Individualized Honors
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Individualized Honors
Individualized Honors
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The Individualized Honors track is available in any major and degree program for the exceptional student for whom there is no available suitable honors curriculum in the College. The student in this program must come to UW-Madison with excellent academic preparation, must have demonstrated an exceptional ability to acquire knowledge, and must have the potential to recognize and creatively solve problems. The program requires considerable maturity and initiative because the student is responsible for both the development of an Individualized Honors proposal and its successful completion.
Students in Individualized Honors must exceed the general education requirements of the University and the breadth requirements of the College, because the student must be prepared for leadership in a rapidly changing world. The student learns how to generate knowledge and critically evaluate data, and understands the contribution research can make to solutions of problems.
Procedures
Students may apply for admission to Individualized Honors at any time during the freshman or sophomore year, but it is highly recommended that the program be started by the beginning of the sophomore year. Immediately upon acceptance into Individualized Honors the student identifies an Individualized Honors Committee, with the assistance of the student’s academic advisor. The committee must include the faculty mentor who will work with the student on research, a member of the CALS Honors Committee, and a third faculty member with interests appropriate to the student’s proposed program. The student, in cooperation with the independent honors committee, develops an academic plan that satisfies the requirements for Individualized Honors upon completion. The student and the committee are to meet every semester during the advising period and evaluate progress, reevaluate the goals remaining in the plan and make any necessary adjustments. To continue in the program the student is to maintain a grade point average of 3.25 or greater and demonstrate progress toward all objectives of Individualized Honors.
Requirements:
1.The program must meet or exceed the minimum general education requirements of the UW-Madison and the breadth requirements of the College: Communications, Humanities, Social Science, Physical and Biological Science, Mathematics (including Statistics/Computer Science) and Ethnic Studies. (credits:25)
2.The program must include courses to develop and expand methods of thinking. Possible areas include Logic, History of Science, Philosophy, Ethics and others (credits: 9).
3.The program must include courses that enable the student to learn procedures to critically develop, manipulate and evaluate data and information. Possible areas are mathematics, statistics, computer science and others (credits: 9).
4.The program must include courses that will expand the breadth and depth of knowledge of the student in a specific discipline or cluster of disciplines, in a manner consistent with the requirements of the major or majors the student chooses to pursue (credits 25-50).
5.The program must provide the student with experience in applying thinking and knowledge in a research context, including the CALS Junior Honors Seminar. The student must write a research proposal, enroll for Senior Honors Thesis (XXX-681-682), and conduct the research. (6-30 credits)
6.The program must include significant experience in reporting research findings in both oral and written presentation, including writing a senior honors thesis and presenting the results at the CALS Spring Research Forum. The thesis must be signed and approved by the advising committee and two (2) copies filed with the Associate Dean for Academic Student Affairs before the student can be awarded the designation “graduate with honors”. Upon receipt, the thesis is placed in Steenbock Memorial Library and accessible to anyone interested in the Honors student’s research project.
Student Responsibilities
The student’s advisor or the faculty Honors representative in the student's major department will work to help the student in preparing the program proposal and completing the requirements for the degree.
Procedures
1.The student must be accepted into the CALS Honors Program- Individualized Honors.
2.The student and a faculty member (the student's advisor or honors representative in the department) develop an objective or goal statement for the student's program.
3.The student and faculty member develop a list of courses specific for the needs of the individual student, meeting the above requirements.
4.The student and faculty member develop a time line for activities, including an annual report to the CALS Honors Committee verifying progress.
5.The student and faculty member select two other faculty to serve on an Independent Honors committee for that student, as specified above.
6.The student and the faculty committee review and approve objectives, courses and time line. This must be completed by the beginning of the student's third semester.
7.The CALS Honors Committee will review and approve the program.
8.No later than the beginning of the junior year the student and faculty member identify a research topic.
9.As the student’s knowledge and intellectual maturity grows, the intellectual needs and academic plans of the student may change. The faculty committee and the CALS Honors Committee must approve changes to the program.
10.If the student decides to drop this program the faculty committee and honors committee reviews the accomplishments and recommend how these would be applied to a standard degree program.
11.Your faculty committee is responsible for monitoring progress toward your Honors degree.
12.The faculty committee will certify in writing to the Honors Committee your completion of requirements for the Individualized Honors Program.
Upon successfully meeting all requirements of the Individualized Honors track the student will be granted a Bachelor's Degree with Honors