Experiential Learning: Internships & Co-Ops
What is Experiential Learning?
What is experiential learning? It is learning that is gained through experiences, rather than in the classroom. It is composed of work or volunteer opportunities which provide insight into a future career and build upon classroom knowledge. Experiential learning can help you to explore and clarify career interests, foster personal and professional growth, develop a professional network, and develop transferable skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork and technology.
Types of Experiential Learning
- Volunteer: unpaid experiences ranging from one-time "shadowing" to regular ongoing participation with an organization.
- Part-Time/Summer: short-term or extended on- or off-campus work experiences.
- Internships: paid or unpaid work in a field directly related to the student's area of study.
- Cooperative Education: structured educational strategy integrating classroom studies with learning through productive work experiences in a field related to academic or career goals. Provides progressive experiences in integrating theory and practice. It is a partnership among students, educational institutions and employers, with specified responsibilities for each party.
- Service Learning: University sponsored activities that promotes student leadership and awareness of community issues and unites formal academic coursework with high quality service that answers a community-identified need.
Fast Facts about Experiential Learning
- Over 3 out of 4 of all U.S. undergraduate students will complete an internship or co-op prior to graduation.
- Over 80% of companies offer experiential learning opportunities as a way to identify talent and eventually recruit full-time employees.
- Employers report that they hire 50% of their intern and co-op students as full-time employees following graduation.
Find an Experiential Learning Opportunity
- See Job Search Resources to help you find an internship or co-op.
- View internship or volunteer opportunities using your CBAY account.
- Cooperative Education at CSUEB
- Community Service Scholarship Program (CSSP) at CSUEB
- CSUEB Service Learning Information
