Lower-Division

Honors Core Curriculum for Winter 2026

Use the links below (when available) to read the full LSA Course Guide description of the course.

Please note: The course descriptions in the Atlas Course Profile tool may not be up-to-date. Refer to the LSA Course Guide for the most current course descriptions.

HONORS 212 / Ocean's 26: Build Models That Save Lives and Protect Coasts (NS, QR/1)

HONORS 230 / Eating Right: Why Humans Love & Hate Dietary Advice (SS)

HONORS 231 / Writing Violence: History, Literature, and Film (HU)

HONORS 241 / Frenemies: The Human Animal Relationship (HU, FYWR)

Honors Seminars for Winter 2026

Departmental Honors Courses for Winter 2026

By selecting Honors under Special Offerings in the LSA Course Guide, students will find a fairly comprehensive list of Honors courses available for the term. Depending on course coding used by the department, you may find other courses throughout a search, but this is a great start in planning your schedule. For information about courses including questions about registration/waitlists/permissions, please contact the department offering the course. For courses with the Honors subject code (e.g., Honors 240, Honors 493), contact the Honors Program.

BIOLOGY 172 – Introductory Biology – Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental (NS)
Section: 002 (LEC), 200, 201 (DIS) LSA HNRS
BIOLOGY 172 is a one-term course in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology that, together with BIOLOGY 171 and 173, collectively forms the introductory biology course sequence.
The aims of BIOLOGY 172 are:
• to provide factual and conceptual knowledge of how cells, organs, and organisms work; and
• to develop scientific hypothesis-testing and critical-thinking skills.

CHEM 215 - Structure and Reactivity II (NS) WITH CHEM 216
Section: 400 (LEC)
CHEM 215 is the second course in a two-term sequence in which the major concepts of chemistry are introduced in the context of organic chemistry. Emphasis is on the development of the capacity of students to think about the relationship between structure and reactivity and to solve problems in a qualitatively analytical way. Many of the topics are presented from a bioorganic perspective, and so the course is relevant to many bio-x perspectives.

Note: SECTION 400 IS AVAILABLE FOR HONORS CREDIT ONLY. DEPARTMENTAL CONSENT MUST BE GIVEN. STUDENTS IN CHEM 215H-400 MUST ALSO ELECT CHEM 216H-400. Contact chemundergrad@umich.edu with questions.

CHEM 216 – Synthesis and Characterization of Organic Compounds (NS)
Section: 400 (LEC), 411-450 (LAB)

CHEM 216 builds on the experimental approach started in CHEM 211. Students participate in planning exactly what they are going to do in the laboratory by being given general goals and directions that have to be adapted to fit the specific project they will be working on. They use microscale equipment, which requires them to develop manual dexterity and care in working in the laboratory. They also evaluate the results of their experiments by checking for identity and purity using various chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. Students should elect both CHEM 215 Honors - section 400 (for 3 credits) and CHEM 216 Honors - section 400 (for 2 credits).

Note: CHEM 216, section 400 and 4xx labs available for Honors credit only. Departmental Consent must be given BEFORE registering. Students must also be enrolled in Chem 215-400. Contact chemundergrad@umich.edu with questions.

For further information, please contact the Chemistry Undergraduate Office at chemundergrad@umich.edu.

MATH 186– Honors Calculus II (MSA, QR/1)
Section: 001
Most students take calculus in high school, and it may seem that there isn't much new to learn. The goal of this course is to develop the familiar concepts of calculus using a more rigorous and theoretical approach. In particular, with its emphasis on how to use appropriate mathematical language, this course lays a solid foundation for future math courses, and is suitable for students intending to pursue a major in mathematics, science, or engineering who desire a more complete understanding of the underpinnings of calculus. This sequence is not restricted to students enrolled in the LSA Honors Program.

MATH 276 – Explorations in Calculus (MSA, QR/1)
Section: 001
This course is an Inquiry-Based version of Honors Calculus I and II (such as Math 185/186) and provides the necessary preparation for Multivariable Calculus (Math 215 or the honors version, Math 285). A student who has had some exposure to calculus (e.g., AB or BC in high school, or Math 115) will be well-prepared for this course. The majority of class time will be spent working in groups and presenting ideas and solutions to problems.

MATH 285 – Honors Multivariable and Vector Calculus (MSA, QR/1)
Section: 001
The sequence Math 185-186-285-286 is an introduction to calculus at the honors level. It is taken by students intending to major in mathematics, science, or engineering as well as students heading for many other fields who want a somewhat more theoretical approach. Although much attention is paid to concepts and solving problems, the underlying theory and proofs of important results are also included. This sequence is not restricted to students enrolled in the LSA Honors Program.

MATH 286 – Honors Differential Equations (MSA, QR/1)
Section: 001, 002
The sequence Math 185-186-285-286 is an introduction to calculus at the honors level. It is taken by students intending to major in mathematics, science, or engineering as well as students heading for many other fields who want a somewhat more theoretical approach. Although much attention is paid to concepts and solving problems, the underlying theory and proofs of important results are also included. This sequence is not restricted to students enrolled in the LSA Honors Program.

