Academics

Curriculum

All incoming WISE students will follow a 20 credit sequence taken over four years, along with their major and degree requirements. The four-year curriculum is designed to promote academics, research, service and leadership. For students starting in Fall 2021, the requirements are shown below. For students who started Fall 2017 through Fall 2020, please see the notes section.

A. Course Sequence

A WISE Honors student must take the following course sequence (or their equivalents):

	Fall	Spring		Any Semester	Focus
First year	WSE 101 (1c)	WSE 105 (1c)			*Academics*	*Research and Career*
Second year	WSE 380 (3c) (offered both semesters)	WSE 205 (1c)			*Academics*
Third year	WSE 201 (3c) (offered both semesters) WSE 381 (1c) (offered both semesters)			WSE Practicum (Choose one - 2 credits) WSE 475, WSE 477, WSE 487, WSE 488	*Service*
Fourth year	WSE 401 (1c) (offered both semesters)	WSE 405 (1c)			*Leadership*
	WSE 495 (3c)		WSE 496 (3c)		*Thesis or Design Project*

• Students will take WSE 101 and WSE 105 in the first year.
• WISE Practicum for a total of 2 credits can be taken at the same time or after WSE 381. This can be accomplished by taking a WISE Practicum Course (WSE 475/477/487/488) or a course under a different designator with the appropriate approval.
• Students entering WISE Honors after the first semester of their first year will follow a modified course program according to the time spent in College and the approval of the WISE Program.
• Every WISE student must submit a letter of intent containing a detailed description of the student’s intended senior thesis or design project in WSE 495/496. An appropriate thesis (single-authored by the student) must be submitted at the end of the second semester and an oral report must be made at the annual WISE Symposium. These rules apply to students doing their theses or projects under the WSE designator or under a departmental designator. Students must obtain WISE program approval for registration under a designator other than WSE.

B. Requirements to maintain WISE Honors Program membership and receive transcript notation

Pass all of the courses of WISE Honors curriculum with a C or higher grade, including a Senior Thesis or Design Project;
Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
Not be found guilty of academic dishonesty; and
Cleared through Community Standards to ensure no University Code of Conduct policies have been violated.

Students who receive a grade of C- or lower in a WISE Honors course (those with the WSE designator) may request to repeat the course toward WISE Honors requirements.

Note: For students starting Fall 2017 through Fall 2020, follow indicated curriculum with these exceptions: Choose two different practicum experiences for 4 total practicum credits. WSE 205 and WSE 405 are not required.

WISE Courses

A seminar-type course composed of discussions and explorations of the various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, possible career paths, and its worldwide relevance. Some lectures include visits of guest speakers who describe their respective fields of expertise and the opportunities for students entering the field today. Other topics include ethics, research and career opportunities, intellectual property and entrepreneurship. The interdisciplinary, universality and civic value of STEM are emphasized and established through students’ projects that link STEM to other disciplines including global issues, humanities and the arts.

1 credit, letter grading

Spring

SBC: Partially fulfills GLO

Prerequisite: Admission to the WISE Honors Program or permission of the instructor and department
This course examines how gender intersects with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in historical and contemporary contexts. This examination highlights how social, ethical, political, economic and cultural factors shape historical and contemporary understandings of STEM knowledge, as well as attitudes toward those who practice in STEM fields. The course focuses on women's historic and current participation in STEM disciplines, including why so few women are involved in these fields. We will consider how stereotypes are reinforced by popular culture and explore how we might reimagine STEM knowledge and practice to incorporate greater diversity.

Not for credit in addition to WSE 242.

3 credits, letter grading

Fall & Spring offerings

SBC: HUM; Partially fulfills GLO; DIV

Prerequisite: WSE 105
An active learning course that builds upon the awareness of self and knowledge of career fields, focusing on preparation for experiential learning. Students will gather and organize knowledge, skills, strengths, and artifacts of their collegiate accomplishments, and apply a strategic marketing lens for designing their professional brand by crafting a resume, personal brand statement, LinkedIn profile, elevator pitch and cover letter. Students will actively apply for experiences on and off campus as part of the course.

Prerequisite: WSE 105

1 credit
This course consists of a combination of theory and practice. The theoretical component involves an overview of research methodologies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, including literature reviews, research design, data collection, and quantitative analyses. In addition, there is a hands-on experience in doing research in STEM disciplines. Students may perform research in laboratory of their choice under the supervision of a faculty member and prior approval of a research plan by the course coordinator, or may select among some offered research experiences. Within the research settings, students are given background literature, instructed in the problem to be studied, learn the necessary technical tools, jointly make a research plan and carry out experiments related to the problem, and discuss the social implications of the research problem. Students prepare papers and/or make presentations related to the projects in which they participate. Not for credit in addition to WSE 187.

