Spring Term 2024

Course enrollment for the 2024 Spring Term (2244) is open

You can view your enrollment appointment time at Enrollment > Enrollment Dates in HighPoint CX. 

To find a list of honors courses offered this spring in HighPoint CX, select “Frederick Honors Course” in the Course Attribute menu on the Class Search page.

Spring 2024 Honors Course Offerings by electus faculty fellows & Wyoming partnership

HONORS 1010: Bridge Monitoring and Management

Instructor: Piero Rizzo, Thu 4-4:50 p.m., CL 3504

This special topic seminar will introduce Honors students to the modern paradigm of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) applied to bridges. SHM applied to bridges refers to the implementation of noninvasive techniques to detect damage, identify anomalous structural events, and to measure the static and dynamic response of the given asset to external loads, such as traffic, wind, and random vibrations. SHM is a multidisciplinary field that embraces knowledge in areas that include but are not limited to sensors fabrication, signal processing, NDE, materials science, hardware design, and soft computing. As such, this course is expected to satisfy the expectations of any engineering student and fulfills the desire to be exposed to challenging disciplines that contribute to the safety and well-being of the whole community.

HONORS 1010: Health Science Complexities

Instructor: Kar-Hai Chu, Thu 10-10:50 a.m., CL 3504

This course is an introduction to topic areas in health sciences that can be counter-intuitive or illogical. The goal of the course is to provide students examples of how decisions in health science are not always reached through logical processes or following the scientific method. Students will learn to critically analyze healthcare research and decision making. The course also provides the training necessary for students to objectively read and understand health science literature.

 

HONORS 1015: Sciences of the Past

Instructor: James Johnson, Wed 6:00-8:30 p.m., class will be taught in an online synchronous (web-based) format

This course is a deep dive into the historical sciences (archaeology, history, geography, geosciences) and engages with different theories and conceptual frameworks that allow us to interpret, infer, and explain the past. Drawing upon philosophies and histories of science, especially since the Enlightenment, we will explore how scientists reason and reach conclusions about past, especially prehistoric, human and natural actions. To do this, we will also dissect the nebulous term of "critical thinking" and apply a revised version in our work throughout the course. While much of the course will focus on 'theory,' this will be closely followed by disciplinary case studies and critical engagements with recent moves towards pseudoscience, pseudohistory, and pseudoarchaeology. The goal of the course is to give students a better understanding of how and why scientists in the disciplines covered in the course reason the way they do and how they (we) fit into an ever-changing 'modern' world.

HONORS 1015: Group Genius

Instructor: Cynthia Croot, Tu/Thu 2:30-3:45 p.m.

This is a fantastic choice for anyone interested in creativity and collaboration. If you plan to market yourself as an "inventive collaborator"—a person who can work with others to bring ideas to life—this may be the perfect class for you!

HONORS 1510: Health and the City

Instructor: Teresa Thomas, Mon/Wed 3-4:15 p.m., CL 3504

This is a service-learning course designed to immerse students into health issues facing people from Pittsburgh. Students will learn about the current state of health disparities in Pittsburgh and read scientific papers and reports describing disparities. They will also be partnered with area non-profits and organizations working to tackle these issues. By integrating academic and service learning, students will develop leadership skills necessary as they pursue health focused careers.

HONORS 1510: Sustainability: A World to Fix

Instructor: Joaquin Rodriguez, Mon/Wed 3-4:15 p.m., CL 3704

This course introduces the most common concepts and topics of sustainability and explores students’ potential to develop proposals to solve pressing needs and current problems of our planet and humankind.

ENGLIT 0621: African American Literature: Debates and Approaches

Instructor: Michael Sawyer

This course introduces students to several of the key methodological and theoretical approaches to African American literary studies today. Through a selection of primary and secondary readings, students will acquire a knowledge of a range of conceptual frameworks and critical terms that currently shape the study of African American literature.

Additional Honors Courses

  • ANTH 1660: People and Other Animals (Emily Wanderer)
  • COMMRC 1072: Knowing Humans: An Introduction to Research in the Humanities (David Marshall and Carla Nappi)
  • HIST 1433: Modern Japan (Raja Adal)
  • JS 1283: Contemporary Jewish Life (Barbara Burstin) 
  • LAW: Gender at Work (Pat Chew)*

*Honors Courses Offered in Pitt's Law School – 2024 Spring Term

To access information about LAW courses in PeopleSoft, do the following on the Class Search page:

In the Subject field, type LAW
Change the Course Career pull-down menu from Undergraduate to Graduate

Finally, EVERY student will need a permission number from the Law School to enroll in the LAW courses. Here's the procedure to request a permission number:

Send an email to lawreg@pitt.edu and include the following in your email:

1. State that you are an undergraduate student.
2. Give the specific course number (e.g., LAW 2910).
3. Provide your PeopleSoft ID number.

The Law School will email the permission number to you in return.

Contact the FHC Advising Team

The FHC Advising Team is Liz Adams, Deborah Golden, Matt Rozycki, Ty Williams, and Gail Wolfe. Please contact your Frederick Honors College Academic Advisor if you have any questions about:

The advisors are located on the 34th floor of the Cathedral of Learning. They have drop-in hours and are also delighted to schedule meetings (in-person or remote) that work with your schedule.