Set in the awesome natural beauty of western Montana, the Davidson Honors College is a vibrant, inclusive intellectual community providing transformative educational opportunities and dedicated to strengthening our positive impacts on the world.
The Davidson Honors College is the vibrant hub and home to students from any major eager to make the most of their undergraduate experiences and strengthen their positive impacts on the world.
Take a closer look at the DHC by exploring our website.
There are many options for faculty interested in teaching an honors course, including:
- A standalone honors course (e.g., HONR 291)
- An honors increment (usually one credit) to an existing departmental course (e.g., SOC 100 + HONR 199)
- Honors section of an existing course (e.g., COMX 111.80)
- Honors Interdisciplinary Colloquium (e.g., HONR 394)—Examples of interdisciplinary colloquia are: Water, Sound, and Democracy; others have included Love, The Montana Course, Biomimicry, Ecomusicology, Literature and Medicine, Identity, Awe and Curiosity, and more.
- A section of Ways of Knowing (e.g., HONR 121) —Please email timothy.nichols@umontana.edu to express your interest in teaching Ways of Knowing
A note on funding:
Honors courses are funded through a wide range of approaches. Some are built into the Honors instructional budget; some are supported through departments as part of faculty members’ regular workloads; sometimes faculty teach honors courses as supplemental assignments; sometimes, adjunct professors teach honors courses; and in some cases, private or grant funding is secured to support honors offerings. Details for support for honors courses will be finalized between faculty, their departments, colleges, and the DHC.
Proposals will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Construct Your Own Honors Course Approval Form
Because the Davidson Honors College is committed to student engagement in learning, we offer the opportunity for students to collaborate with faculty in developing their own Honors courses. Any DHC student in good academic standing may make a regularly scheduled 3- or 4-credit course into an Honors course by approaching the faculty member teaching that course and asking them to grant one credit of independent study (HONR 192, 392, or 492) as a space to complete additional coursework. The faculty member must be willing to evaluate and grade the student’s independent study work, and the student must complete additional assignments (such as additional reading, writing, fieldwork, research, or community service) to earn the additional credit. Students are limited to a maximum of two “construct-your-own” Honors courses that count toward the eight Honors experiences required by the DHC for graduation as a University Scholar.
The independent study work can be used to develop ideas for a capstone Honors project or simply to enhance an existing course. Your faculty mentor will provide the discipline-specific criteria necessary for your work. Generally, it is a good idea to devise independent study coursework that will complement or supplement the material covered in a regular course. For example, a standard textbook can be supplemented with current research articles; a laboratory course can be complemented with readings on the history of the discipline; a research methods course can be supplemented by devising an actual research project.
Guidelines:
· The Construct Your Own Honors Course Approval Form should be completed by you with support and approval from the faculty mentor and will include a description of the proposed independent study project. The completed form should be submitted no later than the end of the third week of the semester (different deadlines for summer sessions).
· The online form will ask for your information, your faculty member's information, and a 200-300-word description of the work you propose to add to the existing course to make it into an Honors course. Be sure that the description includes learning objectives, specific assignments, and the requirements for completion. If you have a project title, please include it. The description should include any scheduled meetings and due dates for materials as discussed between mentor and student.
· If the proposed faculty mentor for a Construct Your Own Honors Course is not a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at The University of Montana, then a department chair’s approval is required . The department chair’s approval certifies that the faculty member is appropriately qualified to supervise the proposed Honors independent study project. The DHC will request approval when nescessary, however it is your responsibility to speak to both the faculty mentor and department chair prior to submitting the form.
· When completing the form, select the appropriate HONR level to complement your existing course. For example, if your non-honors course is a 100 or 200 level, select the HONR 192 option, if the course is a 300 then the 392, and if a 400 level select the 492.
· Once the Construct Your Own Honors Course Approval Form has been submitted a DHC staff member will email you with registration information.
· The Honors independent study course must be taken for a traditional letter grade. The regular course grade will NOT be affected by the successful or unsuccessful completion of the independent study project.