MATH 296 – Honors Mathematics II (QR/1)
Section: 001
Math 295-296-395-396 is the most theoretical and demanding honors math sequence. The emphasis is on concepts, problem solving, as well as the underlying theory and proofs of important results. It provides an excellent background for advanced courses in mathematics. The expected background is high school trigonometry and algebra (previous calculus is not required, but is helpful.) This sequence is not restricted to students enrolled in the LS&A Honors program. Math 295 and 296 may be substituted for any Math 451 requirement. Math 296 and 395 may be substituted for any Math 217 requirement.

MATH 297 - Intensive Introduction to Analysis (MSA, QR/1)

Section: 001
This is a course in analysis for students who know how to write rigorous mathematical arguments and possess a firm understanding of the standard concepts of linear algebra. It is specifically designed for students who excelled in Math 217, love mathematics, and wish to transition into the Honors Analysis Sequence.

For more information on Math courses, please visit the Department of Mathematics webpage.
For waitlist information for Math courses, contact the Math department at math-undergrad-office@umich.edu.

PHYSICS 160 – Honors Physics I (NS, QR/1)
Section: 001
PHYSICS 160 covers the fundamental principles of mechanics using a modern perspective and is intended for students who have had significant exposure to physics at the high school level and/or have AP credit for physics. It emphasizes the applicability of these laws in systems ranging from binary stars to nuclear collisions. This class will be different, and more interesting, than any physics course you have taken yet.
The goals of the course are:
1. Application of fundamental principles to a wide range of systems, i.e., from nuclei to stars (unify mechanics)
2. Integrate contemporary physics (atomic models of matter, relativistic dynamics)
3. Engage students in physical modeling (idealization, approximation, assumptions, estimation)
4. Integrate computational physics (now a partner of theory and experiment) into problem solving

PHYSICS 161 – Honors Introductory Mechanics Lab (NS)
Section: 001, 002, 003
PHYSICS 161 is a three-hour weekly laboratory designed to accompany PHYSICS 160.
This lab introduces students to the core concepts of physics, namely careful observations, both quantitative and qualitative, followed by comparison with appropriate mathematical models that serve as the basis for descriptive interpretation. Course material is focused on developing a good understanding of the concepts and principles of Newtonian mechanics while providing sophisticated experiments for demonstrating the validity of these fundamental paradigms.

PHYSICS 260 – Honors Physics II (NS, QR/1)
Section: 001
PHYSICS 260 is a continuation of PHYSICS 160 and introduces the theory of electromagnetic phenomena. This course will introduce you to:
1. The deeper physical meaning of the concepts
2. A rigorous mathematical approach, using vector calculus when applicable
3. Problem solving including computer use
4. Contemporary applications
If you like physics and math, appreciate the deeper meaning and derivation of concepts and equations, and if you like to do problems, you are in the right course.

PHYSICS 261 – Honors Electricity and Magnetism Lab (NS)
Section: 001, 002
PHYSICS 261 is a three-hour weekly laboratory designed to accompany PHYSICS 260. This lab introduces students to the core concepts of physics, namely careful observations, both quantitative and qualitative, followed by comparison with appropriate mathematical models that serve as the basis for descriptive interpretation. Course material is focused on developing a good understanding of the concepts and principles of Newtonian mechanics while providing sophisticated experiments for demonstrating the validity of these fundamental paradigms. The analytical techniques require high school level algebra and some familiarity with statistical measures of significance, procedures common to any scientific, technical, or medical area of inquiry. Although not an academic requirement, it is assumed that the students will have some basic skills in using a computer at the level of a word processing program or similar application task.

PSYCH 121 - First-Year Seminar in Psychology as a Natural Science (NS)
Section: 002 Rationality and Intelligence: From Human to Machine
This First Year Seminar will introduce to Honors students cognitive roots to human intelligence, with a goal of designing artificial general intelligence. It will examine in-depth the concept of rationality in reasoning, memory, and decision making. What are the principles of rational decision making? Can we teach machines to reason, in a way that understand us better than we do ourselves? Why are there different memory systems and how do they support cognition? By in- class demonstrations of various pitfalls and failures of rationality of the human mind, this seminar aims to instigate students’ curiosity into cognitive science and machine intelligence, while exploring the intertwining topics of mind and cognition, machine intelligence, and mathematical reasoning.

The instructor strives to provide a supportive environment for self-motivated students who intend to pursue Cognitive Science, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Neuroscience, etc, as they settle into their college life.

STATS 280 - Honors Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis (MSA, QR/1)
Section: 001 (LEC), 002, 003 (LAB)
This course is an introduction to statistical methods and data analysis at the honors level, targeting advanced undergraduate students who are interested in a challenging introductory course.

Breadth Courses for Winter 2026

For information about courses including questions about registration/waitlists/permissions, please contact the department offering the course. For courses with the Honors subject code (e.g., Honors 240, Honors 493), contact the Honors Program.