There are four transcribed credential options for Honors College students studying Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts:

If you are a current degree-seeking student at UNM, regardless of your field of study, you have the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Design (often called I-Design). You do not have to be an Honors College student to earn your I-Design certificate.

This certification is a great way to connect with a community of scholars at UNM doing research, teaching, and service. While earning this certification, you'll continue developing problem-solving and analytical skills, ways to collaborate with others, and building your skills to support communication and engagement in your community.

The I-Design certificate is a great fit for you if you're interested in:

• Developing research methods in an ethical and culturally responsive way
• Improving and reimagining communities
• Problem-solving through multiple lenses, including art, science, and culture
• Collaborating with others for working methods, prototyping, and other processes designed to improve your skillset

You'll complete a total of 12 credit hours from three or more departments:

• Design Thinking (ARCH 2151)
• Remaining credits fulfilled through a list of approved courses, which can double-count with your major or elective requirements
  • You can take up to 6 credit hours from one department
    • For example, ARCH 2151 is 3 credit hours and will fall under the Architecture department, so you could take up to 3 more credit hours in Architecture
  • You can take a maximum of 3 credit hours of independent study

For more information, please visit the Interdisciplinary Design Certificate website. 

Please contact Honors Advisors (honorsadvisors@unm.edu) or Megan Jacobs (mejacobs@unm.edu) with any questions. 

The Honors College encourages students who can to participate in international opportunities and to gain an international perspective. To this end, the college recognizes students who complete one of the four Honors College Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts options and who complete both an international program and either a minimum of 2 years of language or equivalent coursework with an international focus.

International Distinction Requirements:

• International Educational Experience Abroad - 6 Credit Hours

And either:

• Proven Proficiency in a Foreign Language OR 12-credit hour coursework in a Foreign Language
  Or
• International Topics Courses - 12 Credit Hours

Requirements (12 CH)

• At least 9 CH must be from JEADI Distinction Approved Honors College Courses
• 3 CH can be from Critical Analyses of U.S. and Global Cultures (CAC) list or UHON/HNRS
• 3 CH of the 12 CH must be upper division

Students must complete one of the four Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts credential pathways in order to earn the JEADI distinction. The JEADI Distinction courses do not need to be in addition to coursework already completed for the Honors Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts credential.

Independent Studies

It is common for Honors students to envision educational opportunities unaccounted for in the usual course listings where Honors College faculty make sense as supervisors, mentors, etc. To execute these, students create Independent Studies (IS) of UHON 399 or 499 for 1-3 Credit Hours depending on the specifics of the study.

To do an IS requires coordination with the faculty advisor and the completion and approval of the IS through the Honors College Curriculum Committee. Upon filling out the form, approval comes from first the advising professor (so let them know the form has been submitted) and then the Honors College Curriculum Chair.

Steps to Create an Independent Study Proposal in the Honors College

1. Meet with your professor to discuss your proposed study and secure his/her approval for the project you envision.
2. Prepare a detailed project prospectus to upload as part of your submission.
   
   
   • Problem: Define the rationale and delimit your problem area (explain your interest in pursuing the project). How does this project relate to your degree objective?
   • Purpose and Objectives: What do you hope to accomplish?
   • Procedures: Explain the methods you expect to use and any unusual requirements for materials, equipment or facilities. Include a timeline.
   • Outcomes: What will be the tangible results (deliverables, i.e. software course code, papers, reports, products, or summaries) of your study?
3. Course number and Credit varies—be sure to include the number of credit hours when you propose your study and when you register in Loboweb.
4. Fill out and submit the Independent Study Form, ideally by the end of the semester prior to your study.
5. Notify your professor that the submission is ready for their review.
6. If your proposal is accepted by the professor and HC Curriculum Chair, you will be notified with registration details.
7. Like other courses, you must register before the add sections semester deadline passes. The above steps take time and involve many people. The Honors College cannot be responsible if you wait too long to initiate the steps. Also, please check that you are registering for the correct number of credit hours (1-3) for the independent study. To learn how to change credit hours on the Registration Portal, please watch the Changing Credit Hours video by UNM Information Technologies. 
8. Prepare for your independent study course! 

Honors College Capstones