Experiential Learning

DON'T JUST SIT THERE. GET OUT THERE.

Internships. Volunteering. Studying abroad. Researching with our professors. That's the way to go. The BW liberal arts foundation plus practical experience is a proven formula for success, and we require all students to have some to graduate. Getting out there and doing is a powerful way to meet the real world confidently and hit the ground running.

While coursework is the benchmark of a college education, practical learning experiences are key to helping graduates differentiate themselves among prospective employers and graduate schools.

The requirement asks students to participate in a minimum of 30 hours of meaningful experiential learning activities. Experiences may include internships, undergraduate research, service-learning, study abroad, leadership development or other approved opportunities.

Experiential learning has always been a strong part of a BW education. Each year BW students complete thousands of hours of out-of-classroom experiences, many of which enable them to make valuable networking contacts and create impressive resumes and vitae. The requirement is another initiative by the University to help BW graduates be prepared for career and graduate school success.

There are a number of ways for a student to complete the experiential learning requirement. This list includes just a few of the possible ways:

STUDY ABROAD

While traveling throughout the world, students earn BW credit for courses, independent study projects and/or field experiences.

INTERNSHIPS

Baldwin Wallace offers an active, well-established internship program. Students successfully complete approximately 400 internships for credit each academic year in large and small businesses, nonprofit and government agencies. Some majors require participation in the internship program, but most students choose to participate voluntarily.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Our faculty understand the importance of real-world experience and mentor students by including them in research projects and business activities. Your professor might take you along to present collaborative research at a professional conference, or perhaps you'll be part of a team advising local businesses as part of the Business Plan Clinic. You'll build skills and your resume at the same time.

The faculty-student collaborative scholarship program encourages students to work with faculty outside classroom settings as they tackle the unscripted problems typical of research, scholarship and other creative endeavors.

SERVICE-LEARNING

Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities. BW's Center for Community Engagement coordinates multiple service-learning opportunities that engage students in their own education and foster lifelong connections between students, their communities and the world outside the classroom.

Individual Experience

When a student's interest in a particular topic extends beyond college course offerings, an individual experiential project can be beneficial. A student can pursue 30 hours of effortful scholarly, artistic or research-based work under the direction of a faculty or director-level staff mentor.