Torrey Honors College

Mission

The Torrey Honors College is a general education program in the liberal arts for undergraduates at Biola University. It is dedicated to forming leaders through the study of the master works of Western civilization, with a special emphasis on the Bible and Christian authors. Students in the program, who come from a variety of majors, are outstanding examples of academic ability, Christian character, and potential for leadership. They learn in a rigorous discussion group format to think and express themselves clearly in both verbal and written forms.

Program Plan

B.A. students need 57-58 credits to satisfy their Torrey Honors College program requirements. B.F.A, B.M., and B.S. students are exempted from HNRS 467 and need 55-56 credits to satisfy their Torrey Honors College program requirements.1 To gain a four-year degree, students must meet all other academic, social, and spiritual requirements of Biola University. For further details, see the Torrey Course Sequence.

In addition to their Torrey Honors College requirements, all students must complete courses in the following Core Curriculum 2 areas: Foreign Language (4-8 credits), GNST 102 (1 credit), Kinesiology (2 credits), Math (3 credits), and Science (3 credits). The Writing Competency Requirement (WCR) is fulfilled through the Torrey Honors College by earning a C+ or better in the writing capstone project of HNRS 324.See Core Curriculum section for details.

1

Robotics and Engineering majors are exempt from HNRS 467 and BBST 465/HNRS 465 and need 52 credits to satisfy their Torrey Honors College program requirements.

2

English majors are required to complete ENGL 313 for their Writing Competency Requirement (WCR); and Accounting, Business Administration, Early Childhood, Engineering, Liberal Studies Elementary Education, Liberal Studies Multidisciplinary, and Robotics majors are required to complete a specific ENGL 313 topic for their Writing Competency Requirement (WCR). For these students, the WCR is not fulfilled through the writing capstone project of HNRS 324. See major department for advisement. 

Torrey Honors Certificate

A student who completes the full Torrey program will be awarded the Torrey Honors College Certificate. A student need not graduate from Biola University to receive the Certificate. Certificates are presented at a commencement ceremony each spring.

Advanced Placement Credit

Although most Torrey Honors students will have earned Advanced Placement credit in high school, they will not be exempted from any Torrey required classes. Advanced Placement courses are helpful in preparing the student for Torrey, but not equivalent to Torrey classes in style, content or rigor.

Transfer Students

Applications for admission from transfer students with outstanding academic merit will be considered for the Torrey Honors College. Transferred credits may satisfy some standard Biola general education requirements, and major prerequisites not covered by Torrey coursework; however, no transfer courses will satisfy any Torrey Honors College course requirements. 

Torrey Off-Campus 

Torrey Off-Campus (HNRS 465) offers opportunities to live and study away from the Biola campus for credit. Students read books, attend lectures, participate in discussion groups, and visit cultural points of interest in the area they are visiting. Torrey Off-Campus provides the opportunity for intellectual growth in a more intensive format than is possible during the school year. Students are supervised and led by a tutor in the Torrey Honors College. Torrey Off-Campus may be applied to either HNRS 337, HNRS 339, HNRS 443, HNRS 458, HNRS 467, or as the Integration Seminar (BBST 465). 

HNRS 465Torrey Off-Campus4
Total Credits4

Torrey Oxford

The Torrey Oxford Semester Study Tour offers exceptional students an opportunity for extended study away from Biola at Wycliffe Hall in the University of Oxford. These students will sharpen their analytical, writing, and argumentation skills through Oxford tutorials, and will live in residence with other Wycliffe students. Before their study tour term begins at Wycliffe Hall, students will be introduced to the Oxford tutorial system through an introductory research methods course (HNRS 371) in the semester before the study tour, followed by an immersive, Oxford-specific section of Torrey Off-Campus (HNRS 4656) in the weeks leading up to the study tour. 

HNRS 371Interdisciplinary Research Methods1
HNRS 4656Torrey Off-Campus: Oxford 14
HNRS 372Oxford Primary Tutorial6
HNRS 373Oxford Secondary Tutorial3
Total Credits14
1

Fulfills the Integration Seminar requirement, unless the student's major requires a specific BBST 465 topic. 

