EPIC stands for Experiential, Project-based, Interdisciplinary Curriculum. The EPIC program is being developed and run as a pilot program at GSU campuses. It is an optional portion of the undergraduate experience. EPIC aims to provide research experiences to students regardless of background or area of study.

EPIC is comprised of:

• Over 400 undergraduate students
• Over 75 faculty, staff, and student assistants
• Over 50 educational faculty
• 5 colleges (Andrew Young School, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education and Human Development, Honors College, & Perimeter College) and 25+ departments

Contact [email protected] to see what opportunities might be available. Incoming freshmen can sign up for an “EPIC Experience” FLC during registration through GoSOLAR.

Explore the Project Labs page for subjects you may be interested in and email the lab leaders to secure a spot for the next semester.

Project Labs are course meetings with discrete long-term goals designed to be accomplished through research and outreach. Typically, a faculty member with interest in a specific research topic will begin a Project Lab and coordinate student involvement through a Perspectives course connected to the lab work. Project Labs are often ongoing, with semester-specific goals (papers, presentations, or other media) set individually between student and faculty.

Course Connections are lessons within courses that demonstrate a subject’s application in another field. For example, a political science course might have a lesson on statistics for use in public opinion polling.

• (1.1) Increases undergraduate scholarship support by connecting EPIC students to GSU programs, Project Labs, and building community between program faculty and students
• (1.3) Building a Signature Experience by connecting freshman to GSU Project Labs that allow students to build real-world skills and experience working with communities throughout their undergraduate tenure
• (2.1) Expands opportunities for doctoral students to develop professional experience teaching innovative educational programs and working in interdisciplinary educational communities

• (3.1) Provides new research opportunities for the GSU community by researching and piloting curriculum enhancement and introducing freshman to opportunities for building their own undergraduate research
• (3.3) Enhances faculty experience by building cross-discipline connections across the university
• (3.5) Enhances GSU’s national leadership in undergraduate education by modeling innovative curriculum to include the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Professional Schools, in addition to traditional STEM fields and to include most students from the beginning of their freshman year.
• (4.1) Strengthens GSU’s connections with the Atlanta community through projects that connect students and local communities to build resources for Atlanta and beyond.
• (4.3) Pulls faculty, researchers, and students from diverse backgrounds and affiliations to unite educational efforts and work towards common outcomes through Project Labs

Involvement with EPIC promotes interdisciplinary collaboration with other faculty, offers training opportunities in evidence-based practice education, allows connections with students in new and different capacities, and provides a support network with faculty across the university. EPIC instructors can also receive support in creating and implementing their own project labs.

The EPIC model relies upon paired courses and project labs to create a more cohesive educational experience for students throughout their undergraduate studies. Students can more easily understand and therefore build upon the connections throughout their coursework. 

Before teaching an EPIC course, instructors will work with program leadership and/or previous EPIC instructors to understand the core components of EPIC course development and execution. Already Existing EPIC courses will have established course content links. All EPIC courses should hold evidence-based approaches and ideas at their foundation. 

Ideally, the curriculum of a course should not change when taught under the EPIC umbrella. When possible, instructors should incorporate elements of active, experiential learning such as guided research activities or visits with graduate research projects or local programs related to the subject area (film screenings, volunteer organizations, museums, professional fairs, GSURC, etc.). If teaching a paired course, instructors should follow the guidelines for paired course instruction provided by the program manager.  

No. Paired and Highly-Adaptive Courses should capitalize on overlapping material in other courses that many students in the class are taking or will likely take during their core, but should not rely on students taking other specific courses. 

EPIC GRA’s are always available as a resource to EPIC instructors. TA’s will be considered on a case by case basis. Email [email protected] for more information pertaining to your situation.

While incoming freshmen are eligible for EPIC FLC’s, any student with core courses can take EPIC paired courses, and all students are welcome (both graduate and undergraduate) to participate in EPIC Project Labs. 

All EPIC programs stress learning through hands on engagement with the world around you. EPIC students will leave the classroom on tours, engage with researchers and experts in their field, and present their learning and research in ways that are immediately relevant to their area of interest. 

Joining an EPIC Freshman Learning Community (FLC) as an incoming freshman can help expand your academic experience and better prepare you for a career after college. An EPIC FLC will allow you to work with different departments and organizations outside your chosen major, connect with local community and business leaders, work with other students with similar areas of interest, and provide you with practical experience connected to your major. 

Project Labs are varied and have constantly-changing goals. If you have questions regarding your current work in a Project Lab, speak with the professor or graduate assistant as soon as possible. Sharing your specific skills and experiences may spark a new idea– and possibly a new part of the Project Lab!