The Honors Core Curriculum will fulfill University core requirements. The primary benefit of the Honors Program is to explore freely academic subjects in depth with students of similar motivation, ability and interest. The Honors Core Curriculum also emphasizes:

• understanding ideas of greater complexity in the field of study;
• depth of understanding and critical analysis;
• independent thinking, exploration of ideas and pursuit of individual interests;
• a “student-centered” classroom in which individuals and the group share with the instructor the responsibility for planning and evaluation;
• regular use of discovery learning, problem-solving approaches to learning that develop students’ skill of inquiry, investigation, analysis, synthesis and evaluation;
• individualization that will allow students to determine their pace of learning, self-selection from alternatives, and self-evaluation of accomplishments.

Honors Program students at ASU pursue majors in any one of the degree programs available to undergraduates through the colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business, Education, and Sciences and Health Professions. In fulfilling departmental Honors Program and University requirements, Honors Program students have the opportunity to choose the combination of Honors courses and regular course selections that best meet their needs and interests.

Honors Program courses have limited enrollment and are reserved for successful and motivated students. These courses encourage participatory learning through the interchange of ideas between students and professors and among students themselves. Honors Program courses may be special sections of regularly offered courses or special courses available to Honors Program students. Some courses are interdisciplinary in nature while others explore topics of current interest.

The Honors curriculum may be customized through Honors Contracting and/or Honors Independent Study. With approval of the instructor and the Honors Program director, students may receive honors credit by enrolling in a non-honors advanced level course and engaging in a written “Honors Contract" to undertake more challenging work and to meet with the professor for individualized instruction. Students may also undertake personalized study or research with a professor by registering for Honors Independent Study. Honors Contracting and Honors Independent Study are available to Honors Program students after they have completed nine credit hours of regular Honors Program courses.

Honors seminars are small and informal—a combination that can lead to lively interaction among the students. The seminars are structured to be intellectually challenging, academically exciting and personally rewarding.