is transferrable to Illinois Colleges and Universities through the Illinois Articulation Agreement (IAI: H5900). This is the first time the class is being offered as a dedicated Honors class! The class will be in an ‘online mix’ format; mostly online asynchronous, with once weekly Zoom meetings to discuss reading and help each other prepare for assignments. See here for more info.
Honors: Microbiology
Professor Suzanne Ziegenhorn
TR 8:00AM-11:00AM, 9:30AM-11:AM Des Plaines Campus
Register for BIO 251 0H1 (CRN: 31165)
Gen Ed: Lab-Life Science
Description: This laboratory course introduces the biology of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses. Course content includes metabolism, genetics, identification, control, physiology, relationship to health and disease, and host defense all in a microbial context. Though intended primarily for students in health fields, the content of this course connects directly to many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and topics such as viral biology, testing techniques, vaccine development/vaccination and epidemiology are explored and will be of interest to a broad audience. Honors students will engage in an in-depth case study that challenges them to investigate the pathogenic source of a mystery disease and share their findings.
Honors: Social and Political Philosophy
Professor Patrick O’Donnell
TR 12:30AM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for PHL 160 0H1 (CRN: 315853135)
Gen Ed: Humanities
Concentrations: Great Books; Peace and Social Justice Studies; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Description: What is justice? What is freedom? What is power? How have these concepts been used for purposes of both oppression and liberation? What explains economic, racial, and gendered inequalities? What does justice require of us, both as individuals and as a society? What political, economic, and cultural forces have combined to produce the challenges and possibilities we face as a global community today? Join us in Fall 2024 as we try to get to the bottom of these and other questions through the guidance of modern and contemporary sources drawn from liberal, conservative, Marxist, feminist, anti-racist, and radical intellectual traditions. No prerequisites. All that is required is curiosity and a willingness to read and discuss philosophical texts in a reflective, collegial, and welcoming environment!
Honors: Composition I
Professor Olabisi Adenakan
MW 9:30AM-10:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for EGL 101 0H1 (CRN: 30605)
Gen Ed: Communications
Description: Are you attracted to the possibility of exploring certain issues and topics close to your heart? Are you interested in the possibility of presenting your work at a conference and/or possibly publishing your work sometime in the future? Then this course is for you. Join us as we navigate the world of research and writing that will empower you to share your thoughts with stakeholders outside our immediate classroom experience.
Honors: Social Problems
Professor Megan Klein
Online Asynch, 12 Week (Late Start)
Register for SOC 103 HC1 (CRN: 31335)
Gen Ed: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Global Studies, U.S. Diversity Studies
Concentrations: Peace and Social Justice Studies
Description: Coming Soon
Honors: Elementary Statistics
Professor Anna Hammer
TR 10:00AM-11:50PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for MAT 131 0H1 (CRN: 31055)
Gen Ed: Mathematics
Description: Coming Soon
Honors: Contemporary Culture and the Arts
Professor Kristin McCartney
W 6:00PM-8:50PM, Skokie Campus
Register for HUM 122 0H1 (CRN: 31460)
Gen Ed: Humanities (Fine Arts)
Concentrations: Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Peace and Social Justice Studies
Description: Coming Soon
PAST COURSES
Spring 2024 Honors Courses
Learning Community (register for both classes):
Honors: Multicultural Literature of the United States AND World Religions
Professors Madhuri Deshmukh and Mohamed Mehdi
TR 11:00AM-12:15AM, 12:30AM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for both EGL 131 0H1 (CRN: 11775) & PHL 205 0H1 (CRN: 11776)
Gen Ed: Humanities, Global Studies, U.S. Diversity Studies
Concentrations: Peace and Social Justice Studies
Description: How do religious practices and beliefs travel as people and ideas migrate and encounter others? The course begins with our own experiences (cultural, familial, economic, spiritual, artistic) that cross borders. We live in places, like Chicago, where we are connected to events, people, conflicts and cultures from around the world. We may send money to family in distant places, enjoy music, food and film from other countries, travel to visit various homelands, and take spiritual guidance from someone across the world. We will read several works of literature about the experiences of multicultural communities in the US. How did people of diverse cultures, religions, and races shape the ideals of America? What role did religion play in the social justice movements that defined and created American democracy? Reading literary works alongside religious texts from around the world, we will see what role religious traditions play in shaping identities, political struggles, visions, and personal commitments. Throughout the course, we will be raising examples of contemporary debates and questions that arise within faith-based communities in the U.S. and around the world in relation to topics such as gender, climate, democracy, migration, land, war, social media, and the arts.
