Current Students

Summer 2024 Tampa Courses

The Judy Genshaft Honors College offers courses on all three USF 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.

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. 

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 non­-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.

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. 
 

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.