Curriculum

What is the Honors College curriculum?   

  • Inquiry-based learning
  • Evidence-based reasoning
  • Engaging multiple perspectives
  • Unique approach to general education (alternative to the Mason Core)
  • Small seminars 

 

Honors College Curriculum at a Glance

Honors Seminars: 

  • Foundations 
    Introduces practices for identifying and pursuing lines of inquiry and articulating the civic and scholarly significance of findings.  
    • HNRS 110 Principles of Research & Inquiry
    • HNRS 111 Honors College Colloquium 
    • Special Note: Only for Fall 2026, there will be one final opportunity for non-first-year students to apply to the Honors College. Non-first-year students selected for the Fall 2026 cohort will take the following course in Fall 2026:
      • HNRS 310 Research & Inquiry for Upper-Level Students (To be updated in the Catalog for Academic Year 26-27) 
  • Inquiry in the Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
    Focused lines of inquiry in the arts, humanities, and social sciences that stress critical reading, writing and thinking skills.

Students may be able to use current courses and AP/IB/DE credit to substitute for courses in the ”Inquiry” category.    

  • Civic Engagement 
    Explores roles and responsibilities in society and addresses issues of public or community concern.
    • HNRS 260 Society & Community Engagement   
  • Multi-Disciplinary Challenges 
    Addresses complex challenges through scholarly research or experiential learning.

Requirements Beyond HNRS Seminars:

  • Natural Sciences 
    Honors College students must complete their major’s Natural Science requirement.  
  • Quantitative Reasoning 
    The Honors College curriculum defaults to your major’s quantitative reasoning requirement.  

 
* Notes: Honors College students do not need to take Mason Core requirements if they complete Honors College requirements specified above. If you have taken Mason Core courses prior to joining the Honors College, some of the courses will be counted as general electives and others may substitute for certain HNRS seminars. Please check out these slides detailing how Mason Core courses will be counted for the Honors College. 

Honors College and Mason Korea Approved Honors College course substitutions 2025-2026: The categories and courses listed in this document have been approved by the Honors College Curriculum Committee exclusively for substitution by Mason Korea Honors College students. This list does not apply to students from the Fairfax campus who are temporarily studying at Mason Korea. Fairfax Honors College students who wish to request Mason Korea coursework for Honors College credit must contact hcadvise@gmu.edu for course approval and guidance.

 

Honors College Curriculum at Mason Korea 

During their time at Mason Korea, Honors College students will take the following courses: 

All First-Year Students:  

For Non-First-Year Students (only for Fall 26):  

  • HNRS 310 Research & Inquiry for Upper-Level Students (3 credits; offered only in Fall 26; To be updated in the Catalog for Academic Year 26-27) 

While Honors College students are typically waived from Mason Core requirements and complete Inquiry courses in their place, Mason Korea students have the flexibility to mix and match Mason Core and Inquiry courses to fulfill their degree requirements

After transitioning to the Fairfax campus, Mason Korea students in the Honors College will continue their participation in the program and complete the following courses: