Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP)

VIP is for students who want to learn by contributing to a real project with a faculty-led team. It works well for students who are new to research and want a supported way to begin, and for students with more experience who want to keep building depth, responsibility, and leadership over time.

The current Boise State VIP structure includes no prerequisites, which makes many teams accessible to students who have not done research before.

• join a real project rather than work on a hypothetical assignment
• learn with and from students at different levels
• contribute to a team over more than one semester
• earn academic credit while building research, creative, technical, or communication skills
• start in a smaller role and grow into more advanced work

What students do in VIP depends on the team, the project, and the student’s level of experience. In general, students contribute to a shared long-term project and take on responsibilities that fit both the team’s needs and their own stage of development.

 Students in VIP may:

• attend regular team meetings
• contribute to project tasks between meetings
• help gather, analyze, design, build, document, or communicate project work
• collaborate with peers from other disciplines
• report on progress and next steps
• take on larger responsibilities as they gain experience

At Boise State, each VIP project is offered as a section of VIP 200, VIP 400, or VIP 500, which allows students at different levels to participate in the same broader team while taking on roles that fit their stage and experience. Students can register for 1 or 2 credits in a semester.

 Undergraduate students can register for VIP 200 for up to 4 semesters and VIP 400 for up to 6 semesters. Graduate students may register for VIP 500 for up to 6 semesters. VIP courses are set up in the course catalog to support flexibility and long-term engagement.

VIP credits typically count as elective credits, though in an increasing number of cases they may also connect to research, experiential, internship, or capstone requirements. Students should talk with an advisor or department chair about how VIP may fit into their degree plan.

VIP is intentionally built for students at different stages. Beginners can join without prior experience, learn the team’s workflow, and start contributing in a supported environment. The no-prerequisite structure and multi-level course design make that possible.

 More experienced students can stay with a project longer, take on more complex responsibilities, and help newer students learn how the team works. This vertical structure is one of the strongest features of the VIP model because it supports both continuity of the project and growth for students over time.