TRACTS
Choose to Be Challenged
You don't fit into a box. So why should your degree?
Honors TRACTS stands for Honors Traditions in Critical Thought and Scholarship. The TRACTS BA is a first-of-its-kind bachelor's degree in the Ogden Honors College that answers the call for interdisciplinary learning, critical and creative thinking, effective communication, and research-based inquiry. Anchored in both humanities and sciences, Honors TRACTS is designed for exceptional students who want to lead the way in creating positive change in Louisiana and beyond.
A TRACTS Bachelor of Arts can act as a standalone degree or complement any other chosen major with coursework in history, science, literature, and more. Choosing to double major while pursuing a TRACTS degree allows students to integrate technical expertise in their program of choice with a deep understanding of historical, political, scientific, and cultural contexts and equipping them with in-demand "soft skills" such as effective communication and collaboration, ethical reasoning, problem identifying and solving, and adaptability.
Click any of the buttons above to learn more about the TRACTS curriculum, course requirements, and how to apply for the program.
Why TRACTS?
Most programs make you choose between the sciences, the humanities, or the arts. Honors TRACTS builds a curriculum that connects all three, because the world's most pressing issues aren’t limited to one field of study. Public health, technology, and justice don't belong to a single department, and the most successful changemakers are often the people who can think across multiple disciplines at once.
Employers say they want graduates who can communicate, collaborate, and solve problems that cross disciplines. TRACTS builds those habits, from your first seminar all the way to your Honors Capstone. Interdisciplinary by design, the Honors TRACTS program will help you develop the ethical reasoning, problem-solving, and cultural fluency skills that today’s employers value.
The texts students encounter in TRACTS span centuries and remain foundational to Western thinking. They are the cornerstones of our past and present debates about social, political, and economic structures and the values behind them. By engaging with these texts, with experts, and with one another, students practice the skills needed to face future challenges: to question, debate, think critically and creatively, and work toward consensus and solutions in group settings, all while wrestling with timeless questions about what the good life is and how we achieve it.
What Makes TRACTS Different
- You'll go through the program with a small group of curious, like-minded students from every corner of campus.
- Learn within a curriculum that intentionally connects science, the humanities, and the arts.
- Make TRACTS your standalone degree or pursue it alongside another degree program of your choice. The allotted elective hours are built-in specifically with this in mind.
- You'll refine the kind of writing, thinking, and problem-solving skills that will hold up in any career you land in after graduation.
- Study abroad, research, and internships are part of the experience, not extras.
TRACTS At-a-Glance
Component |
Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | 12 |
| Founding Traditions | 12 |
| Advanced Honors Seminars | 6 |
| Foreign Language | 17-20 |
| Honors Electives | 18 |
| Honors Capstone Sequence | 9 |
| General Education Courses | 18 |
| Other Approved Electives | 25-28 |
A Sample of What You Can Study
Students can take a variety of Honors seminars and electives while pursuing a TRACTS degree. A few examples of courses from previous semesters include:
- HNRS 2009 (Physical Science for Citizens): AI, Data, and the Environment
- HNRS 2012 (The 19th Century): Ghosts and Governesses
- HNRS 2021 (Colloquium in the Arts): Lowbrow Art: Subversive Visions of Post-War America
- HNRS 2100 (The Great Conversations): Confronting Nihilism
How to Apply
For incoming freshmen:
If you're interested in Honors TRACTS, apply through the LSU Admissions portal. Acceptance into the TRACTS program is dependent upon your prior acceptance into both LSU and the Ogden Honors College.
For continuing students:
Once the TRACTS application period opens, continuing students who are currently enrolled full-time in a college curriculum may fill out an application that includes a little more information about you, your plans for the future, and a statement of purpose.*
NOTE: Only a very small number of spots will be available for next year's cohort, and admission will be highly selective.
*Application period is not currently open.
Engage & Support
The TRACTS BA program prepares students for leadership across diverse fields and provides a rigorous academic experience through small seminars, research opportunities, and personalized advising. Supporters can help by promoting the program, funding scholarships, or providing internship opportunities to aid students in developing in-demand skills for Louisiana’s future workforce.