Experience Approval Process

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There are three ways students can meet requirements for most categories of Experiences:

1. Honors courses, independent studies, or contracts
2. Special Programs and Guided Experiences led by Honors College faculty
3. Outside of the classroom experiences completed independently by the student, such as internships, research, study abroad, or service projects

For Honors courses and Special Programs led by the Honors College, students will earn Honors Experience credit automatically and do not need to take additional steps for approval. For Honors Experiences that take place outside of the classroom and are completed independently by the student, please see the approval process below.

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As a reminder, the minimum requirements for non-Honors activities to be approved as an Experience are:

• You must have been an accepted college student during the non-Honors activity. This means you were either registered or the activity/project occurred during a summer when you were classified or accepted as a college student (not dual credit) at UTSA or another higher education institution.
• The activity or project must have occurred within 12 months of the request for Honors College approval.
• For each request, at least 75 hours of direct work on the activity or project must be guided and documented by an external mentor.
• For experiences that are non-coursework based, students will need to visit the Experiential Learning Lab (GSR 1.204) to talk with an Honors Counselor.
• To get credit for work, paid or unpaid, it must be a total of a minimum of 90 hours for a sustained period that lasts no less than 56 days with a single employer/agency.

Honors College Experiential Learning Fair (ELF): while it’s not mandatory for students to present their experience at the ELF, it’s highly encouraged! By presenting at the ELF, you not only get to share your experiences, you get to compete for scholarships and build your resume.

Learn more about the ELF

Submit the experience completion form here

A separate form will need to be submitted for each experience you want considered.

Submit Experience Completion Form  

Opportunities within the Honors College

The Honors College offers students the opportunity to participate in a number of different programs to further expand knowledge, especially in the realms of professional development, leadership development, and public service. Special programs are fully integrated into the Honors College curriculum, making credit transfer simple and ensuring that students are working toward Honors requirements.

Find out more about our programs