Honors

• Problem Solving – Take one honors course in problem solving through either the math or physics departments or complete calculus II.
• Non-English Language – Take one year (two semesters) of any non-English language.
• Honors Electives – Take any three honors elective courses. Honors electives also fulfill BW general education requirements. Honors option research projects in the major can substitute for honors electives.
• Skills Track – Take one year (two semesters) of courses in one of the following areas:
  • Intermediate/advanced non-English language (these are in addition to the one-year requirement that every student completes)
  • Statistics
  • Data programming
• Honors Thesis – Complete a thesis/senior project in your major area of study.

Philosophy through Sound: Understanding the Music of John Cage

John Cage is one of the most important and significant American composers and thinkers of the 20th Century. His music challenged conventional notions of music, sound, and the concert experience. It is often his words and writings instead of his music that garner more attention from philosophers and musicians. This class will examine his life, philosophy, and work.

Religion and Science

Students will examine issues like evolution, death, and the afterlife, healing and alternative medicine, and stem cell research in order to investigate the relationships between religion and science. This course asks students to consider how a better understanding of science as well as awareness of multiple religious perspectives can help us understand the complexity of issues in which religion and science come into conflict, conversation, and/or collaboration.

Diagnosing Art

Brain function and its manifestation in the visual arts has long been a topic of speculation and discussion. Students will explore theories explaining unique brain functions of famous artists and will be charged with investigating the value of such theories. The first half of the course will be devoted to lectures on selected artists and the medical/psychological issues that supposedly afflicted them. The second half of the course will provide the students with the opportunity for trips to the Cleveland Museum of Art/Allen museum to view works first hand, to conduct research on their chosen topics, and ultimately to present their research to the class.

Put Wealth Within Reach

Students will be provided an overview of personal financial planning to help individuals and families live more securely by understanding money management, investing tax planning, and major life purchases. By living below your means and saving regularly, you can retire earlier and live comfortably. Your role as leaders in your community will also be addressed. The course is taught in an interactive and engaging manner to create a positive learning environment.

With flexibility and self-direction in mind, honors options allow a student to turn any non-honors course into an honors elective by adding an additional project.

Kinza Surani ‘23, Music Theatre: For her History of Music and Drama class and under the advisement of Professor Christina Fuhrmann, Kinza is researching the life and work of minority composer Kamala Sankaram. Her work will culminate in a recreation of one of Sankaram’s operatic compositions into a contemporary musical theatre arrangement.

Gianna Latarski '21, French and International Studies: Alongside her French Civilizations course, Gianna is working with Dr. Nadia Sahely to research migration of unaccompanied minors from Africa into France.

Rachel Neuerer '20, Public Health: As part of her Techniques of Spanish Translation course, Rachel partnered with the Cleveland Department of Public Health to translate various documents about diabetes into Spanish for the greater Cleveland area.

As one of three pillars of the honors program, our focus on student-directed research is about empowering students to learn to ask their own questions and seek sophisticated answers. With numerous options available, honors students pursue research in every discipline with the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Every honors program student will complete their college experience with a thesis project tailored to each student's needs and interests. While many projects take the form of a traditional thesis focused either on laboratory or text-based research, other students choose creative or technical projects.

Aubrey Baumler '21, Spanish and Political Science: "Wealth Inequalities in Peru and Ecuador and the Effects on Indigenous Children"

Sarah McCord '21, Arts Management and Entrepreneurship: "Theater in 2020: Accessibility and Outreach"

Ashleigh Varner '21, Pre-Physical Therapy: "Implementing Positive Psychology into Stroke Rehab Protocols"

The BW Honors Program staff has coached three honors students through successful Fulbright award applications in recent years. William Lekan '19 was awarded an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Tiawan; Klementyna Pozniak '20 was awarded an ETA to Ukraine; and Jessica Villacres '20 was awarded an ETA to Mexico.

Fulbright Award Advising

Fulbright Awards are among the most prestigious grants a college graduate can receive. Funded by the U.S. State Department, these awards provide recent college graduates the opportunity to spend one year abroad working as an English language teaching assistant, carrying out research, pursuing creative work or earning a Master’s degree at a foreign university.

At BW, we provide intensive advising to ensure that students submit the strongest application possible. We will work with you through every step of the process, from matching your interests and aspirations with the most appropriate country and type of award to providing one-on-one support as you develop your application materials and navigate the submission process. A successful Fulbright application can have long-lasting impacts on your career and provide the international experience that will make you stand out as you pursue professional opportunities in the future.

For more information, contact our Fulbright Program Advisers:

Danielle Kuntz
Associate Professor of Music History
Conservatory of Music
dmkuntz@bw.edu

Matthew Feinberg
Associate Professor of Spanish
Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures
feinberg@bw.edu

Amy Gersten '21 won best student presentation at the MidEast Honors Association virtual conference in spring 2020 for her paper, "Comparative Content Analysis of Local Crime News." Amy’s research was originally conducted through the Summer Scholars research program.

