Experiential & Advanced Learning

Experiential and Advanced Learning opportunities allow Honors students to pursue their intellectual interests by tackling big questions with practical implications

Experiential and Advanced Learning opportunities allow Honors students to engage in thorough academic exploration of topics of high interest to their intellectual lives. Working closely with faculty mentors, students delve deeper into issues than possible in a seminar classroom. These opportunities mimic the type of work a student should expect to undertake in graduate school or in their professional lives, and provide stellar evidence of the student's writing, research, and critical thinking abilities.

After applying through the Honors College for credit, students can earn Experiential and Advanced Learning credit through the following opportunities:

  • Directed Readings*
  • Independent Study/Independent Investigations*
  • Internship*
  • Thesis project*
  • Study Abroad programs*
  • Approved Service-Learning Courses*
  • Upper-Level Honors Seminars
  • Accelerated Graduate Courses

*Honors students can also earn Experiential and Advanced Learning credit for departmental versions of these courses.

Syllabi templates for Directed Readings, Independent Investigations, Independent Studies, Internships, and Theses are updated each year and are available at the Forms, Syllabi & Online Resources page. These templates must be also be used for courses taken under a departmental code.

In order to earn credit for Experiential and Advanced Learning opportunities (other than Upper-Level Honors Seminars), students must consult with the Faculty Director prior to undertaking the course. Students must then complete the appropriate Experiential and Advanced Learning Approval Form and submit all required material prior to the end of the Change of Schedule period for the academic term of enrollment. Honors credit cannot be earned for internships, research projects, and other experiences which have already been completed.

Students can earn a maximum of three units for any Experiential and Advanced Learning course, with the exception of study abroad undertaken in the fall or spring term for 12 or more units. Courses can be connected as part of a larger project, e.g. a Directed Reading in the fall term and an Thesis in the spring term.