Breadth Requirement Experience Levels for the Cook Grand Challenge Honors Program/Honors Concentration, and NAE Grand Challenge Scholar Programs
Note: For students pursuing GCS designations, these experience levels are to be considered examples of acceptable levels, as each student will have an individual plan agreed upon by the student and honors advisor.
Any courses that have been pre-approved to satisfy one of these requirements should should automatically be designated as such on your DARS. This includes study abroad courses. If this is the case, no further action or approval is needed. If you would like to submit an extracurricular activity (e.g., undergraduate research and/or community engagement) for approval OR request that a new course be approved for one of these categories, submit this form.
Research
| Extensive | Intermediate | Introductory |
| Completion of a three-semester duration undergraduate research experience. Must result in a mentor-approved paper or poster (as presenting author) which is presented at EUReCA, Undergraduate Research Symposium, a professional meeting, or other venue approved by the Honors director. | Completion of a two-semester duration undergraduate research experience. Must result in a mentor-approved paper or poster (as presenting author) which is presented at EUReCA, Undergraduate Research Symposium, a professional meeting, or other venue approved by the Honors director. | Completion of a one-semester duration undergraduate research experience, or a 3-credit-hour faculty-sponsored independent study course. Must result in a mentor-approved paper or poster (as presenting author) which is presented at EUReCA, Undergraduate Research Symposium, a professional meeting, or other venue approved by the Honors director. |
Interdisciplinary Coursework
| Extensive | Intermediate | Introductory |
| Minimum of 9 hours. View a list of interdisciplinary courses. | Minimum of 6 hours. View a list of interdisciplinary courses. | Minimum of 3 hours. View a list of interdisciplinary courses. |
Entrepreneurship
| Extensive | Intermediate** | Introductory |
| Minimum of 9 hours. View a list of entrepreneurship courses. | Minimum of 6 hours. View a list of entrepreneurship courses. | Minimum of 3 hours. View a list of entrepreneurship courses. |
**Completion of the Engineering Entrepreneurship minor will satisfy the Entrepreneurship breadth requirement at an Intermediate level.
Global Experiences
| Extensive | Intermediate | Introductory |
| Full semester abroad (study program or internship) OR 6 hours coursework abroad and a foreign language minor | 6 hours coursework abroad OR 3 hours coursework abroad and a foreign language minor | One course abroad |
Service-Learning and/or Community Engagement
| Extensive | Intermediate | Introductory |
| An extensive experience in Service-Learning would normally be designed by the student and approved by the Honors director to reflect individual student interests. | 6 hours of courses carrying UT service learning designation. View a list of service learning courses offered by the university.
OR Students with 60 or more network verified hours through the ServeUTK platform* OR 3 hours of courses carrying UT service learning designation AND 30 or more network verified hours through the ServeUTK platform |
3 hours of courses carrying UT service learning designation. View a list of service learning courses offered by the university.
OR Students with 30 or more network verified hours through the ServeUTK platform* |
* Please also be sure your impacts are shared with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Cook Grand Challenge Honors Program through the ServeUTK site. If they are not shared with UTK, your request will be delayed. The sharing function is located at the bottom of each impact submission form, and you can share with any group of which you’re a part.
For more information on impacts or community engagement opportunities, please visit the Jones Center for Leadership and Service website at https://leadserve.utk.edu/serveutk/ .