High-Impact Experience Requirement

Belk College students completing an internship, studying abroad, presenting a client project and participating in an entrepreneurship competition.
Belk College students completing an internship, studying abroad, presenting project-based learning outcomes and participating in an entrepreneurship competition.

Put your degree into practice.

The High-Impact Experience (HIE) requirement applies to Business Analytics, Economics, Management Information Systems, Marketing and Operations and Supply Chain Management students following the 2026–27 catalog or later. These students must complete at least one approved High-Impact Experience (HIE) before graduation.

The requirement gives you an opportunity to apply what you learn, strengthen career-ready skills and gain experience you can carry into your next step.

Ways to complete the requirement

One approved experience in any of the following categories may fulfill the requirement:

  • Internships: Complete an approved professional experience.
  • Study abroad: Earn approved credit through an international experience.
  • Project-based learning: Complete a designated course.
  • Undergraduate research: Complete an approved research experience.
  • Experiential program: Participate in an approved competition, hackathon, simulation or workshop.

How your HIE is recorded

Approved courses and for-credit experiences may appear automatically in DegreeWorks. Other experiences — including non-credit internships, competitions, research and professional work experience — must be submitted for approval.

Submit all experiences requiring review no later than four weeks before your intended graduation date. After submitting, monitor DegreeWorks to confirm that the requirement has been satisfied.

SUBMIT AN EXPERIENCE FOR REVIEW

Currently working? 

Relevant professional experience may fulfill the requirement with approval. Contact your academic and career coach before submitting your experience.

HIE and the Gold Standard

The HIE requirement and Gold Standard are related but different. One approved experience fulfills the HIE graduation requirement; three qualifying experiences earn the optional Gold Standard distinction.

Completing the Gold Standard also satisfies the HIE requirement.

EXPLORE THE GOLD STANDARD