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.

 
 
 
 
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Amazon Experiential Learning Sustainability Jamie Becker
Enhancements produce workplace-ready grads
Alvernia students develop knowledge and skills outside traditional academic settings, including Thailand and the Amazon rainforest.
O'Pake Fellows
O’Pake Fellows
The O’Pake Fellows Program allows students from diverse majors and backgrounds to work directly with regional entrepreneurs, small business owners, faculty researchers and industry leaders.
Washington Center
Washington Center
The Washington Center offers residential academic programs and internship experiences for Alvernia students. It also presents seminars focused on political party conventions and the Presidential Inauguration during Presidential election years.
Study Abroad to China 2019
Study Abroad
The Office of Global Engagement offers a variety of short-term faculty-led programs, as well as semester and year-long programs.
Header School of Business Trading Lab Bloomberg Terminal
Bloomberg Terminal
Alvernia's Header School of Business brings the real world into the classroom with the Bloomberg Terminal, a resource used by leading business and financial professionals worldwide, the essential computer software used in the financial sector.