Program Overview
The Great Books Honors program at Faulkner University is an interdisciplinary honors track that integrates with undergraduate degrees. It features a five-course sequence exploring classic works of literature, philosophy, religion, and political thought, fostering critical thinking, faith development, and intellectual growth. Students engage in rigorous reading, writing, and discussion, culminating in a senior thesis. The program prepares graduates for diverse careers and graduate study.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
Overview:
The Great Books Honors program at Faulkner University is an uncommon honors program that offers a specific "Honors track" that integrates with each of the University's undergraduate degree programs. The core of this track is a five-course sequence that features a number of the Great Books of Western culture and engages students in serious, reflective reading. In addition to the Great Books Honors core, each major has a version of two upper-division courses within that major that have been adapted to function within the Honors track requirements (Honors contracted courses). The student must also complete a senior thesis.
Objectives:
The objectives of the Great Books Honors program are to:
- Encourage students to develop high intellectual standards
- Engage in Christian, community-shaped thought
- Strengthen their critical-thinking skills
- Grow in their faith toward God
Program Description:
The Great Books Honors program is a co-enrollment program in which students from all colleges at Faulkner University may participate. The course of study is designed to help students develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of fruitful, reflective thinking and reading. Students are encouraged to develop analytical abilities so that they may kindly critique their culture and bring the love of God to bear upon it.
Outline:
Content:
The Great Books Honors program covers a wide range of topics, including:
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Religion
- Political thought
Structure:
The Great Books Honors program is a five-course sequence, with each course building on the previous one. The courses are typically taken in the following order:
- GB 1300 Introduction to Great Books
- GB 1301 Great Books I
- GB 1302 Great Books II
- GB 2301 Great Books III
- GB 2302 Great Books IV
- GB 3301 Great Books V
- GB 3302 Senior Thesis
Course Schedule:
The Great Books Honors program is offered on a semester basis. The courses are typically offered in the following sequence:
- Fall semester: GB 1300 Introduction to Great Books, GB 1301 Great Books I, GB 2301 Great Books III
- Spring semester: GB 1302 Great Books II, GB 2302 Great Books IV, GB 3301 Great Books V
- Summer semester: GB 3302 Senior Thesis
Individual Modules:
GB 1300 Introduction to Great Books:
This course explores works of literature, philosophy, religion, and political thought from the ancient world to the modern. Extensive reading, writing, and verbal participation are required.
GB 1301 Great Books I:
This course explores works of literature, philosophy, religion, and political thought of the ancient world. Authors include, but are not limited to, Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Virgil, and Augustine. The course requires intensive work in reading, writing, and civil discourse.
GB 1302 Great Books II:
This course explores works of literature, philosophy, religion, and political thought of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Authors include, but are not limited to, Aquinas, Dante, Machiavelli, More, Luther, Calvin, and Shakespeare. The course requires intensive work in reading, writing, and civil discourse.
GB 2301 Great Books III:
This course explores works of literature, philosophy, religion, and political thought of the Enlightenment and Romantic era. Authors include, but are not limited to, Descartes, Milton, Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant, Wordsworth, and Austen. The course requires intensive work in reading, writing, and civil discourse.
GB 2302 Great Books IV:
This course explores works of literature, philosophy, religion, and political thought of the modern world. Authors include, but are not limited to, Kierkegaard, Marx, Dostoevsky, Sartre, Camus, Brecht, Auden, Eliot, Nietzsche, and Solzhenitsyn. The course requires intensive work in reading, writing, and civil discourse.
GB 3301 Great Books V:
This course explores works of Christian formation through the centuries. Authors include, but are not limited to, Ireneaus, Polycarp, Athanasius, Ignatius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil the Great, Ambrose, Gregory the Great, St. Benedict, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, The Cloud of Unknowing, Ignatius of Loyola, and Thomas a Kempis. The course requires intensive work in reading, writing, and civil discourse.
GB 3302 Senior Thesis:
This course is only for those who are in good standing in the Great Books Honors Program and shall culminate in the student's thesis or final project.
Assessment:
Students in the Great Books Honors program are assessed on their ability to:
- Read and understand complex texts
- Think critically and creatively
- Write clearly and persuasively
- Communicate effectively orally Students are assessed through a variety of methods, including:
- Exams
- Papers
- Presentations
- Participation in class discussions
Teaching:
The Great Books Honors program is taught by a team of experienced faculty members who are passionate about teaching. The faculty use a variety of teaching methods, including:
- Lectures
- Discussions
- Socratic questioning
- Group projects The faculty are committed to providing students with a supportive and challenging learning environment.
Careers:
Graduates of the Great Books Honors program are well-prepared for a variety of careers, including:
- Teaching
- Law
- Medicine
- Business
- Government
- Non-profit organizations Graduates of the program are also well-prepared for graduate study.
