iCons—The Integrated Concentration in STEM—is a 20-credit undergraduate certificate program whose mission is to inspire a diverse generation of innovators with the attitudes and skills needed to solve the problems facing society.
iCons does not replace a major, it enhances a major by providing opportunities to engage with real world issues as part of interdisciplinary teams - skills that translate directly to careers at the leading edge of science, technology, and innovation. Students apply knowledge from their disciplines to existing problems of global significance, such as pandemics, endocrine disruptors, or the development of algae biofuels.
Society faces daunting technological problems in areas such as renewable energy, climate change, drug design, and clean drinking water. Complex problems demand multi-faceted solutions. iCons provides meaningful interdisciplinary training for students who aspire to be tomorrow's industry leaders.
iCons Student Learning Outcomes
- Identify parts of societal problems requiring STEM/Business thinking.
- Bring relevant STEM/Business concepts to understand real-world problems.
- Utilize diversity of people and thought to fuel creativity in problem solving
- Maximize the impact of your work within real-world constraints.
- Provide and utilize constructive criticism.
- Learn from success and failure.
- Write effectively using technical arguments about societal problems.
- Speak effectively using technical arguments about societal problems.
- Communicate on STEM/Business and its impacts to a broad spectrum of audiences.
- Identify relevant gaps in STEM/Business knowledge or technical capability.
- Pose important STEM/Business questions related to societal problems.
- Design valid STEM/Business studies linked to real-world problems.
- Execute/troubleshoot STEM/Business studies to yield useful insight(s).
- Move towards working on problems that are personally and societally important.
- Scope real-world problems to identify solvable nuggets.
- Gather/deploy human and other resources needed to solve problems.
- Assess/reflect on the impact of your work.
iCons Curriculum
The iCons curriculum integrates expertise across disciplines, giving students opportunities to work with real-world case studies from day one. The program fosters collaborative learning, discovery-based projects, leadership development, and multidisciplinary analytical skills.
Students choose a theme area before registering for the second-year courses, and are expected to apply the skills of their discipline to solving a real-world problem through their undergraduate career, either through an honors thesis, research project, or engineering project. iCons students are not required to be members of the Commonwealth Honors College, but all iCons courses carry honors credit.
Courses
iCons 1: ICONS 189H Global Challenges, Scientific Solutions (4 credits) | Counts as Gen Ed Interdisciplinary; Carries Honors credit
iCons 2: ICONS 289H Integrated Scientific Communication (4 credits) | Three sections: Biomedicine/Biosystems track, Renewable Energy track, and Food-Water-Climate track (Spring 2026); Satisfies Junior Year Writing Requirement*; Carries Honors credit
iCons 3:
- ICONS 389H Team Discovery Lab in Renewable Energy (4 credits) OR
- ICONS 390BH Team Discovery Lab in Biomedicine/Biosystems (4 credits) | Counts for Upper Level Elective*; Satisfies criteria 2 and 3 of Integrative Experience Requirement; Carries Honors credit OR
- iCons 3 Business** OR
- iCons 3 Policy class**
iCons 4:
- ICONS 489FH Integrative Team Science Seminar (1 credit)
- iCons Advanced Study I: Departmental 496 (Ind. Study) or Departmental 499Y Research or Senior Design Project I (3 credits)
- ICONS 489SH Integrative Science Senior Exposition Seminar (1 credit) | Satisfies criteria 1 of Integrative Experience Requirement
- iCons Advanced Study II: Departmental 496 (Ind. Study) or Departmental 499T Thesis or Senior Design Project II (3 credits)
*For most majors. Check with iCons advisor.
**Check with iCons advisor about availability. Classes will not satisfy criteria 2 and 3 of Integrative Experience Requirement and will not carry Honors credit.