 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Torrey Honors College, students will be able to:

  1. Oral Communication in the Great Conversation: Students will join the great conversation of the great books tradition by contributing to intellectual discussion of enduring human questions with others confidently, critically, and charitably (ULO 1, 2 and 3).
  2. Information Literacy in the Great Books Tradition: Students will demonstrate an independent, responsible reading life that discerns and uses the best resources from the past to seek true answers to enduring human questions (ULO 3).
  3. Critical Thinking with the Masters: Students will ask and explain enduring human questions and seek true answers to them by thinking with the authors of diverse and challenging master works through careful interpretation and analysis, thoughtful synthesis and evaluation, and cogent argumentation (ULO 1 and 3).
  4. Written Communication of Wisdom: Students will communicate wisdom acquired from the great books tradition through academic writing characterized by careful analysis, clear and cogent argumentation, and persuasive exposition (ULO 1).

Each Program Learning Outcome (PLO) listed above references at least one of the University Learning Outcomes (ULO 1, 2, 3), which may be found in the General Information section of this catalog.

Admission Requirements

The Torrey Honors College is highly selective. The average applicant to Torrey is among the top ten percent of students planning to attend Biola University in terms of academic, social, and spiritual leadership. High school students wishing to apply to Torrey should take four years of each of the core disciplines. Torrey applicants should have completed successfully some honors or Advanced Placement work, if such is available at their high schools. Students wishing to enroll in any courses in the Torrey Honors College must have outstanding skills in both written and spoken English. The prospective student will demonstrate the former in the Torrey application and the latter by a personal interview.

Curriculum Requirements

Program Courses
HNRS 101
HNRS 102
Argumentation & Critical Thinking I
and Ancient Civilizations: Greek & Hebrew 1
8
HNRS 105
HNRS 106
New Testament Literature & Early Christian Theology
and Argumentation & Critical Thinking II 1
8
HNRS 210
HNRS 215
Medieval & Reformation Theology
and Studies in Pauline Epistles 1
8
HNRS 230
HNRS 231
Western Philosophy Survey
and Dramatic Arts 1
8
HNRS 324
HNRS 326
American Political Theory and Its Origins
and Old Testament Literature 1
6
HNRS 337
HNRS 339
Rhetoric & Oral Communication
and Theodicy 1
6
HNRS 443Literature of Cosmic Order4
HNRS 458Epistemology & Modern Thought 24
HNRS 467Colloquium 32
BBST 465Integration Seminar 43-4
or HNRS 465 Torrey Off-Campus
Total Credits57-58
1

The paired courses HNRS 101 & 102, 105 & 106, 210 & 215, 230 & 231, 324 & 326, and 337 & 339 are corequisite and consubstantial courses. Each pairing functions as one coherent course, rather than two distinct courses, and therefore cannot be separated under any circumstances without written approval from the director.

2

Engineering Physics majors are exempted from HNRS 458.

3

B.F.A, B.M., and B.S. students are exempted from HNRS 467.

4

BBST 465 is required for Torrey students. They must fulfill it through their major's integration seminar (if required), our HNRS 465 course, or any BBST 465 offered at the university. Robotics and Engineering majors are exempt from this requirement. 

Elective Course Options

Beginning in the Junior Spring semester, students may elect to replace the standard curriculum with optional electives, with permission of a faculty mentor and the program director. 

Students may receive credit for the corequisite courses HNRS 337 and HNRS 339 via registration for HNRS 465, HNRS 467, HNRS 490, or HNRS 491, totaling no fewer than 6 credits.

Students may receive credit for HNRS 443 and HNRS 458 via registration for HNRS 465, HNRS 467, HNRS 490, or HNRS 491, totaling no fewer than 4 credits.

Students may receive credit for HNRS 467 via registration for HNRS 465, HNRS 490, or HNRS 491.

Students may combine HNRS 465, HNRS 467HNRS 490, or HNRS 491 to replace a maximum of 14 upper-division credits throughout their undergraduate career, while taking no more than 12 credits of HNRS 465, HNRS 490, or HNRS 491, and no more than 8 credits of HNRS 467. Any requested substitution beyond this is subject to written approval from the program director. HNRS 465 can also be used to satisfy Biola's Integration Seminar requirement (BBST 465).

Students who are accepted to the Torrey Oxford Semester Study Tour will enroll in HNRS 371 the semester before their study tour, and will enroll in HNRS 372, HNRS 373, and HNRS 4656 the semester of their study tour. Torrey Oxford students can enroll in HNRS 4656 a maximum of one time for credit. HNRS 4656 will fulfill the Integration Seminar requirement, unless the student's major requires a specific BBST 465 topic. HNRS 371, HNRS 372, and HNRS 373 may replace a maximum of 8 upper-division elective Torrey credits (HNRS 337, HNRS 339, HNRS 443, HNRS 458, HNRS 467).