· At the end of the semester the DHC will contact the faculty mentor to request the grade. The letter grade will them be recorded through CyberBear. If the independent study coursework has not been completed by the end of the semester, the faculty mentor should still submit an appropriate letter grade (either “I” incomplete or “N” in progress), to be followed by a final grade when the work is complete.
Davidson Honors College Learning Objectives:
- Think critically. Identify, evaluate, and integrate available information and arguments; develop logical and reasonable positions across a wide range of issues.
- Communicate. Express ideas and arguments through oral and written strategies; develop strong listening skills.
- Collaborate. Contribute to, and lead if necessary, a diverse team in pursuit of a shared goal.
- Solve problems. Employ rigorous quantitative and/or qualitative analysis to identify informed solutions to complex challenges.
- Design and execute an original project. From initiation to manifestation and public presentation.
- Act ethically. Make decisions based on the University of Montana’s four guiding principles: innovation and creativity, openness, partnership, and impact.
- Engage as a citizen. Strengthen commitment to meaningful service and community.
Please help us select our newest class of Distinguished DHC Alumni.
Past recipients are viewable at this link.
The DHC asks students to complete a graduation application in addition to the required UM Graduation Application. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the DHC team: dhc@umontana.edu.
Deadline: Monday, October 6, 2025
Students in the Davidson Honors College are required to engage in at least one experiential learning opportunity during their undergraduate education at the University of Montana. Honors students can complete their experiential learning requirement in a number of ways, including:
- Internships
- Study Abroad
- Faculty Supervised Research
- Field Experiences
- National Student Exchange
- Student Teaching
- Learning Assistantships
In order to satisfy this honors requirement, these outside-of-classroom experiences must carry at least two (2) academic credits and students need to submit the appropriate proposal and reflection materials. Students will register for either honors credits or credits in their major for their experiential learning requirement. This form prompts students to provide the relevant and appropriate materials and information for their given experience.
Forms must be completed prior to the experience and corresponding term.
We expect reflections from students who complete internships, study abroad, field programs, and National Student Exchange. Reflections can be completed using this form.
For more detailed information on opportunities to satisfy the experiential learning requirement, please visit this section of the DHC website.
Honors Capstone Approval Form
To qualify for graduation from the Davidson Honors college with the “University Scholar” distinction, DHC students must fulfill a set of academic requirements, one of which is the Honors Capstone Project. Students should begin thinking about and planning for their project during their junior year. Projects can be connected with Capstone requirements in the student’s major(s), minor(s), certificate program, or can be completed independent of other requirements. Plan to discuss possibilities with a faculty member or members in the area you are interested in, as well as with the Director of Student Engagement in the DHC. These projects may take a wide variety of forms and culminate in a thesis, a performance or exhibit, an independent scientific experiment, etc., depending on the student’s major(s), minor, or area of interest.
Projects are intended to provide DHC students with a substantial capstone experience that encourages them to work in collaboration with a mentor over an extended period of time. These projects should challenge students to draw on knowledge and life experiences that they have attained throughout the course of their education, and apply them to an in-depth investigation of the chosen topic.
Regardless of the discipline(s), topic(s), or nature of the project, all Honors Capstone Projects must include the following elements:
1- Each project must involve significant original research or creative scholarship. This means that you should come up with an original idea, create a plan for your idea that includes background, why you are interested, and how you plan to see the idea through to completion.
2- Each student must have a mentor with expertise in the project area, who will help guide you through the process and be responsible for evaluation and assessment of the project. You should choose a mentor who you feel would add to the quality of your experience. The mentor can be a faculty member or community member (with approval) who can help support you throughout the process.
3- Each project must have a final artifact most appropriate for the project’s academic alignment. For example, a project in computer science might result in a computer program; A creative writing project could generate a novel; Work in the field on tree swallows could result in a scientific paper in a format associated with a biology journal; A community health project might produce information for a local website; Someone in music might compose a symphony. These artifacts will be evaluated by the mentor based upon their content area knowledge.
