Honors Classes

Courses that Challenge You

Honors students have two options when it comes to planning their course schedules: stand-alone classes and contract courses. View the list of upcoming Honors stand-alone classes at MVC by semester or discover your options for participating in Honors contract courses, available each fall, winter, spring and summer term.

Standalone Courses Contract Courses

Honors Stand-alone Courses

Learn more about upcoming Honors courses and what's planned in future semesters. Stand-alone Honors courses are formatted for accelerated learners. Course rotations are subject to change. If enrollment numbers indicate that additional offerings are needed, more courses will be added and students notified.

ANT 1H Honors Physical Anthropology

Disease, Death, and Destruction in Medieval London, Ancient Egypt, and Today

  • Instructor: Professor Kanya Godde Chrisco, Ph.D.
  • Time: Online asynchronous
  • About this class: The introduction to biological anthropology class focuses on what makes us human and our evolutionary relationships with non-human primates and hominin ancestors. This course will integrate our new knowledge of the interaction between human biology and culture to examine what we can learn from past human skeletons and associated artifacts. We will investigate how past humans navigated major cataclysmic events (e.g., the Black Death, famine, volcanic eruptions that caused major climate change, etc.) and how that shaped who we are now. We balance the past with tales human skeletons tell us about identity and trauma in forensic investigations of today.

COM 9H Honors Interpersonal Communication

Fear is the Mind Killer: How Communication Competency Inspires Confidence

  • Instructor: Professor Jennifer Floerke
  • Time: Face to face, TTh 9:35 – 11 am
  • About this class: Interpersonal communication introduces students to theories and practical strategies to effectively communicate in a variety of dyadic environments. In this class, we will utilize original source materials to explore interpersonal communication topics including perception, self-concept, nonverbal communication, language, emotions, conflict management, and power dynamics with an emphasis on confronting fear.

PSY 35H Honors Abnormal Psychology

The Changing Mindscapes of Psychopathology: Understanding Mental Health Through Time

  • Instructor: Professor Sara Yerushalmian, Ph.D.
  • Time: Hybrid, with face-to-face meetings on Wednesdays, 12:45 - 2:10 pm
  • About this class: This course will dive into the intriguing world of abnormal psychology and explore how our understanding of mental health disorders has transformed over time. It will examine changes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, treatment approaches, and societal perceptions of disorders such as anxiety, mood, personality, and schizophrenia. Students will engage in lively discussions, explore case studies, write reflective essays, and analyze research to grasp the complexities of psychological disorders and how they might have evolved over time. 

ART/AHS 6H Honors Art Appreciation

Visualizing Change: Art, Climate, and Sustainability

  • Instructor: Professor Lauren "Ally" Johnson, Ph.D.
  • Format and Time: Face-to-face, Monday and Wednesday, 11:10 am - 12:35 pm
  • About this class: How can art help us see change in the environment and take action towards a more sustainable future? In this honors-level course, we’ll explore how art has been shaped by environmental issues throughout time, and how it is shaping our current climate activism today. Students will examine artworks that reflect humanity's relationship with nature in different cultural and historical contexts. We'll engage with contemporary artists making work on related themes today. Through critical discussions and creative projects, students will gain greater insight into the powerful intersection of art and environmental activism.

BIO 60H Honors 

Fear is the Mind Killer: How Communication Competency Inspires Confidence

  • Instructor: Professor Joanna Werner-Fraczek, PhD.
  • Format and Time: Hybrid, Thursday (Lecture) 11 am - 12:45 pm and (Lab) 2 - 5:10 pm
  • About this class: Would you like to know what is in your genes and how your lifestyle affects them? Join the Bio 60H course that offers the study of life on cellular and molecular levels, including genetic manipulations and a look at your DNA and the DNA of your favorite insect. Students conduct individual research in collaboration with UCR professors from the Genomics and Entomology departments, often resulting in a paid summer research internship. The course provides hybrid lectures, with all materials posted on Canvas and weekly face-to-face discussions. Labs are in person on the day of class discussions.

GEG 1H Honors Physical Geography

Climate Change and Society: How Climate and People Interact

  • Instructor: Professor James Hayes, Ph.D.
  • Time: Asynchronous Online (no class meetings)
  • About this class: Earth's climate has changed many times over geological time scales, and is currently experiencing rapid warming driven by human-caused changes to the atmosphere. In this class we will learn about the basic science that explains Earth’s climate and climate change, including the interacting effects of human activity, the atmosphere, land, surface water, and ecosystems. With knowledge of climate science as a supporting backdrop, students will explore aspects of how climate change is impacting human society, and how society is responding to the impacts of climate change.