Honors: Intro. to Social and Cultural Anthropology AND Composition II
Professors Lindsey Hewitt and Kristen Hren
TR 9:30AM-10:45AM, 11:00AM-12:15AM Skokie Campus
Register for both ANT 102 25H (CRN: 12109) & EGL 102 25H (CRN: 12110)
Gen Ed: Communications, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description: This Learning Community will introduce students to the diversity of cultural systems throughout the world with a special emphasis on social justice and environmental justice issues as analyzed through the intersectional lenses of ethnicity, race, gender, and cultural identity. ANT102 is specifically designed to expose students to the varied ways people live today and to trace the historical, political, and global developments that impact cultural change, particularly in regards to indigenous and marginalized communities. EGL102 strengthens student strategies for planning, writing, and revising research-based essays, which includes critical reading and analysis, the structure of argument, and the use of sources. In this Learning Community, we will place special emphasis on globalization, racial justice, and gender inequality and their effects.
Core Seminar:
Honors: Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Lab Research
Professors Melodie Graber and Suzanne Ziegenhorn
T 12:30PM-1:45PM, R 11:30AM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for either BIO 240 0YH (CRN: 11481) or CHM 240 0YH (CRN: 1480)
Gen Ed: Lab-Life Science elective or Lab-Physical Science elective, Recommended for pre-majors
Description: Interested in a career in the sciences? Don’t miss this opportunity to enroll in a course that will give you hands-on experience in a laboratory setting investigating the ecology of microbial biofilms. This class will give you the chance to participate in the scientific method as we work to identify potential inhibitors and/or promoters of biofilm formation by the pathogen Pseudomonas.
Special Topics/Faculty-Student Seminar:
Honors: Topics in Philosophy: Feminist and Queer Theory
Professor Kristin McCartney
R 2:00PM-4:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for PHL 290 0H1 (CRN: 10824)
Gen Ed: Philosophy Elective
Description: Feminist and Queer Theory: Intersectional and Transnational Frameworks — This Honors Student-Faculty Seminar in Philosophy will center the lived experiences, histories, communities, creative works, and revolutionary IDEAS originating from feminist and queer theorists.
Honors Sections of Gen Ed Classes
Honors: Introduction to Sociology
Professor Michelle Naffziger-Hirsch
MW 11:00AM-12:15PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for SOC 101 0H1 (CRN: 11781)
Gen Ed: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description: Do you ever wonder why people do that? Let's find out together. This course introduces the sociological perspective to study contemporary society, with a focus on the United States. Content includes culture, socialization, social interaction, groups and networks, deviance and social control, inequality in society, social institutions such as family or education, and processes of social change. We will go beyond the traditional textbook to read texts by sociologists past and present and critically examine our world using sociological frameworks and tools.
Honors: Ethics
Professor Patrick O’Donnell
TR 9:30AM-10:45AM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for PHL 106 0H1 (CRN: 11780)
Gen Ed: Humanities
Description: How should I live? We live in a violent, complicated, and fragile world where questions about right, wrong, good, and bad often do not have clear-cut answers. This course starts from the assumption that thinking, feeling, and acting better in this world requires us to better understand the social conditions that surround and shape us. Drawing on historical and contemporary texts in philosophy and adjacent disciplines, we will focus on how structures like capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy, racism, globalization, and their accompanying practices and technologies shape, constrain, and enable not only our own powers to think, feel, and act, but also shape the possibilities for making a better world. If you have questions about the class, please contact Prof. O’Donnell.
