Curriculum
Our Theme for 2024-2027: Listening
Listening comes in many forms. It can be done across humans of all abilities, plants, animals, and even machines. Listening serves many purposes, from fostering understanding and empathy, or internal and self-introspection, to organizing and asserting change, and sometimes to domination or control. The art, science, and practice(s) of listening are important reminders of our interconnectedness to one another, nature, history/future, and spirituality. Over the next three years, we will explore the dimensions of listening through a variety of avenues – from classroom discussions and events to community engagement and global connections. We invite all members of our Honors College community to embrace this theme and incorporate it into their courses, and to attend all Honors College events we hold throughout the year.
Our Curriculum
All students accepted into the Honors College at the University of San Francisco are enrolled in the Honors College Curriculum This is an interdisciplinary 24-unit curriculum designed to complement any undergraduate major at USF and be completed over the course of a student’s four years at the university.
The Honors College Curriculum includes the follow:
- A required 2-unit Honors College Gateway course that is taken in either the fall or spring semester of a student’s first year.
- One 4-unit course from each of the following categories: Liberal Arts Foundations, Global Perspectives, and Experiential Engagement.
- 8-units of Honors College Foundations courses, which include our signature 2-unit Forum classes, our Global JumpStart immersions, and specially designed 4-unit experiential courses.
- A 2-unit Honors College Senior Seminar course.
Additional information on the Honors College Curriculum and Transfer Certificate Program can be found in the USF Online Course Catalog.
Charting a New Course for the Honors College
We try to show our students that they’re not just here to check boxes for your major or your core requirement [...] We show they can and do go together. They can be integrated so students have a holistic approach to real-world subjects, problems, and issues.”
Global Jumpstart Program
One of the signature programs available to students who have completed their first year in the Honors College is our Global JumpStart immersion programs. These two-week, faculty-led programs provide students with the opportunity to explore connections between their experiences on campus and in San Francisco, and care for our common global home. More than a traditional-style study abroad, these program offer students the opportunity to listen, learn, and engage with communities around the world.
In 2024, the Global JumpStart options included programs in Costa Rica and Denmark in the summer. Competitive scholarships may be available to partially fund these programs. More information for the 2025 programs will be provided in fall 2024.