MAT 12H Honors Statistics

Let the data speak! Using Statistics to Learn about our Community

  • Instructor: Professor Rosalia Cueto
  • Time: Face-to-face, Tuesday and Thursday, 8 - 10:05 am
  • About this class: Let's unlock the power of data together! We will use statistics to better understand our community. This course is designed to transform the way you think about the world around you. Expect an interactive learning environment where discussions, collaborative projects, and real-life examples enrich your understanding of statistics. We’ll explore descriptive statistics to summarize data, inferential statistics to draw conclusions, and simple linear regression to understand relationships between variables. Not only will we learn these techniques, but we will experience the statistical process through real applications to learn to make informed interpretations and predictions about our community.

HIS 7H Honors US History from 1865

  • Instructor: Professor Ann Pfeifle
  • Time: Face-to-face, Monday and Wednesday 9:35 - 11 am
  • About this class: Description coming soon.

Fall 2025

  • Anthropology 2H - Modality to be determined
  • Administration of Justice 1H - Face to Face
  • Sociology 10H - Face to Face

Spring 2026

  • Biology 1H - Face to Face
  • Administration of Justice 3H - Face to Face
  • Psychology 1H - Online synchronous

Honors Contract Courses

While the Honors program prides itself on its seminars with small class sizes and focus on primary texts, Honors recognizes that taking five standalone Honors courses doesn’t work for every student and their educational plan. Furthermore, due to staff and facility limitations, not every subject is offered in the Honors format. That's why Honors students can take Honors contract classes to work toward program completion.

An Honors contract is a way for motivated students to work with participating professors to earn Honors program completion credit in an otherwise non-Honors course by completing additional assignments (as stipulated by the contract).

Honors students may count up to two contract or online asynchronous standalone Honors courses towards the five Honors courses required for program completion. In other words, at least three of the courses must be face-to-face, hybrid, or online synchronous standalone Honors courses.

The Honors contract course will not receive an 'H' on student transcripts; however, it will be considered as part of a student’s Honors coursework and will be fully recognized by all of our transfer partners as contributing to Honors completion.

Eligible courses must be for-credit, letter-graded, and carry transferable units.

Generally, courses are ineligible for contracts when the course is available in the standalone Honors seminar format at MVC within the current or upcoming semester. Exceptions to this restriction are possible in extraordinary circumstances, such as a student’s imminent graduation.

Good candidates for Honors contract courses are entry-level or GE courses for which there is no Honors option (Astronomy 1A, Ethnic Studies 1, Accounting 1, and so on) as well as advanced or specialty courses within a discipline (English 20 – African American Literature, History 25 – History of Mexico, Psychology 2 – Biological Psych, Physics 4C – Heat, Light, and Waves). 

The following MVC faculty members have expressed an interest in offering contract coursework. Other faculty members may be interested as well - just ask them, and refer them to this page and program coordinator Professor James Bany if they have any questions!

The details of the contract are arranged between the student and the participating faculty member in advance, or during the first few weeks, of the class. Honors contract assignments and projects require students to explore topics that are more advanced than traditional classes.

Contracts may include, but are not limited to, assignments such as:

  • Research Paper
  • Quantitative/Qualitative Research Project
  • Conference-Style Presentation
  • Creative Writing or Fine Arts work
  • Research Journal
  • Short Film/Video
  • Computer Program
  • Podcast

Honors contracts must be approved by the Honors Advisory Council. The completed Contract Proposal/Cover Sheet form should be submitted to the program coordinator (james.bany@mvc.edu) by the term deadline. Case-by-case exceptions might be made for emergency approval after these deadlines.

  • 16-week contracts – end of the second week of September (fall) or the second week of March (spring)

  • 8-week contracts – end of the first week of the course (fall or spring)

  • Winter contracts – end of the first week of December

  • Summer contracts – end of first week of June

If you are a faculty member or student interested in pursuing an Honors contract, please consult the following documents:

Priority Registration

Honors students receive priority registration for upcoming terms. Honors students can register for any classes at MVC during the priority enrollment window, before regular registration begins.

  • Summer/Fall 2024: May 1-3
  • Winter/Spring 2025: October 30 - November 1

 

Past Honors Classes

Learn what past Honors classes were all about and the topics you may get to explore as an Honors student.

MUS 19H Honors Music Appreciation

The Anatomy of a Classical Music Masterpiece 

  • Instructor: Professor Alma Batista, DMA
  • About this class: What makes a work of music survive the test of time? In this class we will explore the different historical periods of Western music through the study of its composers, the historical periods in which they lived, and the roles of music in society.  We will listen to classical music masterpieces, study and research them, and investigate the factors that may have contributed to their longevity.  The periods of music that we will study are the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque era, the Classical and Romantic eras, the Twentieth-Century Modernism, and Postmodernism until today. 