Program Departures

If a student does not complete all Torrey Honors program requirements but continues at Biola, the following Biola Core Curriculum requirements are satisfied by passing grades in the following Torrey courses.

Torrey Course and Biola Core Course Granted Upon Torrey Program Departure
HNRS 101Argumentation & Critical Thinking I (Satisfies ENGL 100/ENGL 112)4
HNRS 102Ancient Civilizations: Greek & Hebrew (Satisfies BBST 103)4
HNRS 105New Testament Literature & Early Christian Theology (Satisfies BBST 210, BBST 306/BBST 316/BBST 326/BBST 336)4
HNRS 106Argumentation & Critical Thinking II (Satisfies COMM 281)4
HNRS 210Medieval & Reformation Theology (Satisfies BBST 165, BBST 251)4
HNRS 215Studies in Pauline Epistles (Satisfies BBST 354)4
HNRS 230Western Philosophy Survey (Satisfies PHIL 214)4
HNRS 231Dramatic Arts (Satisfies ARTS 100)4
HNRS 324American Political Theory and Its Origins (Satisfies POSC 225)4
HNRS 326Old Testament Literature (Satisfies BBST 209, BBST 300/400 elective)2

Students who depart Torrey Honors after completing their fifth paired semester (HNRS 324 & HNRS 326) will not be granted any further substitutions in Biola's Core Curriculum than those listed above, and will be required to complete ENGL 313. There are no transfer substitutions for HNRS 337, HNRS 339, HNRS 443, HNRS 458, HNRS 465, HNRS 467, HNRS 490, and HNRS 491.

NOTE:  This is a suggested sequence only. Because of the differences in Torrey students' degree options, students should consult with both their major department and Torrey Honors College for customized course sequencing and degree planning.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 1014HNRS 1054
HNRS 1024HNRS 1064
Foreign Language (see Core Curriculum)4KNES 1071
GNST 1021Foreign Language (see Core Curriculum)4
 13 13
Total Credits 26
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 2104HNRS 2304
HNRS 2154HNRS 2314
Science (see Core Curriculum)3Math (see Core Curriculum)3
 11 11
Total Credits 22
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 3244HNRS 3374
HNRS 3262HNRS 3392
KNES Activity (see Core Curriculum)1Graduation Application due in Registrar's Office
Writing Competency Requirement 
 7 6
Total Credits 13
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 4434HNRS 45824
BBST 46513HNRS 46732
 7 6
Total Credits 13
1

May be substituted by HNRS 465 (4 credits). Robotics and Engineering majors are exempt from BBST 465/HNRS 465.

2

Engineering Physics majors are exempt from HNRS 458.

3

B.F.A., B.M., and B.S. students are exempt from HNRS 467.

HNRS 101 - Argumentation & Critical Thinking I Credits 4

Introduces critical analysis, argumentation, and composition as skills fundamental to the formation and communication of thought. Coursework includes critical reading, collaborative discussion, and a variety of writing assignments. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 102.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 102 - Ancient Civilizations: Greek & Hebrew Credits 4

Introduces the student to Mediterranean and Ancient Near Eastern thought through discussion of works such as Homer, Plato, and the Pentateuch. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 101.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Course Fee: $225.

HNRS 105 - New Testament Literature & Early Christian Theology Credits 4

Introduces the Gospels and early Christian literature in their Greco-Roman cultural context. Considers the theological formation of the early church with major works from church fathers including Athanasius and Augustine. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 106.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 106 - Argumentation & Critical Thinking II Credits 4

This course develops the critical analysis, argumentation, and composition skills fundamental to the formation and communication of thought through critical reading, collaborative discussion, and a variety of writing assignments. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 105.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 210 - Medieval & Reformation Theology Credits 4

Considers both medieval and reformation theological visions, reading major works including Augustine's Confessions, Dante's Divine Comedy, and Calvin's Institutes. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 215.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 215 - Studies in Pauline Epistles Credits 4

Considers the dynamics of Pauline thought through careful study of his epistles as well as their interpretation in theological works. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 210.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 230 - Western Philosophy Survey Credits 4

Examines the Western philosophic tradition with particular attention to the epistemological and metaphysical concerns of early modern philosophers including Descartes, Locke, and Hume. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 231.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 231 - Dramatic Arts Credits 4

