Requirements
You can learn more about General Education Requirements of The Donna and Walt Young Honors College and Personalized Honors Plan of Study in the Undergraduate Catalog.
We understand that our students are individuals and may require modifications to these requirements to better suit their situation. Any YHC student can receive a personalized plan of study based on background, major and future goals. Please contact the main office to schedule an appointment with a Young Honors College Counselor should an alternate plan be needed.
The Office of the Registrar evaluates and awards credit or exemption for certain scores on Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) and the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). Visit the Office of the Registrar and Registrar Services for more information.
Students must complete a foreign language and culture requirement as determined in consultation with a Young Honors Counselor in the personalized Honors Plan of Study.
How many semesters of a language do I need?
You need four semesters, or two years, of a foreign language.
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You may test out of some classes based on Placement Exam results.
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All students must have at least one semester to satisfy the university general education requirement "Language & Culture." It could be the case you may only need one class to satisfy both the university requirement and the Honors College requirement based on your placement exam results.
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Can I take different language courses?
Yes, you have the option of taking two years of the same language or one year of one language and another year of a different language. If you are already proficient in a language, you may take a placement exam to satisfy some of this requirement.
How do I take a placement exam?
- Go to Student Resources - Placement Exams
- Students are the only one who gets the test results. Submit scores to [email protected] or submit to any HC Counselor.
What if I want to learn Sign Language?
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You could take one year of American Sign Language and one year of a modern language (or placement out of) COM 1500, 1501, 2500, 2501.
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American Sign Language may also be used to satisfy the language proficiency through COM 2501.
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American Sign Language now also meets the university general education category of Language & Culture.
Could I take my language course over the summer at a different school?
You can take transferable language courses at a community college or a four year institution to satisfy part or all of your HC language requirement. Meet with an HC Counselor prior to registering to ensure appropriate courses are being taken.
Does Study Abroad fulfill the requirement?
Studying abroad, for at least 6 weeks, satisfies one year of the foreign language requirement.
The study abroad trip should align with the language studied. For example a study abroad trip to Spain for 6 weeks would be appropriate for a student that has completed Spanish 1140 and 1150. A study abroad trip to an English-speaking country would not be applicable.
Apply for The Donna and Walt Young Study Abroad Scholarship
APPLICATION DEADLINES:
-October 15th for Winter semester travel
-March 15th for Summer semester travel
-April 15th for Fall semester travel
Honors Thesis vs OU Capstone Requirements
Thesis
Young Honors College students must produce an Honors Thesis prior to graduation. Most often, this activity is carried out in the student's major area of study (e.g. biology, business, communications, economics, engineering, English, music/theatre/dance). However, YHC students are given the freedom to create their own thesis projects as long as Faculty Mentor approval is obtained.
Capstone
All Oakland University Students are required to complete a capstone in their major prior to graduation regardless if you are a member of the Young Honors College.
Young Honors Students have the ability to utilize their major capstone toward their senior thesis, so time and effort are not duplicated.
Typical Thesis Timeline
First Year
Required course HC 1000: Making Discoveries is designed to get students thinking about their ambitions, developing critical thinking and creative engagement, and exploring topics in their field of study they're passionate about.
Second Year & Transfer Students
Participate in the YHC Imagination Lab Workshop where we assist students to further explore their interests and develop ideas for the senior thesis. The Imagination Lab workshop will also cover the counseling requirement for that academic year.
Third Year
Required course HC 3900: Introduction to the Thesis is designed to help students develop an official proposal for their project. Thesis grants may be applied for at this stage to help fund their project. This course can double as an OU elective credit. See special considerations for exceptions.
Graduation Year
Thesis turn in, thesis presentation and senior audit.
Awards
Students who make a significant contribution to a field of study, will have a chance to earn a Thesis with Distinction Award (certificate) or Thesis with Distinction in a Field of Study Award (certificate + YHC Thesis Sash worn at graduation). Please note that thesis must be submitted prior to the deadline in order to be considered for any award.
Special Considerations
- Engineering and Computer Science students may take their HC 3900 course the same semester as their Senior Project/Design (the semester before graduation is suggested).
- Nursing students are advised to meet with a YHC Counselor for the timing of taking HC 3900. There are several factors to consider and we will determine the best plan for you.
- Students whose major is housed within the College of Arts and Sciences are exempt from their exploratory requirements once they have completed HC 3900: Introduction to the Thesis. Please inform your CAS Advisor of your HC status when mapping out your graduation plan.
Current Students
Please see the HC Student Info Site for deadlines and details. Current HC 3900 students who have questions regarding the thesis or Faculty Mentor process, please contact Dr. Susan Lynne Beckwith, [email protected]
Transcript
Peace by with you, Jamal’s father. Welcome. How is your health? Sit down, sit down.
My name is Salwan Georges and I’m currently a photo intern at the Detroit Free Press. My thesis project focused on the struggles that the Iraqi refugees faces coming to a new country. Walking around the places like this and it just, it just brought memories back to me and I wanted to share that with other people that sometimes they see it from the outside but they don’t really see what’s inside.
When I first started I thought like each story is gonna be like the same but ya know like all the refugees they, they gonna you know tell me that they struggle all about like, some of them like ya know I was, I was surprised to find out like each person had a different story and different perspective on the situation in here and back home. Like some people said they’re very happy they’re here. Some people they said they’re happy but they wish to go back. Some people don’t wanna go back, you know i just saw all type of you know opinions and it’s not about just taking photos it’s about getting the stories and, and the best way for me is just to get to know the people you know so I can, I can get the best out of them.