Supportive Community: We start building community as soon as first-year students arrive for the honors program welcome. Upper class student leaders help first-year honors students shake off their nerves and start making new friendships.

Exceptional Educational Experiences: Honors students take unique general education courses like "Invisible Americans, Radicals and Reformers: Reacting to the Past" and "Who Am I? A Psychological and Philosophical Examination of the Self." Each week we also provide an honors colloquia session where we bring alumni and other guests to talk about their careers and topics of interest like college student finances, mental health or preparing for graduate school.

Enhanced Credentials: Students add a competitive edge to their graduate school and employment applications with their honors program membership and involvement.

Financial Assistance: The honors program helps students achieve their goals and expand their horizons by providing funding assistance for study abroad, alternative break service trips, and other educational and leadership-building experiences.

Priority Course Registration Times: Honors students register before non-honors students to ensure they register for the courses they need.

Yes, the honors program prepares students with the skills needed to address the complex problems facing our communities and world. To that end, the honors curriculum assists students in developing transferable skills such as independent thinking and research. These outcomes encourage students to understand multiple perspectives, conduct serious investigations into important questions and develop their own well-informed voices.

Additionally, students will select one of three focused areas of skill development to enhance their versatility and career readiness – study of a non-English language and culture outside of the U.S., data programming or statistics. These skills, representing the humanities, STEM, and social sciences, ensure that all honors program graduates leave BW ready to live meaningful lives, provide substantial value to organizations and continue their education at the most distinguished institutions.

The honors program does require a somewhat more rigorous core curriculum than that required of the non-honors BW student, as noted above. In terms of the experience in honors courses, there is no reason to believe that these courses will be “harder” than non-honors. Instead, honors courses are of a different nature than non-honors. They are intended to be interdisciplinary explorations of specific topics and are designed to help students make connections between theoretical ideas and real-world experiences. Additionally, what you get in honors courses that is different is a more engaged and well-prepared group of classmates and thus a higher level of discussion about and comprehension of the material in the class. Honors classes do not necessarily involve longer papers, harder reading, more homework, etc. than non-honors courses.

The honors requirements overlap with core or general education requirements so that you can take honors courses that fulfill the areas of core that you need. Students can also utilize honors option projects in courses in their major as a substitute for taking honors core courses. While most honors courses will not fulfill requirements in your major, students typically do not have a difficult time making room in their schedules for honors as well as their major(s) and minor(s).

Absolutely. Conservatory students are well-represented in the honors program. Conservatory students should work closely with their honors program advisor to find ways to consistently make progress on honors requirements while also completing their degree in the Conservatory. Conservatory students often take advantage of completing honors option projects in their major courses to reduce the need for honors electives.

The honors program curriculum culminates in a senior thesis that allows students to select a topic of interest and engage in extensive research with a faculty mentor. Honors theses range from traditional laboratory research or in-depth studies of authors or texts, to writing creative works like novellas, plays and musical compositions, to constructing case-studies, business plans or web-portfolios. Ultimately, the thesis is a "product" that students can use to market themselves to graduate programs or employment opportunities.

Yes, the Honors Leadership Board (HLB) oversees the 10-session Honors Colloquia Series every semester, which brings students together to discuss careers and life skills with alumni and BW professionals. HLB hosts both virtual and in-person events to build community and bring the honors experience outside the classroom.

Students also serve in leadership roles in the honors first-year experience courses and on the Honors and Scholars Advisory Council.

Merit scholarships at BW are not tied to participation in the honors program. However, honors does have an endowed fund that allows us to help in making opportunities possible for students during their BW experience. Honors students can apply for the following funded activities:

• Study abroad – up to $1,500
• Alternative Break service trips – Honors will cover the full cost
• Travel to conferences to present research or creative work – up to $500
• Research supplies – up to $500

We encourage all students who meet the qualifications for the honors program to apply for admission. Students who are interested in the honors program and may require accommodations are encouraged to contact director, Brian Monahan at (440) 826-2146 or at bmonahan@bw.edu or with associate director Angela Planisek at (440) 826-2083 or at aplanise@bw.edu.

The BW Honors Program works with all of our students to meet their educational needs and to achieve their academic and personal potential. The BW Office of Accessible Education collaborates with students, faculty and staff to help create equitable, inclusive educational environments for qualified students with disabilities by ensuring equal access to all University programs, services and activities — including those of the honors program.

We’d love to hear from you! You can contact the honors program office to speak with director, Brian Monahan at (440) 826-2146 or at bmonahan@bw.edu or with associate director Angela Planisek at (440) 826-2083 or at aplanise@bw.edu.