Considers early modern English drama with an eye to its reception of biblical poetry and its literary context. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 230.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 324 - American Political Theory and Its Origins Credits 4

Considers the vision of the American project by reading its roots in works such as Plato's Republic, its ground in Founding Documents, and its growth expressed in major works from the Civil War, Abolition, and the Civil Rights Movement. Note(s): Earning a C+ or better in the writing capstone project of this course will satisfy the Writing Competency Requirement for students unless their majors stipulate that they must fulfill their requirement through ENGL 313. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 326.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 326 - Old Testament Literature Credits 2

Explores the history of Israel from the time of the judges through Isaiah's messianic expectation to the Evangelist Matthew's proclamation of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the long-awaited Messiah. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 324.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 327 - Old Testament Literature Credits 4

Explores the history of Israel from the time of the judges through Isaiah's messianic expectation to the Evangelist Matthew's proclamation of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the long-awaited Messiah. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 324.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 337 - Rhetoric & Oral Communication Credits 4

Analyzes notions of rhetoric through texts such as Plato’s Phaedo, I II Corinthians, and speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 339.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 338 - Apocalyptic Literature Credits 4

Includes biblical apocalyptic literature, the books of Daniel and Revelation, in conversation with other texts that pursue a vision of ethics. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 339 - Theodicy Credits 2

Readings include Psalms, Aquinas’s Treatise on Law, and Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals, alongside other texts that offer a vision of the truth of God in the face of terrestrial suffering. Grade Mode: A.
Corequisite(s): HNRS 337.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 371 - Interdisciplinary Research Methods Credit 1

This course offers an introduction to interdisciplinary research methods through critical, analytical, and integrative approaches. It will enable the student to deepen and clarify a research topic. They will build a bibliography on their research topic and acquire the skills to survey the basic conceptual and theoretical arguments on their particular topic. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 372 - Oxford Primary Tutorial Credits 6

In the weekly primary tutorial, the Wycliffe Hall tutor will give feedback on the student’s prepared work on a particular topic. They may also use the opportunity to introduce a new topic and discuss this. At the end of each tutorial session, the tutor will set a new piece of work to prepare for the next session and the student will work independently to complete the work. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 373 - Oxford Secondary Tutorial Credits 3

In the biweekly secondary tutorial, the Wycliffe Hall tutor will give feedback on the student’s prepared work on a particular topic. They may also use the opportunity to introduce a new topic and discuss this. At the end of each tutorial session, the tutor will set a new piece of work to prepare for the next session and the student will work independently to complete the work. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 382 - Torrey Total Bible Credit 1

Readings focus on all remaining books of the Old Testament not covered in the standard Torrey Honors College curriculum, including I II Chronicles and the minor prophets. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must not be Freshman Class; and must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 443 - Literature of Cosmic Order Credits 4

Examines a variety of poetry, biblical literature, and philosophy that considers the creative and aesthetic dimensions of human experience, including works such as Aristotle’s Physics, Traherne’s Centuries of Meditations, and lyric poetry from G.M. Hopkins and William Wordsworth. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 458 - Epistemology & Modern Thought Credits 4

Includes readings focused on the nature of knowledge and the mind, such as Augustine’s On Christian Teaching, Newman’s Idea of a University, Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk, and CS Lewis’ Abolition of Man. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 465 - Torrey Off-Campus Credits 1-4

Independent readings chosen by the professor. When Offered: Summer. Note(s): May be repeated multiple times with different readings. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Repeat Limit (after first attempt): 2.

HNRS 4656 - Torrey Off-Campus: Oxford Credits 4

Independent readings chosen by the professor. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.

HNRS 467 - Colloquium Credits 2

Revisits a seminal work or author from the Torrey Honors curriculum, providing students with an opportunity for advanced study and application of the skills developed throughout the whole program. Topics include Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Augustine’s Confessions, and the Gospel of John. Note(s): Special approval required. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Repeat Limit (total number of credits): 8.

HNRS 490 - Selected Readings and Topics Credits 1-4

Designed primarily for upper-division students in Torrey who want to study specialized topics not covered in catalog course offerings. Note(s): May be repeated multiple times with different readings. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Repeat Limit (after first attempt): 2.

HNRS 491 - Independent Study Credits 1-4

Independent readings on a topic chosen by a professor in consultation with the student. Note(s): May be taken multiple times with different readings. Grade Mode: A.
Restriction(s): Must be Undergraduate Level.
Repeat Limit (after first attempt): 2.