HON 349

Public Experience Seminar Alternative

**This HON 349 course description and requirement information is only for students who start Honors in Fall 2025 and beyond.**

A student posing in front of an ice cave in Iceland.
A student posing in front of a podium in the Pentagon.
A student posing with a paddle pretending to play guitar while traveling down rapids.

The Public Experience Seminar Alternative (HON 349) allows students to earn Honors credit for substantial experiential learning opportunities that place them in real-world environments where they apply their skills, test their values, and navigate unfamiliar contexts. These experiences typically take place outside of the University of Maine, though students may request exceptions. 

Eligible experiences may include research, internships, travel study, public service, community engagement, creative projects, or other applied work conducted outside the structure of traditional coursework. The emphasis is on stretch experiences: opportunities that move students beyond the comfort and the familiarity of campus life to develop an understanding of public engagement, leadership skills, and applied scholarship.

To qualify, an experience must:

  • Occur outside of UMaine classrooms, laboratories, and student employment
  • Involve engagement with people, institutions, or communities beyond the university
  • Require significant independent initiative and self-direction
  • Provide learning opportunities or professional development not available through existing coursework
  • Entail a time commitment comparable to that of a 3-credit course (approximately 135 hours, which can include preparation time for the experience as well as the experience itself)

Paid experiences may count if they meet the criteria above. Simply performing routine job responsibilities or work unrelated to your academic or public engagement goals is not sufficient.

Process:

Step 1: Students must complete an HON 349 Public Experience Seminar Alternative application form at least one month before embarking on the experience that includes a brief proposal outlining their planned experience, responsibilities, and the length of time they will be engaged in the experience. You will be notified if your proposal is approved within two weeks of submission. 

Step 2: Students will be enrolled in HON 349 by the Coordinator of Academic Advising and Student Success – Sandra Cáceres Tijerina in the semester following the completion of their project. As part of the requirements for HON 349, students will submit the following to the Brightspace page for the course:

  • At least digital 6 photos that could be suitable for the Honors College website, social media, or marketing. If you are working/studying in a situation where photographs are restricted, be creative in taking photos of yourself in front of the building where you work;  with your supervisor, colleagues, or friends; or the community in which you are living.
  • Your choice of a written essay OR a short video (5 min) reflecting on your tutorial alternative experience. The essay or video must explain the significance of the experience, what was learned, and why it matters to others. (The HON 349 syllabus will have more information about this expectation and will be available on Brightspace when you are registered for the course).
  • When relevant, evidence of successful completion of any coursework involved in the tutorial alternative opportunity (for example, a transcript of courses completed during Study Abroad).

If you started Honors before Fall 2025, HON 349 requirements can be found here: HON 349 requirements prior to Fall 2025. If you are unsure which requirements apply to you, please reach out to your Honors College Academic Advisor.

Honors College Academic Advising