The Honors College

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The Honors College

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Two core Honors seminars

Pick 2 courses · 5 courses to choose from

100s

None

200s

300s

400s

1.Introduction to the Honors College

HON 101Introduction to Honors College and Stony Brook1 cr

Catalog text

Students take HON 101, 105, 106, 200 in the first year. Receive an “S” (Satisfactory) grade in HON 101

2.First-year Honors courses

HON 105Exploration of Human Knowledge3 cr
HON 106Exploration of Human Experience3 cr
HON 200Multiple Disciplinary Approaches1 cr

Catalog text

Honors College students who enter as first-year students must take HON 101, HON 105, HON 106, HON 200 ... Students take HON 101, 105, 106, 200 in the first year. (Those entering as sophomores, for example, must take HON 105 and 106 or substitute equivalent courses.)

3.Second- and third-year Honors courses

HON 205Ideas Lab I1 cr
HON 305Ideas Lab II1 cr

Catalog text

HON 205 and 305, as well as two core Honors seminars, should be completed in years two and three.

4.Two core Honors seminars

Choose 2 courses

HON 201The Arts and Society3 cr
HON 301Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Society3 cr
HON 401Global Issues3 cr
HON 300Honors Special Topics3 cr
HON 310Honors Experiences1–3 cr

At most 1 course from HON 300, HON 310.

Catalog text

two core Honors seminars (HON 201, HON 301, or HON 401) ... Students may substitute one of their two required Honors core seminars (201, 301, or 401) with one of the following: HON 300 (Special Topics); HON 310 (Honors Experiences); or a pre-approved departmental course plus Honors Course Contract. Students must obtain Honors College approval in advance of taking the substitution course.

5.Senior Project or Thesis

One of

All of
- HON 495Honors College Senior Project/Thesis I3 cr
- HON 496Honors College Senior Project/Thesis II3 cr
or
All of
- HON 490Social Analysis Capstone3 cr
- HON 491Social Impact Capstone3 cr

Catalog text

Students must complete a Senior Project or Thesis. Those enrolled in HON 495 and 496 will follow the project guidelines ... select students can complete their Senior Project through a two-semester, course-based Social Analysis and Impact Capstone ... Fourth Year HON 490/491 or HON 495/496

Program rules

Minimum grade
C or higher in requirements 2, 3, 4, 5.

Notes

SBC: The catalog says the Honors College curriculum covers HUM, SBS, CER, ARTS, STAS, GLO, ESI, SPK, WRTD, and EXP+; the SBC checklist credits each one through the tags on the courses actually taken. Honors College students also complete WRT, QPS, LANG, SNW, TECH, and USA, and advanced studies in at least two of STEM+, SBS+, and HFA+. Those upper-tier courses must be passed with a C or higher and carry at least 3 credits; they may overlap with major requirements.
Grading: To stay in the Honors College and receive the transcript notation: an S in HON 101, a C or higher in all required Honors courses, and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. An HON course with a grade of C- or lower may be repeated toward Honors requirements.
Note: These are the requirements for students entering in Fall 2025 or later. Students who entered earlier follow the prior curriculum (HON 105, 106, 201, 301, 401, 495, 496, plus HON 101 and topics courses); see the catalog.
Admission: Admission is selective and mostly for entering first-year students; students enrolled in college for more than a year are not typically admitted.