Experiential Learning Graduation Requirement

Through Experiential Learning, students learn by doing – becoming practitioners, researchers, explorers, and leaders in the classroom and beyond. The hands-on, project-based experiences, internships, and research students complete as part of the Â鶹ɫÇéƬ's Experiential Learning Requirement provide our students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to soar.

Through experiential learning, students transform learning into doing. By engaging directly with real-world challenges, students develop critical skills, gain confidence, and gain a broader perspective. This powerful combination of classroom and hands-on experience deepens academic understanding, prepares students for meaningful careers, and sets them apart in a competitive world.

Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR) ensures all students integrate academic knowledge with practical experience, fostering professional readiness, civic engagement, and global awareness.

Â鶹ɫÇéƬ students complete the Experiential Learning Requirement by engaging in one of five approved pathways listed below. Each option provides meaningful, hands-on learning in academic, professional, or community contexts. 

Requirements

Students complete the Experiential Learning Requirement by completing one (or more) of the following: 

  • An experiential learning course (listed in the General Education section of the University Catalog);
  • An internship, co-op, or practicum (paid, unpaid, for-credit, or not-for-credit);
  • An original research project or creative work undertaken with a faculty sponsor (40 hours);
  • A volunteer experience or community service work study position with a non-profit, government, or global organization (40 hours); or
  • A study abroad experience with 40 hours of cultural engagement or non-profit volunteer work.

Important Notes

  • Students will not be expected to begin work on fulfilling this requirement until after their first year.
  • Transfer students who entered Â鶹ɫÇéƬ with 24 or more credits are exempt from the requirement. 
  • Students who entered Â鶹ɫÇéƬ during the 2023-2024 academic yea do not need to complete the Experiential/Engaged Learning graduation requirement.
  • Students wishing to use a non-credit internship or volunteer experience to satisfy Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Experiential Learning Requirement should consult with their dean in advance to be sure that the internship or volunteer experience will qualify.
  • Experiential Learning Requirement completion is noted on each student's progress tab in RogerCentral.

Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR)(formerly the Engaged Learning Requirement) ensures all students integrate academic knowledge with practical experience, fostering professional readiness, civic engagement, and global awareness. Â鶹ɫÇéƬ students complete the Experiential Learning Requirement by engaging in one of five approved pathways listed below. Each option provides meaningful, hands-on learning in academic, professional, or community contexts. 

The Experiential Learning Requirement is listed in the General Education section of the University Catalog. 

Approved Pathways

Experiential Course

Courses that meet the Experiential Learning Requirement (either previously approved or approved through the Faculty Senate curricular process) listed in the General Education section of the University Catalog and include experiential elements and practical application of the content in real-world context

ELR Certification Process: Automatic upon successful completion of courses with ELR designation in Â鶹ɫÇéƬ Course Catalog under General Education

Internship, Co-op, or Practicum

Minimum of 40 hours at eligible placements include for-profit, non-profit, or governmental organizations, paid or unpaid (salary, stipend, or work study), credit-bearing (may also fulfill major/minor requirements) or non-credit-bearing 

ELR Certification Process: Automatic upon completion of for-credit internships, practicums, and co-ops; Students must complete the  form to seek certification of non-credit internships

Study Abroad Experience

Semester-long or short-term Â鶹ɫÇéƬ Study Abroad program with at least 40 hours of cultural engagement or non-profit/volunteer work

ELR Certification Process: Automatic upon completion of Â鶹ɫÇéƬ study abroad program

Original Research or Creative Project 

Minimum of 40 hours of research, work on creative work or performance, or work on senior thesis undertaken with a faculty sponsor (curricular or co-curricular) with goal to share internally (e.g., Digital Commons, SASH) or externally (e.g., conferences, publications)

ELR Certification Process: Faculty sponsor submits a  at the start of the research/project and submits passing grade upon completion

Volunteer Experience

Minimum of 40 hours of service with non-profit, governmental, or global organization, completed independently or through campus groups or organizations (e.g., Alternative Spring Breaks, service trips, and Community Service Work Study positions)

ELR Certification Process: Students must complete the  form to seek certification of volunteer experience

Certification of ELR Completion Process Summary

Progress and completion of Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Experiential Learning Requirement is noted in the Progress tab in RogerCentral under General Education.

Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Experiential Learning Requirement will automatically be certified as complete for students who successfully complete an experiential course (as identified in catalog); a for-credit internship, co-op, or practicum; an Â鶹ɫÇéƬ Study Abroad program, or a non-credit research course (enrolled by faculty).

Students seeking to meet Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Experiential Learning Requirement via completion of a non-credit internship or volunteer experience must complete the  form for their dean’s review and approval. If approved, the dean will email the student, the Office of the Registrar, and the Provost’s Office with notice of satisfaction of Â鶹ɫÇéƬ’s Experiential Learning Requirement, and the Registrar will note ELR completion in RogerCentral.