Immersive Learning
After completing a foundational course, students can then move into an immersive learning experience (ILE). An ILE is a sustained, hands-on experience in an authentic and contextually relevant environment that gives students meaningful agency, challenges their thinking, and uses guided reflection and mentorship to connect the experience to their academic, professional, and personal development.
Immersive learning opportunities -- undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, and more -- lie at the intersection of experiential learning and high-impact practices.
Through these signature GT experiences, students enhance their understanding of self as related to their field of interest. Deep reflection activities guided by faculty mentors will help students make meaning from their immersive experiences while they connect these activities to their academic pathways and future profession. Many existing learning activities will qualify as immersive learning. Students and faculty will be able to apply for other experiences to satisfy the immersive learning requirement using standard criteria.
Examples of ILEs include:
- undergraduate research (VIP, PURA, faculty-mentored),
- Start Up Lab/Create X,
- study, internships, research, or work abroad,
- internships or co-ops,
- leadership positions in campus organizations, and
- sustained community service.
Information About the ILE Application Process
Apply for ILE Approval
The application for Spring 2027 is available from October 9 - December 1, 2026. Late applications will be accepted on a limited basis with documentation of an acceptance into an ILE from December 2, 2026 - January 12, 2027.
ILE Application Questions
The application to have an ILE reviewed for application to the Leaders in Progress and Service portion of the John H. Martinson Honors Program includes questions about the engagement, intent, expectations, and interactions of the experience.
ILE Evaluation Rubric
All applications will be reviewed by a committee to assess whether the ILE meets immersive learning expectations, as determined by responses to application questions. A standardized rubric will be used by committee members in the review process.