Alternative Course Experiences
Alternative Course Experiences
Alternative Course Experiences
Honors alternative course experiences (ACE) are educational opportunities beyond the classroom that may replace one or more Honors courses (maximum of three per non-Engineering majors; two for Engineering students). To be eligible to receive alternative course credit, Honors students must be in good standing and apply in advance. Along with completing the experience, a final reflection paper is required. Full details about each type of Honors ACE and their respective application instructions can be found in the ACE Guidebook.
*Application Deadlines:
Fall 2021 - June 4, 2021
Spring 2022 - November 19, 2021
Summer 2022 - April 15, 2022
Final Reflection Deadlines:
Summer 2021 - August 31, 2021
Fall 2021 - December 16, 2021
Spring 2022 - May 6, 2022
*Application deadlines apply to all types of Honors ACEs with the exception of Honors Contracts, which are due within the first two weeks of the semester enrolled in the course.
Types of ACEs
Graduate Course via Senior Privilege
Rowan students in their senior year with a GPA of 3.0 or higher may apply to take graduate courses at undergraduate tuition rates (see the Undergraduate Senior Privilege Policy for more information). Honors students can apply to have graduate-level courses count toward their Honors course requirements. Students should work with their advisor to determine which graduate course would be appropriate for their given major. An approved non-Honors graduate-level course will fulfill one of your Honors course requirements as well as count towards the 120 credits you must earn to graduate. It will not, however, be displayed in Banner as an Honors course. A note will be made in your Honors file detailing your accomplishment.
Internship
Internships are invaluable opportunities to apply knowledge gained through coursework to experience in the workplace.
Research or Creative Experience
Honors students are encouraged to conduct research and engage in creative work that supplements their learning in the classroom. This ACE helps students develop mentor-mentee relationship with a faculty member; familiarize students with research/performance processes and prepare them for possible graduate school work; encourage students to produce a finished piece of writing, performance, or other creative work that could be presented at a professional meeting or published in a student or professional publication or in an exhibition; and assist students in meeting Honors requirements through independent research/creative work. This ACE applies to experiences on-campus (e.g. Honors Independent study with Rowan Faculty) or off-campus (e.g. NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates, Fulbright, summer fellowship).
Study Abroad
There are many reasons why Honors students should take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. Experiencing life in other countries and cultures; developing foreign language skills; broadening worldviews; and making lifelong friends while earning college credit are just some of them. Many students use study abroad experiences to prepare for graduate school and future employment. Most importantly, the experience will be one that you will remember and value for the rest of your life.
Honors Student Organization (HSO) Internship
Available to elected members of the Honors Student Organization (HSO) Executive Board, the HSO Alternative Course Experience (ACE) is an academic year-long experience overseen by the Assistant Dean of Honors.
Honors Contracts
Honors contract work extends, enhances, and/or enriches course material for the Honors
student to have the class count as an Honors Experience through the Alternative Course
Experience (ACE) mechanism. The student’s work must be measurably different from
other students’ work in the non-honors course.
Examples include:
● A lengthier or more in-depth final paper/project/presentation
● Extra* and/or different work in the faculty member’s lab
● A related but different experiment or project
● An oral presentation to the class
● Research assistant work for the faculty member on material connected to the class
● Additional* research related to a performance or production
*Student’s work should be within the parameters of the course’s credit hours