4- Each project must conclude with a public presentation highlighting the results of the project. Several venues are available for these presentations: symposia or conferences on campus or off, as well as forums organized for this purpose by the DHC including, community events, showcases, etc. Talk with your mentor and the Director of Student Engagement about your ideas and options.
5- All students who complete the Honors Capstone Project are required to submit an electronic copy of their project artifact to the Mansfield Library through ScholarWorks. You can upload many different file types to ScholarWorks to ensure that your project is appropriately represented.
Getting Started
Ideally, you will begin thinking about your capstone during the junior year. Many major and minor areas offer research methods courses that will help you prepare for research. The DHC also offers a Research Portfolio course that is useful for organizing your thoughts and ideas and prepare to collect and analyze data for your project. Projects can vary in the time they take to complete and are dependent on many variables, some last a semester, some up to two-three semesters. Some projects where human subjects or biosafety hazards are included will need to be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), this process can take some time so be sure to budget that into your project planning.
If you plan to collect data during the summer, you will want to finalize your senior project paperwork before May 1. This will mean identifying your mentor, deciding upon your project, meeting with your DHC advisor to submit the completed project paperwork, and securing IRB approval if needed before heading off to collect data.
If you plan to complete your project through a course you are taking, you will most likely need to work out the project details in the first few weeks of class. In which case, please submit the completed project paperwork by the end of the third week of class. If you know your professor/mentor you may be able to complete the paperwork in the semester before you take the class, this will expedite the process. Remember, IRB approval can take up to six weeks.
There is also an option to use an Honors course to connect research credit to your project if there is no corresponding class in your area of interest. You can register for HONR 499 for variable credit. Your mentor will be the instructor of record for the course and email the DHC with your final grade for this section. When we receive the grade we will submit it through Cyberbear
You may also be working with a team either through your GLI capstone or for your major. In which case, you might not know the topic of your project until a few weeks into the term. When working with a team, it is important to ensure that you have an integral part in the process. This will be transmitted through your individual reflection, as well as your participation in the public presentation.
Proposal Guidelines
Please submit a 1-2-page description of your project. Consider the following areas of detail when preparing to submit your Honors Capstone Project paperwork to the DHC:
1- What is the topic?
2- Why are you interested?
3- What are the outcomes of your project? (This can also be tied to the outcomes of a specific course such as the GLI Capstone, HHP Capstone, and others. Your faculty mentor will be able to help you articulate the project outcomes)
4- How do you plan to complete the project? (This might refer to how you plan to collect data, or construct your creative project)
5- Why is this important to your area of study? (“So What?” analysis)
6- What is your plan for working with your mentor and time management?
7- What will your artifact consist of to be submitted to ScholarWorks?
8- Where will you present your work?
Working as part of a team
Teamwork includes important skills that are valued in academic and professional areas, and the DHC wants to support this work through our students’ capstone projects. If your area of study uses a team component for the capstone we can support you in your Honors Project in the following ways:
1- Specified Course
2- Mentor
3- DHC Senior Capstone Form with proposal
4- Final reflection – Your reflection should include information about how the teamwork skills were included in the capstone project and how they connected with your other courses and experiences in the DHC and at UM (please see the reflection guidelines and rubric)
5- Must be an integral part of the presentation
6- Submit an artifact to ScholarWorks
Registering for credit
The work that goes into an Honors Capstone Project is substantial, having a credit bearing course to represent that work on your transcript is important. If you have a Capstone course that you are using in your major you can enter it on the Honors Capstone Project form. If you need a course to connect your project with you can use HONR 499 variable research course, the important thing to connect the project to a course. ***It is important to register for HONR 499 before the end of the third week of the semester***
Each student will submit a 2-3 page reflection to the DHC elaborating on your experience as an honors student and how your experiential learning, capstone research, and other honors courses/experiences have contributed to meaning-making during your time at the Davidson Honors College. The reflection is due at the end of your final semester.
This reflection should include a thoughtful examination of how you have met the DHC's learning objectives through your time in the honors college.
