Honors Program

The Honors Program at UM-Dearborn is designed for qualified, highly-motivated students who want an extra level of challenge and stimulus in their college experience.

The University of Michigan - Dearborn Honors Program offers students a suite of interdisciplinary seminars. First-year honors students take Honors Writing and Rhetoric I (COMP 110) and The Four Trials (HONS 300) in the Fall and Honors Writing and Rhetoric I (COMP 220) in the Winter. After that, you and your colleagues can choose when to complete the next courses in the Honors curriculum:  Ways of Knowing (HONS 311), Ways of Seeing (HONS 312) and your capstone seminar (HONS 400). HONS program logo

You think it’s a lot of extra classes? 

But our six core classes are worthy. 

These core courses are six worthy opportunities to read, write, and think in sophisticated ways. These core classes will build your capacity to solve difficult, 21st-century problems. 

To help students build this capacity, we offer a suite of interdisciplinary courses that challenge students to read and analyze difficult texts, to write with both clarity and nuance about these texts and their broader contexts, and to think through how the study of fields including history, philosophy, political science, and rhetoric speak to our personal lives, our professional aspirations, and our civic obligations. 

Advanced placement classes, exams, and dual-enrollment courses can be indicators of preparedness and ambition but don't exempt students from these core courses we ask our students to take. Our six core classes are worthy. These core classes build on previous academic work and are premiere opportunities to take reading, writing, and thinking skills to higher levels while learning with like-minded students.

Honors students develop a special set of relationships with each other and with the faculty. They get to know each other and build close friendships because they take many of the same courses together. The program regularly sponsors social hours and organizes group outings to concerts, plays, and museums. Students and faculty in the program get to share valuable experiences outside the classroom.

Learning from top-notch faculty about engaging topics - like writings of Socrates and restorative justice has helped me to analyze and think more critically.

Student Testimonials

" I am a Junior majoring in History. To me, the Honors program has not just challenged me academically, it has also challenged me with getting out of my personal bubble and with this granted me the opportunity to make lasting friendships and connections."  -Hope Pacheco

“I'm a freshman here in the Honors program, double majoring in Psychology and Integrative Studies. This is my first year in the Honors program, and I find it an astronomical program. It's truly fun and engaging. It is what helped me decide to come to UM-Dearborn; I was really grateful to find out about the small class sizes. After being in the program for a year, I can really see how it is a community, you make lifelong friends, and when you are around others you are ambitious to learn.  We are all from different majors, and it's nice to have all of those different perspectives. Overall, no matter your major, interests, etc., this program will open you to new opportunities like studying abroad, networking, and emerging yourself into different situations that you wouldn't experience in your major or general education classes.”  -Zion Porter

"I'm a second-year student studying Psychology. The Honors program the last two years has been absolutely amazing from the community we've built with each other to the topics we talk about in the classes."  -Juliana Bazzi

"I am a first-year student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and this is My first year in the Honors program. The Honors program has not only helped me evolve academically but personally as well; I met so many new people with similar interests! I highly recommend this program!”  -Zakaa Reda 

“The Honors program has helped me grow my intellectual knowledge as well as my analytical skills. I would consider the Honors program to have a more philosophical view of history and social studies. These classes help students grow a deeper sense of empathy, which is crucial in any field. The Honors program has helped me develop connections with staff as well as students. This is in part due to the smaller classroom setting but mostly because of the incredibly welcoming community.”  -Morgan Corley 

"Assalamu Alaikum and greetings to you all. I am a sophomore Biochemistry student pursuing medical school. To me, the Honors program provides the space for deep, fascinating discussions with amazing people"  -Adam Almaleky

Honors Program Student Spotlight

Honors Student Spotlight, Adam Almaleky, Biochemistry & Philosophy

Meet Adam Almaleky who is majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Philosophy. His accomplishments are quite impressive, including winning first place in the 2024 Hopwood Awards, being a medical assistant at First Choice Medical Center serving hundreds of disadvantaged patients across Metro Detroit, serving as a student researcher under Dr. Kondapalli studying the downstream impacts of endosomal pH regulator, NHE9, being a co-author in the 2024 Mary Ann Liebert Journal of Environmental Justice and also as co-founder of the humanitarian nonprofit, Who is Hussain – Michigan.

When asked about how the Honors Program has helped him in his journey Adam says, “One of the most valuable lessons I've learned through the Honors Program is this mindset of intellectual humility... a simple yet profound principle. Inspired from Plato's account of Socrates, it's reshaped my entire life. It goes like this: because you will never know everything, always keep an open mind to new ideas... like actually consider new ideas... even ones that bother you. If you truly want to learn the truth, your ego can't get in the way.

Personally, I've now realized that the prognosis of intellectual humility is ego death. Which is great! I've become a better son, brother, friend, and person as a result. Besides all this philosophy stuff, the countless cherished friends I've made through the Honors Program is priceless. The program combines a bunch of super cool people you'd never normally get the chance to meet... from all majors and walks of life. Don't even get me started with the pizza, ice-skating, and field trips!

Now, how on earth has this program helped me professionally? What's Socrates going to do for my career? That's the million-dollar question. The answer is.. He'll make his students...millions. Think about it... Writing all of those papers, simplifying complex topics, and reading dense texts - it's drastically strengthened my communication and comprehension skills. Any profession I wish to pursue would benefit from that - entrepreneurial routes, classic routes, or otherwise. Because of the Honors program, I'll be so much more prepared for the CARS section (notoriously known to be the hardest for its critical thinking & comprehension aspect).

 

Honors Program Events

Honors Faculty

Anna Muller
Anna Muller

Honors Program Director:

Anna Muller, Ph.D.

Professor, History

The Frank and Mary Padzieski Endowed Professor in Polish/Polish American/Eastern European Studies

Director, Women in Learning and Leadership Program

Director, Honors Program

 

 

Below you will find the full-time Honors Program faculty:

Imran Aijaz

Professor of Philosophy

Camron Michael Amin

Professor of Middle East and Iranian Diaspora Studies

William DeGenaro

Professor of Composition and Rhetoric

Daniel Little

Professor of Philosophy

Anna Muller

Professor of History; The Frank and Mary Padzieski Endowed Professor in Polish/Polish American/Eastern European Studies; Director, Honors Program

Kristin Poling

Associate Professor of History

P.F. Potvin

Lecturer IV, Composition and Rhetoric

Liz Rohan

Professor of Composition and Rhetoric

Michael Rosano

Associate Professor of Political Science

Nadja Rottner

Associate Professor of Art History

Velimir Stojkovski

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Honors Advisory Board

Amanda Esquivel

Amanda Esquivel, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

College of Engineering and Computer Science

 

Terri Laws

Terri Laws, Associate Professor of African & African American Studies

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

 

Lisa Martin

Lisa Martin, Department Chair of Health and Human Services

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

 

FengXu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feng XU, Assistant Professor of Information Systems

College of Business

Contact Us

Honors Program

3018 - College of Arts Science and Letters (CASL) Building
313-593-4778