Experience Approval Process
There are three ways students can meet requirements for most categories of Experiences:
- Honors courses, independent studies, or contracts
- Special programs and Guided Experiences led by Honors College faculty
- Outside of the classroom experiences completed independently by the student, such as internships, research, study abroad, or service projects
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 here .