Davidson Honors College Learning Objectives:
- Think critically. Identify, evaluate, and integrate available information and arguments; develop logical and reasonable positions across a wide range of issues.
- Communicate. Express ideas and arguments through oral and written strategies; develop strong listening skills.
- Collaborate. Contribute to, and lead if necessary, a diverse team in pursuit of a shared goal.
- Solve problems. Employ rigorous quantitative and/or qualitative analysis to identify informed solutions to complex challenges.
- Design and execute an original project. From initiation to manifestation and public presentation.
- Act ethically. Make decisions based on the University of Montana’s four guiding principles: innovation and creativity, openness, partnership, and impact.
- Engage as a citizen. Strengthen commitment to meaningful service and community.
The Honors Pathways Project is an initiative designed to provide a resource for students, advisors, and faculty that illuminates an honors pathway through academic degree programs at the University of Montana. Collaboration to identify intersections between honors requirements and programmatic degree requirements early on in student's academic planning will assist with persistence and retention in honors.
For Internships:
Each student will submit a 2-3 page reflection to the DHC elaborating on your internship experience and its connection to your other honors courses/experiences. The reflection is due before the end of the semester in which you complete your internship.
Your reflection should include a thoughtful examination of how you have met your learning objectives through your honors internship and how this connects to your future goals and objectives.
For Study Abroad:
Each student will submit a 2-3 page reflection to the DHC elaborating on your study abroad experience and its connection to your other honors courses/experiences and your future goals. The reflection is due before the end of the semester in which you complete your study abroad.
Your reflection should include a thoughtful examination of what you have learned about yourself, the country in which you were studying, how this contributes to your academic journey, and how you will apply what you've learned in the future.
For Independent Study/Research:
Each student will submit a 2-3 page reflection to the DHC elaborating on your experience and its connection to your other honors courses/experiences and your future goals. The reflection is due before the end of the semester in which you are enrolled in credits.
Your reflection should include a thoughtful examination of what you have learned about yourself through this experience, how this contributes to your academic journey, and how you will apply what you've learned in the future.
Independent Study Course Approval Form
Because the Davidson Honors College is committed to student engagement in learning, we offer the opportunity for students to collaborate with faculty in developing their own Independent Study Honors courses. Any DHC student in good academic standing can work with a faculty member to design an independent study (HONR 192, 392, or 492) experience. The faculty member must be willing to evaluate and grade the student’s independent study work. Students can use two independent study opportunities to count toward the eight Honors experiences required by the DHC for graduation as a University Scholar.
The independent study work can be used to develop ideas for a capstone Honors project or simply to enhance the student's areas of interest. Your faculty mentor will provide the discipline-specific criteria necessary for your work.
Guidelines:
· The Independent Study Honors Course Approval Form should be completed by you with support and approval from the faculty mentor and will include a description of the proposed independent study project. The completed form should be submitted no later than the end of the third week of the semester (different deadlines for summer sessions).
· The online form will ask for your information, your faculty member's information, and a 200-400-word description of the work you propose to add to the existing course to make it into an Honors course. Be sure that the description includes learning objectives, specific assignments, and the requirements for completion. If you have a project title, please include it. The description should include any scheduled meetings and due dates for materials as discussed between mentor and student.
· If the proposed faculty mentor for an Independent Study Honors Course is not a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at The University of Montana, then a department chair’s approval is required . The department chair’s approval certifies that the faculty member is appropriately qualified to supervise the proposed Honors independent study project. The DHC will request approval when nescessary, however it is your responsibility to speak to both the faculty mentor and department chair prior to submitting the form.
· When completing the form, select the appropriate HONR level to complement your existing course. For example, if you are a lower-classperson then select the 198 course, if you are are an upper-classperson then the 398 or 498. The depth and scope of the course will also dictate the level selected.
· Once the Independent Study Honors Course Approval Form has been submitted a DHC staff member will email you with registration information.
· The Honors independent study course must be taken for a traditional letter grade.
