UHP Year 3 – Signature Work Preparation

As third-year students dive into upper division and major coursework, the University Honors Program (UHP) seeks to enhance each student's educational experience by providing flexible curriculum options centered on community service, project activities, and research-based interests to help them prepare for their fourth-year UHP Signature Work. Students may begin their Year 3 curriculum any time after starting at the university and must complete all the following by the end of their third year:

• Research Preparation Workshop Series
• Community Service
• Project Activity

Transcript notation for UHP Year 3 is earned by completing each activity by the end of the academic year and meeting the UHP GPA requirement.

Research Preparation Workshop Series

All UHP students complete Research Preparation by the end of their third year. This workshop series (new in fall 2021) helps students explore their potential research interests and learn how to navigate the research university and its processes in advance of their culminating fourth-year signature work. This workshop series is offered for both continuing UHP students and incoming transfer students.  It is available fall, winter, and spring quarters 

Community Service

One of the core values of the University Honors Program is Service. Honors students exemplify service through a wide variety of opportunities; students give back through research and academics, career exploration, and local community service and global projects. By the end of their third year, UHP students must engage in at least 20 hours of community service, although most students are driven to go above and beyond. Students may also begin their service hours before they begin their third year as long as they have started at the university. Upon completion of their service hours, students complete a survey that prompts them to explore how the experience impacted their personal and professional development in addition to its potential impact on their future.

Students may also fulfill this option through the UHP Project Management Course (PMC) or through one of the Center for Leadership Learning's (CLL) two Leadership Development Programs listed below.

Project Activity

Through the Project Activity students engage in a wide variety of opportunities that help them explore their future academic and professional careers. The Project Activity allows students to take deeper dives into interesting course material, conduct research in labs, develop professional skills, grow their leadership skills, study abroad, and intern in Washington D.C. To learn more about the project options click each heading below.

Upon completion of their project, students complete a survey that prompts them to explore how the experience impacted their personal and professional development in addition to its potential impact on their future.

• Honors Contract
• An traditional Honors Contract (1-unit) allows students to create an independent project to augment a concurrent or previous upper division class to enrich and deepen the academic experience under faculty mentorship. This option can take the form of a research project, literary review, work of art, or other project.  The Special Honors Contract (1-unit) allows students to do a literature review under faculty mentorship in an area that may be preparatory for their signature work. 
• Individually Designed Project (IDP)

• An Individually Designed Project (IDP) requires that the student engage in career-related, creative, or scholarly pursuits. This hands-on, applied learning opportunity ranges from internships to service-learning to laboratories, which extend beyond the classroom. Students may already be involved in these activities (e.g., internship, research). Students do not have to create their own project in order to participate – the structure of the project or activity may already exist, such as an internship or research position.  An IDP formalizes the pursuit, requires a minimum of 30-hours over one quarter, and fulfills a year three honor project activity.

  Examples of an Individually Designed Project (IDP) include: being a research assistant in a lab, a paid or unpaid internship, designing and implementing an activity or event and more!

• Project Management Course (PMC)
• The PMC (3-units) is led by faculty who guide students in working with small teams of 4-5 on a project, much like a consulting group. Participants develop real world experience in client relations, project design and planning, research, white paper development, and service learning. Successful completion of the PMC meets both the service and project requirement.
• Center for Leadership Learning (CLL) Cultivating Leaders for Social Change (CLSC) 
• The Cultivating Leaders for Social Change program (CLSC) is a Center for Leadership Learning (CLL) certificate program that seeks to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of difference, improve individual abilities to address complex social issues, and cultivate an inclusive environment. DLDP integrates competency-building seminars and applied professional learning.
  
  Completion of the Leadership Essentials Workshop Series (LEWS)—six  topical workshops—is a prerequisite. Successful Completion of the SLDP meets both the Service and Project curriculum.
• Center for Leadership Learning (CLL) Student Leadership Development Program (SLDP)
• The Student Leadership Development Program (SLDP) is a Center for Leadership Learning (CLL) certificate program that pursues putting theory into action, testing communication skills, and developing a deeper understanding of personal leadership. SLDP integrates competency-building seminars and group project-based learning.
  
  Completion of the Leadership Essentials Workshop Series (LEWS)—six  topical workshops—is a prerequisite. Successful Completion of the SLDP meets both the Service and Project curriculum.
• Study Abroad
• Study Abroad and the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) facilitate student studies, exploration, and engagement with other cultures that broaden perspective and involvement in the world.  This third-year choice can be taken earlier if schedule and resources allow. Other international opportunities outside of those noted are discussed in consultation with a UHP advisor to determine applicability.
• Washington Program
• The Washington Program offers an opportunity to combine course work, exciting field research, and internship experience (e.g., NASA, National Institutes of Health, Smithsonian, Capitol) in the District of Columbia, allowing students to examine their perspective career path, while building a resume and developing industry contacts that can lead to employment upon graduation.
• Quarter at Aggie Square
• Quarter at Aggie Square is an academic program for undergraduates housed at UC Davis’s Sacramento campus. Even before Aggie Square opens the doors to new buildings, undergraduate programming will be offered beginning Fall 2020 in campus spaces. 

  Students will work across multiple disciplines on our urban campus. Our initial offerings focus on health and educational equity, and leveraging the health campus to inform biomedical engineering. 

  In the spirit of the Washington Program and Study Abroad, students will study with a cohort, taking all of their courses for the quarter in Sacramento, holding local internships, attending public lectures, and engaging with the regional community.