Undergraduate Curriculum Outline
Honors Designation in Outdoor Education
Adding a mark of distinction to their transcript, qualified students can pursue an "Honors" designation. Students are required to maintain an overall 3.40 grade-point average and a 3.40 grade-point average in major course work.
Students must successfully complete 16 credits from the following courses: KIN 693H Teaching Assistantship (2 cr.); KIN 550H Philosophy and Methods of Outdoor Education (4 cr.); KIN 681H Theory of Adventure Education (4 cr.); KIN 786H Organization and Administration of Outdoor Education (4 cr.), and KIN 699H Honors Project (4 cr).
While students have some choice with the 16 credits, they must take KIN 699H Honors Project and successfully complete it. Students will meet with a faculty advisor to discuss the research project by the sixth week of their fall semester during senior year. Development of the research question and analysis of appropriate literature will generally be completed during the fall semester, and the study will be completed during the spring semester. A final written presentation as well as an oral defense of the research project is expected for completion of the course.
The Honors advisor for Outdoor Education students is Assistant Professor Brent Bell in NHH 205B at bbell@unh.edu.
Undergraduate Research Grants
Students pursuing the Honors designation are encouraged to seek support through the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research. Several forms of support exist:
- Undergraduate Research Awards: Students may apply for grants to support research expenses associated with their thesis up to $600 (deadlines are mid-Oct and March 1).
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (USA & Abroad) or International Research Opportunities Program grants: Honors students are encouraged to begin their research the summer before their senior year via one of these grants. This gives them the opportunity to travel to research sites to which they could not go during the academic year, and it enables them to do a more in-depth project than if it is confined to one semester or one academic year. SURF and IROP have different deadlines and award different size grants.
- INCO 590: A good way for students to do some preparatory work in their junior year, develop research techniques, explore a topic before they have to write an honors thesis proposal.
- Honor Thesis Grants (new in 2006): This is a rolling application for students who are doing their thesis and find that they have expenses they did not anticipate or an opportunity arises that would enhance their thesis results but which entails expenses (travel to a research site, sending out more surveys, etc.). These grants provide up to $150.
The honors advisor for Outdoor Education students is Assistant Professor Jayson Seaman.