· At the end of the semester the DHC will contact the faculty mentor to request the grade. The letter grade will then be recorded through CyberBear. If the independent study coursework has not been completed by the end of the semester, the faculty mentor should still submit an appropriate letter grade (either “I” incomplete or “N” in progress), to be followed by a final grade when the work is complete.
Davidson Honors College Learning Objectives:
- Think critically. Identify, evaluate, and integrate available information and arguments; develop logical and reasonable positions across a wide range of issues.
- Communicate. Express ideas and arguments through oral and written strategies; develop strong listening skills.
- Collaborate. Contribute to, and lead if necessary, a diverse team in pursuit of a shared goal.
- Solve problems. Employ rigorous quantitative and/or qualitative analysis to identify informed solutions to complex challenges.
- Design and execute an original project. From initiation to manifestation and public presentation.
- Act ethically. Make decisions based on the University of Montana’s four guiding principles: innovation and creativity, openness, partnership, and impact.
- Engage as a citizen. Strengthen commitment to meaningful service and community.
Once you are a part of the DHC, you always a part of the DHC. We'd love to hear where you are now and where life has taken you after the DHC.
Through the Alumni Mentor Network, alumni and DHC students will have the opportunity to engage with each other by speaking to classes, serving on panels, reviewing scholarships, one-on-one mentoring, as well as attending DHC-sponsored events. We hope to grow this network and show our students the amazing things that DHC and UM alumni are doing across the world.
Please fill out this application if you are interested in applying your expertise to instructing Ways of Knowing, the foundational honors course at the University of Montana. Compensation is available to instructors for this course.
Course description
Using diverse readings and other sources from multiple cultures representing more than 2,500 years of human experience, we will explore alternative ways of knowing: experientially, spiritually, mythologically, rationally, and scientifically. We will become acquainted with some of the deepest reflections of the divine, the natural world, the self, and society. We will consider not only how we as a human race have come to know what we know, but also the ethical implications of this knowledge and the relevance to our world today. Our critical engagement with the readings, plenaries, experiences and discussions will both deepen our cultural literacy and give us a broad appreciation for the various ways humans understand the world.
This course will succeed for all if we approach it as a discussion-based course, where we all bring to class questions and ideas concerning the readings. Your active engagement during the class sessions will be the focus of both your learning and the learning of the other students. This approach requires that you complete the assigned readings ahead of the scheduled time of discussion so that you come to class having reflected on the reading.
We will quickly see that there are few “right” or “wrong” answers to the questions we raise. The readings are selected for their ability to generate questions and to foster various points of view. Our attempts to reflect upon them will be imperfect and usually come with ambiguity. Consequently, a fundamental premise of this course is that we will respect one another’s views, especially when different than our own.
Learning Outcomes
1. Engagement with human ways of knowing: Students will understand a variety of ways of addressing the central question of the course through an exploration of major works that have shaped human thought through recorded history. The selections represent seminal thinking that derives from mythological, philosophical, scientific, and literary approaches.
2. Analytical thought and self-understanding: Students will develop the ability to analyze the thinking of intellectually influential people and groups, at the same time challenging themselves to a deeper understanding of their own views of the present and historical world. They will develop a stronger sense of who they are as individuals and their respective roles in society.
3. Analytical discourse: Students will develop strong analytical communications skills, demonstrating understanding of selected works through effective writing and discussion. One of the most important skills we will cultivate is the ability to formulate and ask probing questions.
Please sign up here if you are a new DHC student interested in attending our raft trip on Sunday, September 7, 2025. Your completion of this form and payment of $25 is due at the DHC front desk by September 1, 2025 to secure your spot in a raft. We will take the first 45 rafters with completed forms and paid deposits.
We will leave from Outdoor Programs (near campus rec) around 8 am and will return by 2 pm.
The DHC asks students to complete a graduation application in addition to the graduation application you are required to submit to the University. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the DHC team: dhc@umontana.edu.
Deadline: Friday, November 21, 2025