The Honors Program of Concordia University Chicago, inspired by Concordia’s pillars of truth, freedom, and vocation provides students the opportunity of an exhilarating education formed by an immersion into the ongoing conversation with the greatest minds, both ancient and modern. As a Great Books program, the curriculum of the honors program shapes students in the use of critical thinking to engage the perennial questions and the seminal texts from the great conversation and pursuit of wisdom that stretches from the philosophers of antiquity to contemporary thinkers. While the honors curriculum leads students into conversation with the great tradition that we have inherited, the program is shaped by its ultimate end: truth, freedom, and vocation.
Honor Program Tracks
In order to better meet the needs of our student body, students may select from the following two Honors Program Tracks. The Honors Scholar Track and the Honors Associate Track.
Honors Scholar Track
The Honors Scholar Track is the intended path for Concordia’s Honors Program as it affords students the opportunity to fully participate in the comprehensive honors curriculum. Students who complete the Honors Scholar Track will also receive a Great Books certificate of completion.
The Honors Scholar Track is designed to be a self-contained general education curriculum, with the exception of the Natural Sciences. The courses are designed to provide a formative learning experience for all students within the program. These courses are distinct from AP courses, dual credit classes, and other high school courses that earn college credit. For this reason, the Honors Program limits the number of credits that students may transfer into the program. Students in the Honors Scholars Track are limited to the following:
- Any science credit may be transferred (7–8 hours)
- Foreign Language courses may be transferred up to 8 hours (through AP and CLEP exams)
- 6 additional credits may be transferred except for the following Honors courses: CHP-1300, CHP-2050, CHP-2150, CHP-2200.
Course requirements:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | ||
| CHP-1500 | Seminar on Great Texts of Literature: Prudence and Folly; Justice and Selfishness (Communications ENG-1100 (requires all three courses CHP-1500, 1600, and 1700) | 1 |
| CHP-1600 | Seminar on Great Texts of Literature: Courage and Cowardice,Temperance and Licentiousness (Communications for ENG-1100) | 1 |
| CHP-1700 | Seminar on Great Texts of Literature: Faith, Hope, and Love; Unbelief, Despair, and Hate (Communications for ENG-1100) | 1 |
| CHP-1900 | Classical Literature: Epics (Communication for ENG-2000) | 3 |
| CHP-1000 | Logic and Rhetoric (Communication for COM-1100) | 3 |
| Humanities courses | ||
| CHP-1300 | The Experience of Beauty (Fine Arts and Humanities) | 3 |
| CHP-2050 | Ethics (Humanities) | 3 |
| CHP-2150 | Metaphysics (Humanities) | 3 |
| Social Behavior Science | ||
| CHP-1400 | Understanding Self and Society: A Survey of the Sociological Tradition (Social/Behavioral Science) | 3 |
| CHP-1800 | The History of Economic Thought (Social/Behavioral Science) | 3 |
| CHP-2100 | History of Political Thought (Social/Behavioral Science) | 3 |
| Mathematics | ||
| CHP-1250 | Mathematics Through the Ages (Mathematics) * | 3 |
| One course in Life or Physical Science must include a lab | ||
| Physical Science select one | 4 | |
| Elements of Earth Science (With Lab) | ||
| Consumer Chemistry (With Lab) | ||
| Chemistry in the World Today | ||
| Health Science Applications in Chemistry | ||
| Fundamentals of Chemistry (With Lab) | ||
| Concepts in Life and Physical Science (With Lab) | ||
| Energy and Our Environment (With Lab) | ||
| Introduction to Sustainability (With Lab) | ||
| Physics of Things We Use (With Lab) | ||
| Elementary Physics I (With Lab) | ||
| Elementary Physics II (With Lab) | ||
| Life Science select one | 3-4 | |
| Biology in the World Today (With Lab) | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Fundamentals of Microbiology (With Lab) | ||
| Energy and Our Environment (With Lab) | ||
| Theology | ||
| CHP-2000 | History and Theology of the New Testament (Theology:Biblical Studies) | 3 |
| CHP-2200 | Foundations in Christian Theology (Theology: Christian Doctrine) | 3 |
| Foreign Languages | 6-8 hours | |
| Total: | 49-52 | |
- *
Students in programs that require specific math courses can substitute this course.
Honors Associate Track
The Honors Associate Track is designed for transfer students and students whose programs may not afford the flexibility to participate in the Honors Scholars Track. Students on the Honors Associate Track follow the General Education curriculum. They may transfer as many credit hours towards the satisfaction of the curriculum requirements as the university allows. Students on the Honors Associate Track must still complete the 19 hours of Honors courses listed below. The Honors Associate Track consists of the following courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CHP-1300 | The Experience of Beauty (Fine Arts) | 3 |
| CHP-2050 | Ethics (Humanities) | 3 |
| CHP-2150 | Metaphysics (Humanities) | 3 |
| CHP-2200 | Foundations in Christian Theology (Theology: Christian Doctrine) | 3 |
| Elective Course: Select 1 hour from the following: | 1 | |
| Seminar on Great Texts of Literature: Prudence and Folly; Justice and Selfishness | ||
| Seminar on Great Texts of Literature: Courage and Cowardice,Temperance and Licentiousness | ||
| Seminar on Great Texts of Literature: Faith, Hope, and Love; Unbelief, Despair, and Hate | ||
| Select 6 hours from any of the following : | 6 | |
| Logic and Rhetoric (Communications : COM-1100) | ||
| Mathematics Through the Ages (Mathematics ) | ||
| Understanding Self and Society: A Survey of the Sociological Tradition (Social/Behavioral Sciences ) | ||
| The History of Economic Thought (Social/Behavioral Sciences ) | ||
| Classical Literature: Epics (Communications : ENG-2000) | ||
| History and Theology of the New Testament (Theology:Biblical Studies) | ||
| History of Political Thought (Social/Behavioral Sciences ) | ||
| Total Hours | 19 | |
Since the full series of Honors Courses count as a substitute for the General Education curriculum, students on the Honors Associate Track will need to ensure that they complete the following General Education requirements:
- Theology University Requirements (6 hours)
- Communication (9 hours)
- Humanities (9 hours)
- Social/Behavior Sciences (9 hours)
- Mathematics (3 hours)
- Physical and Life Sciences (7–8 hours)
Students Transferring in with an Associate’s Degree
Transfer students who have completed an associate degree only need to complete the following:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHP-1300 | The Experience of Beauty (Humanities:Fine Arts ) | 3 |
| CHP-2050 | Ethics (Humanities) | 3 |
| CHP-2150 | Metaphysics (Humanities) | 3 |
| CHP-2200 | Foundations in Christian Theology (Theology: Christian Doctrine) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
For more information on the General Education curriculum, please see, https://catalog.cuchicago.edu/undergraduate/college-health-science-technology/bachelor-arts-ba/bachelor-arts-degree-requirements/