The SMBHC wants to encourage students to respond to opportunities for exceptional academic experiences during the whole of their undergraduate careers.  Therefore, beginning Fall 2016, the SMBHC will award honors credit for 500-level courses when honors students use those courses to fulfill general elective hours in the major/minor.  This option does not apply to 500-level courses that are specifically required by departments for completion of the major/minor.  In such cases, students may petition associate dean John Samonds to award honors credit.  That credit may or may not be awarded, depending on the nature of the course and its academic components.  This 500-level honors option is meant to encourage taking academic and intellectual risks when those risks are not required, in other words.  Check the on-line catalogue or talk with your major/minor advisor to see what advanced course work would allow you a graduate-level specialization while still an undergraduate. To put this another way, Honors credit is awarded for 500-level coursework under the following circumstances:

• 500-level coursework that serves as academic framework for research/thesis, and is listed as such on the required research/thesis form;
• HON courses at the 500-level (such as HON 550)
• Departmental courses at the 500-level that are included among the HON course offerings for specific semesters (such as CHIN 513)
• 500-level departmental coursework selected by the student to fulfill general electives in the major/minor (not applicable to specific courses required by a department).