The College of Sciences (COS) Signature Experience Program offers experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students in which they can gain real-world experiences while also learning about the broader impacts of their work within their fields of study.
All undergraduate College of Sciences majors starting in the Fall 2024 Catalog, as well as students in previous catalogs, are highly encouraged to participate in a COS Signature Experience to broaden and enrich their understanding and experiences in their major fields. Additionally, the COS Signature Experience Program offers options for students to capture qualifying experiences on their transcript through credit and non-credit based courses.
Categories of COS Signature Experiences
Experiential learning requires two main elements: (1) learn by doing and (2) reflection on this learning as it relates to one's field of study and skills gained (marketable skills). There are five general categories for experiential learning that could serve as a COS Signature Experience.
- Professional Development - A semester professional development aimed at enhancing student's academic training, career readiness, and marketability.
- Internship - The opportunity for semester-long work experience in a private business or public agency related to the student's field of study.
- Research - Supervised research mentored by a faculty member engaged in active research within the student's designated area of concentration.
- Study Abroad - An international experiential opportunity that allows students to obtain valuable knowledge relevant to their field of study.
- Community Outreach - A community service opportunity in which students actively engage in the local and greater university community to promote STEM and create more STEM experiences for a broader population.
Each COS department has its own minimum requirements for what constitutes a qualifying experiential learning experience for each category. Visit your major department's website for those requirements.
Pre-Approved Course-Based Experiences
Several COS majors already have experiential learning opportunities build into their programs, which qualifies as a COS Signature Experience, and some programs offer the possibility of earning academic credit towards the degree for qualifying signature experiences. The following courses have been pre-approved by the College of Sciences to count as a COS Signature Experience. Note that students have to successfully complete the course(s) with a C- or better for letter grade-based courses or CR for CR/NC courses for it to count as a COS Signature Experience.
| Category | Pre-Approved Courses |
|---|---|
| Professional Development | BIO 3002, BIO 4002, ES 4212 |
| Internship | BIO 4123, CHE 4933, CS 4933, ES 4963, GEO 4001, GEO 4002, GEO 4003, GEO 4963, SCI 4933, UTE 4646 |
| Research | BIO 2073, BIO 3043, BIO 3053, BIO 4923, BIO 4993, CHE 4993, CS 4883, CS 4893, CS 4923, CS 4993, ES 4991, ES 4992, ES 4993, GEO 4933, GEO 4943, MAT 4913, MAT 4993, MMI 3733, MMI 4923, MMI 4993, NDRB 2952, NDRB 4923, NDRB 4993, PHY 4993, SCI 4993, UTE 3043 |
| Study Abroad | Any COS student participating in the Department of Integrative Biology's Study Abroad program in Urbino Italy (Urbino students will be registered for SCI 4400 – COS Signature Experience – Study Abroad) or Any domestic field-based experience can be counted towards Study Abroad including: BIO 4043, BIO 4233, BIO 4241, ES 412, ES 4113, ES 4123, GEO 4993 |
| Community Outreach | Any COS student participating in the COS Freshmen Interest Group who successfully completed the EPICS-based AIS 1243 has completed a COS Signature Experience. |
Zero-Hour Courses
Students may apply to have a qualifying experiential learning experience captured in a zero-hour course that will be shown on their academic transcript upon successful completion. There is one course for each category of experiential learning for lower division students (1000 level) and upper division students (4000 level).
- SCI 1100. COS Signature Experience – Professional Development
- SCI 1200. COS Signature Experience – Internship
- SCI 1300. COS Signature Experience – Research
- SCI 1400. COS Signature Experience – Study Abroad
- SCI 1500. COS Signature Experience – Community Outreach
- SCI 4100. COS Signature Experience – Professional Development
- SCI 4200. COS Signature Experience – Internship
- SCI 4300. COS Signature Experience – Research
- SCI 4400. COS Signature Experience – Study Abroad
- SCI 4500. COS Signature Experience – Community Outreach
Students would take the level that is closest to their own standing: freshmen and sophomores should register for the 1000-level courses while junior and seniors should register for the 4000-level courses. Applying for a zero-hour course follows a similar process for independent study in which the student must have approval from a faculty supervisor, department, and college. Review the COS Signature Experience Policies document below for what are minimum college-level requirements for each experiential learning type. Note that departments may have additional requirements for experiential learning.
Policies
The COS Signature Experience is optional though highly recommended for all COS majors.
COS Signature Experience PoliciesCOS majors who complete a COS Signature Experience will be recognized with regalia items they can wear at commencement and other academic events.
Questions
Contact cos.success@utsa.edu for any questions about the COS Signature Experience.