POL 1H Honors General American Politics

Interrogating the Myths of American Politics

  • Instructor: Professor Tomas Ocampo
  • About this class: This course introduces students to the major areas of American Politics: the founding documents, political institutions, political behavior, important political actors, civil rights & liberties, and public policy. Further, this course aims to critically assess the predominant narratives of American Politics and examine how many of the political, economic, and social problems in the US stem from stark class inequalities and the oppression of many social groups including indigenous peoples and African Americans.

PSY 1H Honors General Psychology

When the Brain Attacks: How the Atypical Sheds Light on the Typical

  • Instructor: Professor Adam Felton, Ph.D.
  • About this class: The general psychology course introduces students to the diverse span of research topics in psychology: cognition, emotion, motivation, social influence, mental disorders, health behavior, etc. This semester we will discuss what clinical neuropsychology tells us about typical psychological functioning by focusing on neuroatypicality: from brain trauma to gifted performance. We're going to get all House, MD up in here!

Biology 60H: Honors Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology

  • Taught by Dr. Joanna Werner-Fraczek
  • This course offers the study of life on a microscale as observed by a microscope or experimental analysis including genetic manipulations and looking at your DNA. The course offers hybrid lectures with all materials posted on Canvas and one per week face-to-face discussion. All labs are face-to-face. Students conduct individual research in collaboration with UCR that may provide paid summer research opportunities.

AHS-6H: Honors Art Appreciation

  • Taught by Dr. Lauren "Ally" Johnson
  • This class is an introduction to key issues in art and visual culture. We’ll examine how images are constructed and how cultural meaning has been produced in and through images across time and place. Through topics covering the history of museums, the intersection of race and visual culture, and the rise of citizen journalism, we’ll explore the relationship between power and representation and think about images as a vital form of communication in society.

History 6H: Honors United States History to 1877

The Historian as Detective

  • Taught by Professor Ann Pfeifle
  • In History 6 Honors, we will examine what is involved in doing historical research and explore the role of the historian in revisiting and revising the historical narrative. Because the present is continually changing, the interpretation of the past changes. History is more than a collection of facts and data. Historians recognize that the shape and meaning of historical events look different from distinct vantage points and time periods. How can we incorporate more voices into the story of the United States prior to the Reconstruction era - beyond the story of dead, rich, white men?

Geography 1H: Honors Physical Geography

  • Taught by Professor James Hayes
  • Climate change is all around us, in our daily lives and in the news and politics. We are experiencing higher temperatures, longer heat waves, drought, and more wildfires. Physical geography provides the scientific basis for understanding why this is happening and provides information for what to do about it. GEG 1H introduces the fundamentals of physical geography – solar energy, atmospheric properties, the geologic cycle, and ecology – in a way that helps us explain why climate change is happening, what its impacts are, and what can be done about it.

Spanish 2H: Honors Spanish 2

  • Taught by Professor Fernando Nahon Valero
  • Spanish 2H is an introductory Spanish course full of opportunities to discover and explore the powerful connections between language and culture. Furthers development of basic skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. Emphasis on the acquisition of vocabulary, structures and at the beginning level. Includes discussion of Hispanic culture and daily life. Offers an enriched experience for accelerated students through limited class size, a seminar format, the reading of level-appropriate adapted Hispanic works and cultural studies, and the application of higher-level critical thinking skills.

MAT-1AH: Honors Calculus I

Calculus Through Discovery

  • Taught by Professor Nicolae Baciuna
  • The single variable Calculus I course introduces the notion of limits to define the derivative. Students will engage in discovery projects and learn how to use the tools of calculus to process, analyze, interpret, and communicate results. In this course both computational and conceptual skills are emphasized and necessary for mastery. The course covers applications in geometry, physics, and natural sciences.

COM-9H: Honors Interpersonal Communication

You are on Mute: How the Pandemic Changed the Way We Communicate Interpersonally

  • Taught by Professor Jennifer Floerke
  • This course is a study of how people communicate one-on-one. Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) has been a growing communication channel for decades but never has it been more important in relational maintenance and satisfaction than during the pandemic. In this class, we will utilize original source materials to explore the concepts and theories of dyadic communication — perception, self-concept, nonverbal communication, language, emotions, conflict management, etc.—with an emphasis on how a global crisis changed everything and how those changes may be here to stay.