I was looking for, of course, memories. I was looking for interesting stories. I was looking for characters, you know? That’s what I love. Each, each person I talk to is different. Each person has their own, own job they did back home and their own history and you know they share and tell you everything you need.
I’m very proud of my project and this project is very close to my heart because it shows the struggle of my people and I’m very happy with the, like it makes me proud to see how much, how much like you know achievement it, it, it brought to me personally and to my family as well.
Undergrad research is very important for students because going deep about the subject will help you understand it better so that’s why the research is very important because it could lead you to other things. You know, like I started, you know, doing my project then it lead my a job, you know? So doing, doing the research will open doors for you and especially with the Honors College and a connection and the fun they help you. It’s definitely, definitely worth it.
Transcript
So this is a close-up of a lens from a mouse eye and I’ve performed about one hundred and fifty or two hundred of these dissections over the course of my work here. Well my name is Nathan Spix, I’m a junior here at Oakland University. I’m majoring in biochemistry. I’ve been involved in undergraduate research here for about a year and three months.
My research is focusing right now on a disease called retinopathy of prematurity, which is a disease that affects prematurely born infants, especially those that are receiving oxygen treatment and that oxygen actually causes cells in the retina to degrade and can affect vision, can even cause blindness in some severe cases.
Well one of the big problems with this disease I’m studying is that a lot of the children who have it will end up being myopic or nearsighted and so this machine is measuring whether the mice that have this treatment are actually myopic or not. And it’s using this infrared camera on the left side and analyzing the reflection off the cornea to get that information from the mouse.
My work in the research lab has made me really comfortable with reading publications, research papers and that sort of thing and I think that just helps me be a lot more fluent in the scientific language and that helps me as I’m going through classes to understand what I’m learning quicker and to retain it better I think. I’ve been really happy with my research experience at Oakland. I feel like the emphasis that Oakland places on undergraduate research has been a big benefit to me and I’ve learned so many things from this lab. I’ve discovered a passion for research that I really didn’t know I had before I started working here.
Involvement Requirements
Honors College students must complete an average of ten hours of involvement per year (forty hours prior to graduation). Anything outside of course related work can be used towards involvement hours. Hours may be accumulated during the fall, winter and/or summer semesters.
Students are required to keep a spreadsheet of their "involvement" during their college experience. When applying to graduate, students will submit their spreadsheet to the Assistant Dean of The Honors College. Feel free to copy and paste this version into your own editable document.
Involvement Categories
- Honors College*
- Attending Honors College events and/or volunteering to help The Honors College in any capacity.
- Oakland University
- Attending Oakland University events, participation in a student organization or volunteering for any OU activity.
- Humanitarian**
- Any act of humanitarianism (service hours) may be counted toward involvement.
* Graduating seniors who have considerable amount of involvement hours (unpaid) assisting The Young Honors College during their undergraduate experience will be considered for the Contribution Award at time of graduation.
** Humanitarian service qualifies students to apply for and be recognized for one of our yearly Humanitarian Awards. Graduating Seniors with significant humanitarian service over their time at Young Honors College will be considered for the Cumulative Humanitarian Award presented at graduation.
Is it Fact or is it Fiction?
Facts:
- Students entering with AP, IB or Dual Enrollment credits may discuss applying those credits toward their YHC plan with a Young Honors College Adviser
- HC 1000 "Making Discoveries" course is required during the fall semester of your first year and, is approved to fulfill either the Arts or Western Civilization General Education requirement and also satisfies the requirement of the U.S. Diversity Integration area.
- Young Honors College graduates must take two HC classes (taken in place of two OU General Education courses).
- Class options provide smaller class sizes, unique topics, and new perspectives.
- The Involvement requirement is fulfilled through 10 hours of involvement outside of the classroom per year.
- Must attend at least one Young Honors College event per year (counts towards Involvement hours)
- The Young Honors College Language requirement may be fulfilled through a variety of options, including a personalized combination of coursework, fluency, placement scores, and/or Study Abroad
Common Misconceptions:
Does being in Young Honors College mean taking an extra semester or year at OU?
No! Students can graduate in their planned timeframe.
Are the courses at Young Honors College more difficult than other classes?
No! Young Honors College courses that replace Gen Ed requirements have smaller class sizes and more interesting content. You'll explore new perspectives with amazing faculty and an engaged peer group. Young Honors College courses are not more difficult, do not simply cover more material, and do not require more work.
Are Young Honors College classes extra classes?
No! Your two Young Honors College core classes satisfy OU's General Education requirements. Meet with a Young Honors College Counselor/Advisor to assist with your personalized Honors Plan of Study.
Is the YHC Involvement component too rigid and too much work?
No! Many activities count towards your 10 hours of Involvement per year. Volunteering at your church, attending Student Org. meetings, structured tutoring, going to OU events, going to Young Honors College events, and working for Young Honors College are just a few examples. The Young Honors College sends out weekly announcement with upcoming events and opportunities.
Does the foreign language requirement add an extra year to YHC students' time in college?
No! There are many ways to fulfill the foreign language requirement for Young Honors College students. Meet with a Young Honors College Counselor/Advisor to assist with your personalized Honors Plan of Study.
Donna and Walt Young Honors College
509 Meadow Brook Road
Rochester, MI 48309-4452
(location map)
(248) 370-4450
Fax: (248) 370-4479
[email protected]
