Experiential Education: An Overview

Most undergraduate academic departments at UMass Lowell offer some form of experience-based learning opportunities. Course titles typically include one of the following terms: co-op or cooperative education; industrial experience; practicum; internship.

To identify these experiential learning possibilities you should first read the course offerings and descriptions for the upcoming semester and in the University’s catalog. Your academic advisor or the department chairperson can provide the specifics of your department’s guidelines, requirements, policies and registration procedures.

Some elements of these academically approved opportunities to gain experience are fairly consistent across academic disciplines. Most

• Carry some academic credit
• Require the approval of a faculty member
• Are limited to students who have successfully completed one or more years of college studies
• Have a minimum GPA requirement
• Require a written report based on the learning experience
• Include an evaluation by the learning site supervisor
• Have a learning contract approved and signed by the student, the experience site supervisor and the faculty advisor.

Professional Co-op Program
UMass Lowell currently offers a professional co-op option in the Colleges of Engineering, Sciences, and the School of Management.  Students from these colleges interested in participating in a professional co-op are encouraged to contact the Assistant Director of Co-op for their respective college in the Career Services & Cooperative Education Center.

Typical Process Steps
Typically – but not always – students go through a process to locate, gain approval, apply for and complete an experienced-based learning course. These process steps are outlined in "Typical Process for Internships, Co-op and Other Academically Related Experience-Based Education" (doc).

top