High-Impact Practices (HIPs) provide students with an opportunity to expand their learning inside and outside of the classroom. These opportunities integrate their academic experience to prepare students for what’s next.
UCF Abroad provides international experiences for students interested in studying or interning outside the United States as a portion of their degree program. Student participants are exposed to new environments, new customs, and in many cases new languages in an effort to broaden their perspectives and develop the skills necessary to set them apart in the global workplace. UCF Abroad offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs to accommodate all areas of study and a broad spectrum of student budgets.
Study Abroad
Experiential Learning offers a variety of internships for UCF students. Internships are temporary work experience that allows you to apply classroom learning to real-world settings. Internships may be paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, local, national, or international and can be with corporate and private businesses, government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Internships
Undergraduate Research (OUR) provides students an opportunity to engage in academic research with faculty. Students are partners in this process and benefit from gains in critical thinking and communication. Undergraduate researchers can participate in structured programs, apply for funding, and disseminate the work. Also, check out the Honors Undergraduate Thesis Options.
Undergraduate Research
Graduate School Preparation
Academic Advancement Programs (AAP) prepares UCF students — particularly underrepresented, low-income and first-generation college students — to pursue graduate school. AAP provided a range of graduate school preparation programs and services. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of initiatives designed to increase their awareness and knowledge of the graduate school application process, graduate funding, summer research programs and fellowship opportunities.
Interested in Professional School? Please contact the Office of Pre-Health and Pre-Law Advising.
Service-Learning
Experiential Learning supports service-learning (SL) classes. SL courses allow students to apply knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to meaningful service to the community. SL combines classroom learning goals and community service in a way that enhances or benefits both the student and the community.
Integrative Learning
Knights of Distinction (KoD) Program: Students who participate in KoD are able to demonstrate learning connections between theory and practice and that they possess valuable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, time-management, and communication that employers and graduate schools prize. The title Knight of Distinction recognizes students’ academic accomplishments as well as their professional and civic achievements in the world beyond the classroom.
Learning Communities
Learning communities integrate learning across courses to provide students with critical thinking experiences and opportunities for engagement beyond the traditional classroom. Students apply to most of our communities prior to arriving at UCF! Learn more about these opportunities below.
EXCEL in iSTEM: EXCEL strives to increase the number of students receiving baccalaureate degrees in STEM disciplines. The program enhances the EXCEL students’ experiences during the first two years of college through improved student learning in math and science courses, block housing shared by STEM-focused students, a tutoring center, and early engagement in research experiences.
McNair in AAP: McNair prepares students from low-income, first-generation and traditionally underrepresented groups for doctoral studies. Students participate in courses, seminars and workshops and complete a paid research project.
LEARN in OUR: Two research communities that invite students from high-school and our state colleges to participate in undergraduate research in their first year at UCF joining a community of scholars.
TRIP in OUR: A transfer life science research community. Students participate in a two-year research-based community program.
Other learning communities at UCF: Burnett Honors College, LEAD Scholars, Living-Learning Communities