SOC-10H: Honors Race and Ethnic Relations

Power, Privilege, and Racial Justice

  • Taught by Professor James Bany, Ph.D.
  • This course is a critical study of the construction of race as a social, political, and cultural mechanism, with a focus on historical and contemporary systems of power, privilege, and dominance. Emphasis will be on social justice and developing knowledge and tools to dismantle racism at the structural and individual level. Topics include critical race theory, intersectionality, racism, anti-racism, and social movements.

ENG-1BH: Honors Critical Thinking and Writing

Untold Stories: How Literature Challenges Dominant Narratives about Historical Oppression

  • Taught by Professor Jeff Rhyne, Ph.D.
  • In this class, we'll read poems, short stories, two plays, and at least one novel to explore how authors use fiction to reveal histories and stories that have long been suppressed or marginalized. We'll examine how different genres can be used to challenge dominant narratives about racial identity, about ideas of belonging in America, and about the nature of storytelling itself.
  • Humanities 10H: Honors World Religions
    • Instructor: Chris Rocco
    • Course Theme: Mystery and the Sacred: How the World's Religions Experience the Holy
    • Description: Ever wonder how to find Nirvana? Curious about the healing powers of the Tao? Did Jesus actually exist? Have you ever practiced hatha yoga? Do Muslims really pray five times a day, and why is the Hindu god, Krishna, blue? If you are interested in any of these questions and want to study the enduring religious traditions across the globe, then this small, seminar style class that delves into the original source materials is for you.
  • Psychology 1H: Honors General Psychology
    • Instructor: Adam Felton, Ph.D.
    • Course Theme: When the Brain Attacks: How the Atypical Sheds Light on the Typical
    • Description: The general psychology course introduces students to the diverse span of research topics in psychology: cognition, emotion, motivation, social influence, mental disorders, health behavior, etc. This semester we will discuss what clinical neuropsychology tells us about typical psychological functioning by focusing on neuroatypicality: from brain trauma to gifted performance. We're going to get all House, MD up in here!
  • Biology 60H: Honors Introduction to Molecular and Cell Biology
    • Instructor:Joanna Werner-Fraczek, Ph.D.
    • Course Theme: Do Genes Tell All the Story?
    • Description: You will get to know genes and how they play out in different environments. Lectures are enriched by reading review papers describing breakthrough research in modern biology. Labs include research-based projects in collaboration with UC Riverside studying plant and animal genomes/bioinformatics that provide opportunities for individual research.
  • Political Science 1H: Honors American Politics
  • Instructor: Fabian Biancardi
  • Course Theme: American Politics in the Age of Extreme Inequality
  • Description: This course is a critical study of the major political ideologies prevalent today, of the logic and legitimacy of the major socioeconomic and political institutions, and a comparison of the US to other wealthy, liberal democracies. Topics include American exceptionalism, the political impact of extreme inequality, race and racism in US politics, America's role in world politics and climate change.
  • Sociology 10H:
    • Instructor: James Bany
    • Course Theme: Power, Privilege, and Racial Justice
    • Description: This course is a critical study of the construction of race as a social, political, and cultural mechanism, with a focus on historical and contemporary systems of power, privilege, and dominance. An emphasis will be on social justice and developing knowledge and tools to dismantle racism at the structural and individual level. Topics include critical race theory, intersectionality, racism, anti-racism, and social movements.
  • Biology 1H:
    • Instructor: Felipe Galicia
    • Course Theme: Evolution and the Human Body
    • Description: This semester we'll research the evolutionary steps that gave rise to some of our important body parts. The brain and heart likely came to mind, they are certainly important. But we also depend on our hands, eyes, ears, nose and other organs in our daily lives. What came first, the nostril or the nose? Where did nostrils come from? Who had the first true nose? Are all noses the same? We will also discuss how contemporary evolutionary theory has addressed questions such as what good is a partially formed nose or a partially formed eye? The evolutionary paths of each of our body parts are interesting and worth exploring.
  • English 1BH:
    • Instructor: Jeff Rhyne
    • Course Theme: Untold Stories: How Literature Challenges Dominant Narratives about Historical Oppression
    • Description: In this class, we'll read poems, short stories, two plays, and at least one novel to explore how authors use fiction to reveal histories and stories that have long been suppressed or marginalized. We'll examine how different genres can be used to challenge dominant narratives about racial identity, about ideas of belonging in America, and about the nature of storytelling itself.
  • History 7H:
  • Instructor: Ann Pfeifle
  • Course Theme: The Historian and Social Justice: US History Through the Lens of Major Legal Cases
  • Description: In this course, we will examine the social, political and economic emphasis will be on examining the American legal system after the abolition of slavery and how various groups of people have been impacted by, and tried to change, the institutions of power in the United States.
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