Students completing Interdisciplinary Honors choose 3 High-Impact Academic Experiences that extend their education beyond the classroom. These HIEs can be pre-approved, or students can propose their own following the process below.
What counts as a High-Impact Experience?
- Goes above and beyond degree requirements
- Equivalent in time and effort to at least a 2-credit course (does not need to be credit-bearing)
- Overseen by UNH faculty and/or staff who can certify accomplishment
- Academic in nature; related to scholarship or research
Pre-Approved High-Impact Experiences
- Study abroad in a UNH-managed, UNH exchange, or UNH-approved program of at least 8 weeks
- Complete the application process for a major national fellowship (must speak with Leigh Pratt about this before starting the fellowship application, and must work closely with her through the process)
- Participate in an IROP, SURF, REAP, or other approved research experience through the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research
- Co-author a publication in a peer-reviewed journal
- Present at a regional or national academic conference (the URC does not qualify as a regional conference but can be part of a larger experience if approved)
- Complete a Sustainability Fellowship through the Changemaker Collaborative
- Study away at the Washington Center
- Study away at Semester in the City
- Participate in the McNair Scholars Program (different parts of the Program could count for more than one High-Impact Experience)
- NH Epscor biomade URT Program
- Participating in INCO 529 and serving as a Connors Writing Assistant for one academic year
Propose Your Own High-Impact Experience
Student-proposed experiences approved in the past include;
- Significant participation in B-Clinic, Rines Angel Fund, etc.
- Internships with an academic component overseen by a UNH faculty member
- REUs at other institutions
- Paid and volunteer work in research labs
- Summer programs with UNH Extension
- Experiences abroad of less than 8 weeks
-
Extensive and/or successful participation in competitions such as the Holloway Competition
*The petition for pre-approval of a High-Impact Academic Experience can be found on the Honors Program's Canvas Page under the "Interdisciplinary Honors" module.
Interdisciplinary Honors Timeline
Because the Interdisciplinary Honors track is designed individually by each student and some HIEs can extend over several semesters, there is no one-size-fits-all timeline. However, this makes it even more important to have a workable plan. Below is a basic timeline that students should follow to stay on track to graduate by the spring semester of their senior year.
- Meet with Honors advisers to familiarize yourself with the program
- Opportunities like studying abroad, REAP, or Semester in the City should be on everyone's radar!
- Fill out the Honors Track Registration Form as soon as you know which track you are pursuing
- Submit a tentative plan through the Honors Canvas page
- Update your IH plan if there have been changes
- Submit approval forms for any HIEs you are interested in that are not on the pre-approved experiences list
NOTE: By the end of this year, at least one High-Impact Academic Experience should be underway and your IH plan should be finalized, including approval for any HIAEs that are not pre-approved.
- Check in with Honors Program about your progress
- Submit your HIE Completion Forms and your Interdisciplinary Reflection as you wrap up each experience
Why Interdisciplinary Honors?
From our students:
"The interdisciplinary honors track prompted me to seek out experiences and opportunities that I may not have otherwise sought out myself... I have created such strong connections with professors and graduate students who are all rooting for me and my future work. They are consistently advocating for me and looking out for my best interest."
"My Interdisciplinary Experience was the highlight of my college career… I have found a clearer path for what I want in my career and my personal life after I graduate."
"I’m glad that Interdisciplinary Honors was an option for me because it gave me the structure to do the experiences I already wanted to do. Being active in research is very important in STEM fields such as physics, and it was a priority for me to get involved in research in some form."
"I feel like it allowed me to have some freedom in choosing my higher-level major elective courses while also pushing me to go for experiences that I may not have initially been drawn to. I am someone who has a wide range of interests outside of my STEM major, so this track was a great way for me to exercise those passions and have them culminate meaningfully toward my degree…These experiences have certainly helped me realize the interconnectedness of my academic passions."
"Having the opportunity to explore an interdisciplinary education expanded my scope of what I am capable of doing after graduation ."