Honors: Intro. to Women’s and Gender Studies
Professor Ahalya Satkunaratnam
MW 9:30AM-10:45AM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for HUM 140 0H1 (CRN: 11778)
Gen Ed: Humanities
Description: This course will examine the interdisciplinary approaches of Women’s and Gender Studies in theory and practice. We will look at concerns and debates in feminist social movements and consider feminist interventions in social institutions, policy, and everyday life. Students will be introduced to analyses of identity and practice employing the diverse methods of Women's and Gender Studies to examine ourselves, our communities and greater society and culture.
Honors: Composition II
Professor Marian Staats
MW 12:30PM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for EGL 102 0H1 (CRN: 11483)
Gen Ed: Communications
Description: Coming soon
Professor Suzanne Ziegenhorn
TR 9:00AM-11:00AM, TR 9:30AM-11:00AM Des Plaines Campus
Register for BIO 251 0H1 (CRN: 11779)
Gen Ed: Lab-Life Science
Description: This laboratory course introduces the biology of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses. Course content includes metabolism, genetics, identification, control, physiology, relationship to health and disease, and host defense all in a microbial context. Though intended primarily for students in health fields, the content of this course connects directly to many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and topics such as viral biology, testing techniques, vaccine development/vaccination and epidemiology are explored and will be of interest to a broad audience. Honors students will engage in an in-depth case study that challenges them to investigate the pathogenic source of a mystery disease and share their findings.
Honors: Intro. to Environmental Science
Professor Paul Gulezian
MW 3:30PM-4:45PM, W 12:30PM-3:15PM Des Plaines Campus
Register for PSY 120 0H3 (CRN: 11782)
Gen Ed: Lab-Life Science
Description: Honors environmental science is a laboratory course that introduces study of the relationships between natural systems (lakes, forests, atmosphere, etc.) and human systems (economics, politics, agriculture, etc.). Topics will include ecology, evolution, conservation, ecological restoration, food production, water management, energy, pollution, economic systems, urban design, and sustainability. Particular attention will be devoted to learning frameworks that center traditional ecological knowledge, environmental justice considerations, and alternatives to capitalist production.
Fall 2023 Honors Courses
Learning Communities (register for both)
Honors: Social Problems AND Elementary Statistics
Professors Mario Borha and Megan Klein
MW 9:00AM-10:15AM, 10:30AM-12:20PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for both SOC 103 0H1 (CRN: 31612) & MAT 131 0H1 (CRN: 31226)
Gen Ed: Social and Behavioral Sciences, Global Studies, U.S. Diversity Studies, Mathematics
Concentrations: Peace and Social Justice
Description:
Core Seminar:
Honors: Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Lab Research
Professors Gary Mines and Suzanne Ziegenhorn
T 12:30PM-1:45PM, R 11:30AM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for either BIO 240 0YH or CHM 240 0YH
Gen Ed: Lab-Life Science elective or Lab-Physical Science elective, Recommended for pre-majors
Description: Interested in a career in the sciences? Don’t miss this opportunity to enroll in a course that will give you hands-on experience in a laboratory setting investigating the ecology of microbial biofilms. This class will give you the chance to participate in the scientific method as we work to identify potential inhibitors and/or promoters of biofilm formation by the pathogen Pseudomonas.
