How It Works

Bronco Gap Year was designed to be as accessible and affordable as possible.

That means:

• You do not have to be admitted to Boise State or enrolled in classes in order to participate in Bronco Gap Year. Anyone can participate.
• Bronco Gap Year does not have any courses that you enroll in. By moving away from a tuition-based approach, we were able to lower our program fee.

How do the credits actually work?

• Since you are not taking official Boise State or Bronco Gap Year courses, we use Boise State’s Credit for Prior Learning system to award credit at the end of your gap year experience. We use the portfolio approach, and we waive the $75 review fee.
• Your advisor and mentors will help you make a plan for gaining Boise State credit. In order to receive the credit, you would enroll as a Boise State student after your gap year experience ends. 
• Credits transfer into Boise State as general electives.
• If you are not planning on attending Boise State, your Coursera courses and gap year experiences will need to be reviewed by your university. You should contact their Registrar’s office to learn about their Credit for Prior Learning process.

Each pathway offers five different types of opportunities: we call them the building blocks.

There are credits, or a credit range, associated with each building block. You can select one, or stack several, depending on your goals.

Keep in mind, if you want to receive Boise State credit, you will need to complete the “Reflection” building block. That’s how you document your work.

Click through the tabs to get a sense of each building block.

1 credit per semester

Reflection is essential to identifying your goals, understanding your experiences, and naming your skills. Without reflection, your gap year might just feel like a handful of experiences.

The reflection and documentation component of your gap year experience will help you understand your experiences and goals, while keeping track of your work so that you can receive credit.

1 credit per semester

Created in collaboration with the Boise State Career Services team, this learning opportunity helps you develop your professional skills, such as resume-building and interviewing. We also help you to see the range of job opportunities linked to your interests.

Employer Treks/Information Sessions

Explore different career paths and learn about different industries and employers as you hear from recruiters and employees about their company’s culture and career opportunities.  Time is typically set aside for you to ask questions.  These sessions will be live on Zoom and will take 60-90 minutes.

Pathway U

Pathway U is a self-guided online career assessment that helps you explore career options based on your interests, personality, values, and workplace preferences. The goal of Pathway U is to help you find a career with purpose and meaning by helping you learn more about yourself and which careers might be a good fit based on your gifts. In addition, PathwayU offers other resources, including detailed career matches, occupational exploration, a job and internship board, and work preparation tools.

StrengthFinders

The CliftonStrengths for Students assessment uncovers which talents you rely on to build relationships, think strategically, execute plans and influence others to accomplish goals. This assessment can help you discover what you bring to the table so that you can maximize your performance in school, work, and beyond. Kelley Gould, a Career Counselor at Boise State and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, will be diving in and unpacking your strengths with you so that you can feel more fulfilled and empowered in whatever you do.

Informational Interviews

In an informational interview, you meet with a professional in a career field you are interested in to ask questions and get advice to learn more about that career and how to prepare for it.

Job Shadows

A job shadowing experience allows you to explore different occupational opportunities. It involves working with a professional in a field that you find of interest. You may be able to learn aspects related to the career, organization, workplace, and/or competencies. You will gain useful information to assist you in your career decision process.

1-3 credits per experience, depending on pathway program and specific experience

Each pathways offers a unique set of experiences that range from research projects, to internships, to job shadowing. We can also help you connect with volunteer opportunities. If you decide to do a structured experience, you will be able to select from a list of pathway-specific options.

1-3 credits

As a member of the Bronco Gap Year community, you have access to a Coursera license. That means, you can explore the 3,000+ courses in the Coursera catalog. You can take anything from The Science of Success to a Crash course on Python to Chimpanzee Behavior and Conservation.   

In addition to open exploration, each pathway offers a list of theme-specific Coursera courses.

1-3 credits, depending on pathway program and specific project

An “action project” could be anything from a research design to a community engagement effort. This learning opportunity helps focus and shape your idea, conduct essential research, and design a viable plan.