Honors Program courses change each semester.  Please click the left side bar
link for the course description packet for each of the terms listed.

An alternative to the standard general education curriculum, the Drake Honors Program cultivates individual accomplishment by providing a venue to pursue projects at higher levels of expectation, or those that do not neatly fit within prescribed disciplines. 

Honors classes are designed to both develop knowledge about a particular topic and to create an attitude towards learning that reflects a “spirit of discovery.”  While focused on specific topics, honors courses should be available to as broad a range of students as possible. Typically, Honors courses assign 30 pages of writing (though this will vary according to the nature of the course), and evaluation of students is through the use of writing and oral expression. More specifically, honors classes will:

• Sharpen writing, critical thinking and verbal communication skills
•  Encourage active participation
• Invite connections among several areas of study through the focus on a specific topic.
• Cultivate individual achievement and creativity

Students may declare the Honors Program Track by completing a form available through the Honors Program office. Forms may be obtained from Assistant Director of the Honors Program, Charlene Skidmore (x2999; charlene.skidmore@drake.edu) in Medbury 206/209. Completed forms will be shared with the appropriate Dean's office.  Please consult with your academic advisor before switching to the Honors Program Track. Completion of the Honors Program Track in the Drake Curriculum is not sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the Honors Program (leading to a designation of "University Honors" on a student's final transcript). To complete the Honors Program, students must complete the Honors Program Track plus the following: successfully complete a Senior Honors Thesis and maintain an overall 3.5 GPA. Honors Program Track Requirements:

• One laboratory science course from AOI lists for either Physical or Life Sciences.
• One course from AOI list for Quantitative Area.
• One course from AOI list for Artistic Experience Area.
• HONR 100: Paths to Knowledge (4 credit class).
• 15 additional credits in Honors.