Current Students
Summer 2024 Tampa Courses
The Judy Genshaft Honors College offers courses on all three аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢campuses, as well as off-site locations. Honors courses are open to students from any home campus, but may require a permit. Unless noted specifically in the course description, Honors courses require in-person attendance.
Click here for information on how to register through Student Self-Service (formerly Student OASIS). For information and advice on courses, meet with your Honors advisor.
Maymester
Fossil Hunters
IDH 3350-501
Instructor: Lydia Wassink
MW | 9 AM - 12 PM
Format: Hybrid
Become a Fossil Hunter in this fast-paced, exciting Maymester Honors course. During the first week of online instruction, you’ll learn about deep time, how fossils form, and biological evolution. During the second week, you’ll hit the road for a field trip to Cincinnati to go hunting for fossils. You’ll keep what you collect, and return home to organize, research, label, and present your findings!
NOTE: This course requires an additional $500 in travel costs, which includes your hotel stay and meals while traveling. Contact Dr. Wassink for a permit.
Summer A
May 13 - June 21
Exploring Leadership Through Literature and Film
IDH 3100-001
Instructor: Deepak Singh
MWF | 9:30 - 11:50
Format: Online
This course explores leadership through literature and film, leveraging creative expressions
to unveil the complexities, nuances, and ethical dilemmas inherent in leadership roles.
Through a variety of literary forms and cinematic narratives, students engage with
characters navigating power dynamics, morality, and responsibility. Works such as
Conrad’s Secret Sharer, Achebe's Things Fall Apart, and films like The Aviator, Gandhi,
and Bicycle Thieves, offer insight into leadership challenges amidst adversity and
societal change. Through careful analysis and reflection, students will explore the
motivations and choices of characters, relating them to real-life leadership situations.
The films and stories will be made available to students. Over the semester, you'll
learn about how to draft and revise a piece of written work by: closely reading, critiquing,
reflecting, and workshopping your own creative writing on the way to a polished final
project.
Environmental Ethics: Who is responsible? To Whom? and Why?
IDH 3600-001
Instructor: David Garrison
TR | 1:15 PM -4:45 PM
Sustainable Futures
How should human beings relate to the natural world? Do we have moral obligations
toward nonÂ-human animals and other parts of nature? And what do we owe to other human
beings, including future generations, with respect to the environment? This course
will examine such questions in light of some current and classical ethical theories:
considering what those theories suggest regarding the extent and nature of our environmental
obligations. While we will pay some attention to these questions in a general philosophical
sense, in this course we will focus on specific topics of interest as chosen by the
students. We will emphasize interdisciplinary scholarship and how technology, politics,
cultural, and social concerns impact our understanding of the environment and of our
ability to negotiate appropriate relationships to and with our environment.
Civic Literacy & Current Events
IDH 4950-001
Instructor: Daniel Ruth
TR | 9:30 AM -1:00 PM
Engaged Citizenship
We live in interesting times and 2024 promises to be a potentially critical turning
point for the country and the rest of the world. This course will explore the weekly
news developments and how they relate to our understanding of civic life. Students
will be required to read several daily newspapers as well as tune into CNN, MSNBC,
Fox News and NPR among other news platforms to keep abreast of news events. Active
class participation is expected, including team presentations.
Summer B
June 24 - August 2
Canvas Conversations: Painting and Connecting
IDH 3100-002
Instructor: Carolina Miles
MWF | 2:30 – 4:50 PM
Engaged Citizenship
In this course, students learn the fundamentals of painting, color theory, composition,
materiality, and various painting styles and techniques. They collaboratively decide
on a theme for a public exhibition that incorporates community engagement. Students
brainstorm ideas that resonate with their surroundings and align them with the chosen
theme, they conduct research and explore how to connect and incorporate the theme
into their community. The course ends with a public exhibition where the students’
artwork is showcased. Students are encouraged to connect and invite members of their
community, local leaders, educators, and media outlets to attend. Students will have
the opportunity to share the stories behind their artwork and engage in conversations
with visitors about the issues addressed in their pieces. By integrating basic painting
techniques with community engagement, students not only develop their artistic skills
but also learn the value of art as a tool for social change and community connection.
