Knights of Distinction: FAQ

Knights of Distinction

Frequently Asked Questions

The program is designed to help students “connect the dots” between what they learn in their courses and their experiences beyond the classroom. It provides a framework for students to plan effectively, to seek out meaningful, high-impact learning experiences, and to leverage those experiences to prepare for what’s next beyond UCF.

Degree seeking undergraduate students who are enrolled in at least 1 credit hour of coursework and have a UCF GPA of 3.0 or higher may apply for the Knights of Distinction program.

Students must maintain a UCF GPA of 3.0 or higher and remain enrolled in 1 credit hour or more in the fall and spring semesters in order to remain active in the Knights of Distinction program.

If your UCF GPA drops below a 3.0 while in the Knights of Distinction program you will have a semester to pull it back up to a 3.0. Should you remain under a 3.0 for two or more semesters, you will be deactivated from the program, but may reapply in a future semester once your UCF GPA has been pulled back up to a 3.0 or higher.

Absolutely! We actively encourage transfer students to consider the Knights of Distinction program as a way to get connected with university resources in their first semester. Transfer students, along with first semester freshmen, may apply for the Knights of Distinction program before they have a UCF GPA.

The time investment for the Knights of Distinction program will vary from student to student, and from semester to semester, depending on when and how you choose to meet your points. All students are required to complete a total of 225 points split across the five milestone categories (with optional flex points that you can use to help you complete each milestone):

25 points from Planning & Self-Assessment

25 points from Citizenship

50 points from Leadership

75 points from High-Impact Learning

50 points from Knights in the World

While this appears at first glance to be a great many points, in reality you can complete most, if not all, of these over the course of your UCF degree program without taking on additional responsibilities. In many cases, you will find you are already engaged in activities that will count toward your milestones. Did you talk with your advisor this semester? That’s a point toward Planning & Self-Assessment. Have you taken a service-learning class or completed an internship? Those count toward the High-Impact Learning milestone. Are you a member of a student organization, or did you attend any events in your department? Those both count toward your Citizenship points. For students who are actively working while attending college, you may find that your work experience could satisfy your Knights in the World (and potentially Leadership) points.

Yes! Once admitted to the program, students work with an advisor to complete an initial inventory to determine how many pre-existing points they have.

As you move through your undergraduate studies, Knights of Distinction advisors will be there to help you plan what experiences you wish to take and help you find new experiences you might not have considered. As a benefit of being in the program you will have access to resources within the webcourse for each milestone along with access to Knights of Distinction exclusive workshops.

In addition to the ePortfolio, you complete a couple of assignments each semester: at the beginning of the term, you give us your “to-do list”—a brief plan of what you hope to accomplish and which milestone categories you plan to focus on. At the end of the semester you submit a reflection on that semester’s experiences and what you learned.

Students in the Knights of Distinction program create an ePortfolio, a personal website designed to serve as a resume, cover letter, and professional promotion tool. As students move through Knights of Distinction they will be guided on articulating how the skills and experiences they have acquired prepare them for their post-graduation goals. By graduation, students will complete their ePortfolio so that they can show their target audience how valuable these experiences are.

Unlike an ePortfolio for a class or major, this is focused upon a target audience of your choosing (such as a graduate school application, potential employer, or scholarship application). You decide what materials you want to include to tell your story. The Knights of Distinction ePortfolio is designed to be a tool you will actually use as you move forward in your career.

Along the way, students will have workshops to assist them with collecting interesting and engaging artifacts (such as photos, videos, and other multimedia content) that show their target audience the full range of talents and experiences they can bring with them to their post-graduation goals.

Not technologically savvy? No need to worry! As part of the Knights of Distinction program you will have access to a range of resources to help you develop your ePortfolio. And many free are simple drag-and-drop applications (such as Wix or WordPress), allowing users to build a compelling and unique website with little or no technical knowledge. For those with a lot of web design experience, more advanced tools that allow for coding or other customization are also available (along with a range in between).

Although some high-impact experiences that could count toward the program, such as study abroad, might entail additional expenses, the Knights of Distinction program itself is entirely free. You do not pay tuition for the 0-credit course. Additionally, all of the platforms used for Knights of Distinction ePortfolio are free for your use, and you retain ownership and access of the ePortfolio after graduation (so you can continue to update and direct it towards the graduate schools, employers, or other audiences as you advance in your career).

You’ll need to submit the online application form with the appropriate materials (i.e., personal statement, degree audit, and milestone checklist). Visit the Apply page for more information.

For more information send us an email at KnightsofDistinction@ucf.edu