Through experiential learning, students discover their passions and turn what they love into lifetimes of career success and personal fulfillment — helping them make a positive difference in the world and the lives of others.
Alvernia’s approach to real-world learning combines hands-on educational opportunities through internships, field experiences, co-ops, clinical assignments, research projects, community service and study/service abroad programs, roles in student organizations and other creative and relevant campus experiences.
Why is experiential learning important?
Workplace performance expectations for college graduates are perhaps at their highest levels ever. Hiring organizations assume every employee will arrive with the total package of technical expertise and core skills so they can hit the ground running. As a result, college students require a breadth of learning opportunities to broaden their skill sets as part of their earning their degree. Key to this is real world, experiential learning through which students develop knowledge, skills and values from experiences outside traditional academic settings. Well-planned, supervised and assessed experiential learning programs promote interdisciplinary understanding, leadership, relationship management and develop interpersonal and intellectual skills that are in high demand by employers.
Real World Experience Awards
Alvernia offers Real-World Learning Awards to financially assist students for a variety of experiential opportunities, without reducing the amount of financial aid a student already has been awarded.