Honors Sections of Gen Ed Classes
Honors: Social Psychology
Professor Michelle James
MW 11:00AM-12:15PM, Skokie Campus
Register for PSY 120 0H1 (CRN: 31617)
Gen Ed: Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description:
Honors: Ethics
Professor Kristin McCartney
W 6:00PM-8:50PM, Skokie Campus
Register for PHL 106 0H1 (CRN: 31616)
Gen Ed: Humanities
Concentrations: Peace and Social Justice; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Description:
Honors: Environmental Humanities
Professor Marian Staats
TR 11:00AM-12:15PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for HUM 105 0H1 (CRN: 31615)
Gen Ed: Humanities
Concentrations: Environmental Studies; Peace and Social Justice; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Description: HUM150: Environmental Humanities concentrates on culture and arts addressing relationships between humanity, the earth, and our environment, with a focus on environmental justice. We’ll explore interdisciplinary perspectives from literature, philosophy, music, drama, visual arts, and film, as well as social forces affecting humanity’s relation to the natural world.
Come and explore: How have literature, music, and visual arts impacted environmental movements, past, and present? How are environmental issues connected with gender, sexuality, race, and class? What is environmental justice, and what can we do to imagine environmentally just ways of living with humans and other species? HUM150 satisfies IAI gen-ed HF-900, as well as Environmental Studies Concentration elective.
Honors: Composition I
Professor Madhuri Deshmukh
MW 12:30PM-1:45PM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for EGL 101 0H1 (CRN: 30683)
Gen Ed: Communications
Concentrations: Peace and Social Justice, Environmental Studies
Description:
Honors: Microbiology
Professor Suzanne Ziegenhorn
TR 8:00AM-9:15AM, TR 9:30-11:00AM Des Plaines Campus
Register for BIO 251 0H1 (CRN: 31366)
Gen Ed: Lab-Life Science
Description: This laboratory course introduces the biology of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses. Course content includes metabolism, genetics, identification, control, physiology, relationship to health and disease, and host defense all in a microbial context. Though intended primarily for students in health fields, the content of this course connects directly to many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and topics such as viral biology, testing techniques, vaccine development/vaccination and epidemiology are explored and will be of interest to a broad audience. Honors students will engage in an in-depth case study that challenges them to investigate the pathogenic source of a mystery disease and share their findings.
Honors: Managerial Accounting
Professor Prashantt Rawal
Online Asynch
Register for ACC 154 HC1 (CRN: 31613)
Gen Ed: Recommended for Accounting Premajors
Description:
Honors: Contemporary Culture and the Arts
Professor Peter Hudis
TR 9:30AM-10:45AM, Des Plaines Campus
Register for HUM 122 0H1 (CRN: 31782)
Gen Ed: Humanities Fine Arts
Concentrations: Environmental Studies
Description: The focus of this course is the Culture and Politics of Immigration. We explore ongoing debates over immigrant rights, recent changes in the rules and laws governing migration, and the cultural, social, and intellectual contributions that immigrants have made (and continue to make) to American society. We will study literature, art, music, and poetry by and about immigrants, with a concentration on the lived experiences and thoughts of those from Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Summer 2023 Honors Field Study
Honors: Native American Literature AND Honors: A Survey of Ecology
Professors Marian Staats and Tess Lesniak
Register for both EGL 135 8H1 & BIO 103 8H1
Gen Ed: Humanities-Fine Arts; Life Science; Global Studies; students who have taken BIO 106 cannot receive BIO 103 credit for this course (if you are in this situation, contact Profs. Staats and Lesniak about options for receiving BIO credit)
Concentrations: Environmental Studies (x2); Global Studies; Great Books; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Description: Join us for a unique hybrid learning community and Honors Core Seminar combining A Survey of Ecology BIO 103 and Native American Literature EGL 135. In this 8-week course, we’ll take learning on the road from 7/9 to 7/24! We’ll BioBlitz at national parks—Badlands, Yellowstone, and Theodore Roosevelt—while learning about Native American cultures and histories. If you like nature, camping, and hiking while thinking, this class is for you. Tell your friends and contact either Professor Lesniak tlesniak@oakton.edu or Prof. Staats mstaats@oakton.edu to enroll.