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Honors International Engagement

Independent Study (HONORS 499, GEN ST 350)

There are some important steps that you must take to obtain Honors credit for independent study abroad. This packet of information will guide you in the process and provide you with resources to receive pre-approval for your study or research and to help you plan your own safe and exciting study abroad experience.

In planning your independent study abroad, there are a few options for you to consider:

  1. You may choose an independent research option and design your own research project and data collection in conjunction with a UW faculty adviser. This option will usually involve independent study/research credits in a chosen department, or HONORS 499 credit.
  2. Another possibility is to add an international service project to your independent work. This can be done in addition to independent research credits and would usually involve signing up for General Studies 350 F: Independent Fieldwork - International. Such service projects would also require that you have an on-site supervisor in addition to your UW faculty sponsor.
  3. Finally, you may choose our course-link option, which involves linking your independent study abroad to an active Honors course and participating in that course via email, e-post, or global classrooms technology. Honors can approve credit for any of these options, and the various designs can be combined in one independent study abroad experience.

HONORS 499

A student can obtain Independent Research credits (typically designated as "499") through a number of departments, including Honors. You'll need to determine which department best suites your research plan and will provide you with the credits you require for your degree(s). These credits can be graded, or taken as credit/no credit. [Note: We will count other 499 designations toward Honors requirements.]

General Studies 350 F

This course designation allows students to participate in service learning or internships as independent fieldwork credits. It is offered only as credit/no credit.

This option allows students who are studying abroad to build on their academic experiences and enhance learning and international engagement by participating in a service project or internship. Students will need both a faculty sponsor and an on-site supervisor for this fieldwork component. Arrangements must be made prior to leaving for your independent study. See the Carlson Center webpage and their course forms for more information.

In order to embark on your independent research or study experience abroad, you will need to have a faculty adviser to oversee your research, and if you intend to also participate in service as part of your study, you will need both a UW faculty sponsor and an on-site supervisor for that separate project.

Before you begin looking into the details and required forms, spend some time dreaming-up your ideal independent study abroad project. Think about where you want to study, what research you'd like to conduct, the purpose of the travel and study for you, how this might contribute to your degree or area of academic interest, etc. Then consult with an Honors adviser regarding your rough plan. After receiving the go-ahead from Honors, begin to cement the details:

  • Determine which course designations and numbers of credits you want to pursue and consult with the relevant departments. To do research, you'll need to find out your chosen department's specific requirements for independent research and plan accordingly
  • Find a faculty adviser for your independent research
  • If you want to do service learning or an internship in addition to your academic work, you can do this through General Studies 350 F: Independent Fieldwork - International. You will need to contact an appropriate organization in your destination country and find someone there to act as an on-site supervisor for your service work or internship
  • Obtain and complete an International Programs and Exchanges (IPE) credit verification form and the IPE concurrent enrollment forms.
  • Turn in the credit verification form and concurrent enrollment forms to the IPE office
  • Provide a copy of the credit verification form for Honors
  • If you have financial aid from UW, arrange to apply your aid during your study abroad, and potentially apply for extra assistance during this period
  • If you wish to apply for an IPE scholarship, fill out the application
  • Make an appointment with a medical clinic for immunizations or other travel-related medical services
  • Decide on a travel insurance plan
  • Arrange for your travel and stay abroad: airline ticket, hostel/hotel/apartment for stay during your time abroad, etc.
  • If you would like to use an Honors laptop or digital camera for your research or study, contact Julie Villegas.