3 credits, letter grading

Fall & Spring offerings

SBC: TECH

Prerequisite: WSE 105
In this course, students will apply social science knowledge and methodologies to learn how to integrate meaningful community service within the context of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to enrich the learning experience, engage in civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. STEM-related skills based knowledge such as design optimization, systems and subsystem interconnectedness, constraints, trade-offs and side effects, and ethical considerations will be acquired as result of the participation in the course. Students will be evaluated on the identification of a community need, the STEM design aspects of their proposed solution, and their communication of the problem, research and solution. As part of the course, direct engagement with community partners during and after the design phase should be established as students learn how to engage civically as part of a democratic citizenry with the depth of commitment to community service that the 21st century demands.

1 credit, letter grading

Fall & Spring offerings

SBC: SBS

Prerequisite: WSE 380
This course will provide an in-depth examination of the essential components of leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The course will explore how leadership theory, drawn from the social sciences, applies to real-life situations and challenges in STEM education, industry, and policy. Key concepts of leadership will be introduced including: knowledge of organizational structures, culture, power, communication (written, verbal and non-verbal), politics, decision making, problem solving, collaboration, ethics, and diversity. Students will apply theory in action by participating in STEM leadership opportunities through mentoring, tutoring, research, and/or service-learning experiences at the university, local communities, and/or industry internships.

1 credit, letter grading

Fall & Spring offerings

SBC: STAS

Prerequisite: WSE 381
This course examines factors that shape contemporary careers and ways in which individual adaptability is critical for long term success in a rapidly evolving career landscape. You will learn a proactive approach to career and life design to plan for continual development of skills and competencies that fuel career growth. A focus on developing and nurturing a network of professionals in a wide variety of fields, requiring elevated communication and outreach skills. A financial planning piece will incorporate budgeting, loan repayment, and personal fiscal planning.

Prerequisite: WSE 205

1 credit
This is a first course of a two-semester, six-credit, research or creative project in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to be approved by the course coordinator and a faculty supervisor. Students may substitute an appropriate credit-bearing departmental honors project, senior design project or thesis. At the end of the first term, a progress report is expected; at the end of the second term, the student must make an oral presentation at either their department or at an approved event by the course coordinator and must submit an appropriate thesis. Students only receive grade upon completion of the sequence.

3 credits, letter grading

Fall

SBC: Partially fulfills: ESI, EXP+, CER, SPK, WRTD

Prerequisite: WSE 381
This is a second course of a two-semester, six-credit, research or creative project to be approved by the course coordinator and a faculty supervisor. Students may substitute an appropriate credit-bearing departmental honors project, senior design project or thesis. The student is expected to make an oral presentation at their department or at an approved event by the course coordinator and must submit an appropriate thesis. Students only receive a grade upon completion of the sequence.

3 credits, letter grading

Spring

SBC: Partially fulfills: ESI, EXP+, CER, SPK, WRTD

Prerequisite: WSE 495
Students need a total of 2 credits selected from the following courses:

Note: Similar courses taken as part of the student´s major curriculum may be used to satisfy WISE Honors requirements with approval of the WISE Honors Faculty Director.
Students assist the faculty in teaching courses and outreach experiences by conducting recitation or laboratory sections that supplement a lecture course or outreach. Permission to register requires an outlined teaching assistantship plan for a course under the supervision of a faculty member or for an outreach plan with the appropriate supervisor, which will be approved by the WISE Honors Faculty Director. The student receives regularly scheduled supervision from the faculty instructor. A final report and possibly a presentation are required. May be repeated, but only two credits of teaching practicum may be counted toward the WISE Honors requirement.

2 credits, letter grading

All semesters

Pre/co-requisite: WSE 381 or permission of the instructor and department
Students with the appropriate background and mentoring skills participate in mentoring opportunities for undergraduate or pre-college students. Permission to register requires an outlined mentorship plan for an activity or group of students under the supervision of a faculty member or professional, which will be approved by the WISE Honors Faculty Director. The student receives regular mentoring and supervision for their mentoring experiences. A final report and possibly a presentation are required. May be repeated but only two credits of practicum may be counted toward the WISE Honors requirement.

2 credits, letter grading

All semesters

Pre/co-requisite: WSE 381 or permission of the instructor and department
An independent research project with faculty supervision. Permission to register requires a research plan, the agreement of a faculty member to supervise the research and the approval from the WISE Honors Faculty Director. A final report and presentation are required. May be repeated but only two credits of internship may be counted toward the WISE Honors requirement.

2 credits, letter grading

All semesters

SBC: EXP+

Pre/co-requisite: WSE 381 or permission of the instructor and department
An independent off-campus STEM project under faculty and/or STEM professional supervision. Permission to register requires a project plan, the agreement of a supervisor and the approval from the WISE Honors Faculty Director. A work plan and final report are required. May be repeated but only two credits of internship may be counted toward the WISE Honors requirement.

2 credits, letter grading

All semesters

SBC: EXP+

Pre/co-requisite: WSE 381 or permission of the instructor and department.

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