No prior art experience required!
The Morality of U.S. Foreign Policy
IDH 3400-001
Instructor: Arman Mahmoudian
T/R | 1:15 – 4:45 PM
Engaged Citizenship
This course provides an in-depth examination of the moral considerations underpinning
U.S. foreign policy from the end of World War II to the present. It explores the United
States' commitment to promoting human rights and democracy globally, while also scrutinizing
moments when its actions appeared to deviate from these principles. Through a series
of case studies, including pivotal events like the Vietnam War, students will analyze
the complexities and contradictions in U.S. foreign policy decisions. The course begins
with an overview of the ideological foundations of U.S. foreign policy, emphasizing
the nation's self-image as a global leader in the fight for democracy and human rights.
Students will then delve into specific historical episodes where these ideals were
tested, examining the political, social, and economic factors that influenced the
U.S. approach.
Key topics include the Cold War and its impact on U.S. foreign policy, interventionism
in Latin America and the Middle East, the War on Terror, and the evolving challenges
in the 21st century, such as cyber warfare and global climate change. The course also
addresses the role of international institutions and the influence of domestic politics
on foreign policy decisions. Through a combination of lectures, readings, discussions,
and research projects, students will gain a nuanced understanding of the ethical dimensions
of U.S. foreign policy. They will learn to critically assess how the United States
has balanced its ethical aspirations with strategic interests and how these actions
have affected its reputation and relations on the world stage.
Sick Around the World: Geographical Perspectives
IDH 4200-001
Instructor: Donna Gambino
TR | 1:15 - 4:45 PM
Healthy Humanity
Sick Around the World: Geographical Perspectives on Global Health (S24) Description:
This course is designed as a comparative presentation of current issues across international
healthcare systems with a focus on South Africa, Italy, Japan, and France. Emphasis
is on discussing diverse areas of health and is appropriate for students of any major
interested in healthcare delivery, personal health, or health education. We will discuss
and debate healthcare delivery systems, medical malpractice, physical/mental health,
physician-assisted suicide, the opioid crisis, women’s reproductive health, medical
devices, and healthcare disparities in the United States and abroad. This is a ‘hands-on’
class and students will be actively engaged and working in teams to complete a project.
Although health and healthcare in other countries might seem far removed from our
daily concerns in the United States, many nations face issues of uneven access, constrained
resources, and a focus on improving the efficiency of services. Understanding how
different nations confront issues of universal coverage, access, equity, and quality
will enhance students’ ability to develop new ideas and approaches for addressing
these challenges in the United States. Students will be introduced to community partners
of USF's Area Health Education Center (AHEC) for project ideas.
Summer C
Honors Thesis
The Honors Thesis is a two-semester program where students will conduct an independent
study under the guidance of their own thesis chair selected by each student. The thesis
process mirrors a mentorship system common in graduate schools (e.g., dissertation
for a Ph.D. program). By closely working with your own chair, you will come up with
a research topic, develop research methods, and produce your own creative work such
as a research paper, artwork, a business proposal, etc. It is a great opportunity
to create your own unique research project, learn from faculty about the research
process, and gain research skills. We recommend that students who are interested in
the Honors Thesis prepare early.
Honors Thesis I
IDH 4970-001
Instructor: Lindy Davidson
Students should enroll in Thesis I when they are in the final 2-4 semesters of completing
their degree. Please go to Honors Thesis for more information and compare different Research Track options. No permit required. Only juniors and seniors may enroll in thesis.
Honors Thesis II
IDH 4970-002
Instructor: Lindy Davidson
Permit required. Only students who have completed Thesis I may enroll in Thesis II.