Honors Curriculum

Economic inequality continues to increase throughout the world. This course explores the political and economic literature on distributive and economic justice—from classical sources to liberalism, Marxism, feminism, and cosmopolitanism—to better understand how we might eradicate poverty and economic inequalities through just institutional changes in the 21st century.

Explores the "what" and "why" of arts and performance through a multidisciplinary approach that emphasizes direct artistic experience. Primary sources include the specific artistic interests of students and a variety of arts events within the Westminster and Salt Lake communities. As in the creation of art itself, this seminar engenders curiosity, considers context, welcomes risk-taking, and fosters an environment that leads to openness and depth of connection.

Investigates the intersection of art and the environment across a broad understanding of each sphere. Faculty and students explore primary texts and experiences within the arts (visual, literary, sound, performative) and environment (natural, constructed, scientific). The state of Utah and the surrounding regions provide a remarkable backdrop for field trips and study.

When we hear someone say, "that's not science," it sounds inherently dismissive. This interdisciplinary seminar examines the special status often given to scientific knowledge relative to other forms of knowledge—and asks whether that status helps or hinders our ability to actually understand our universe with a focus on critical evaluation of certainty, authority, and progress.

The second science seminar explores the relationship between scientific knowledge and power, especially where this relationship intersects with issues of diversity. Engages major ideas from contemporary philosophy of science, science and cultural studies, and the natural and physical sciences centering on race, gender, culture, and justice pertaining to science in society. 

Why do people do what they do—as individuals, groups, and societies? Are the answers in genetics, socioeconomic status, gender, culture, or elsewhere? Explores the intersection of human culture and behavior through multiple social science disciplines. Topics include food/what we eat, law and crime, sexuality and sexual identity, gender and racial injustice.

We are surrounded by data. Even when we're unaware of it, data informs key systems we rely on: transportation, politics, computing, medicine, commerce. This course develops an understanding of the nature of data what it is, how it is gathered, what it purports to measure, and what it actually measures. Quantitative tools are developed alongside the limitations of such analysis.