June 9, 2026
UCalgary Admissions and Recruitment
Experiential Learning at UCalgary: What Future Students Need to Know!
As a future UCalgary student, your university experience is about more than lectures, textbooks, and exams—it’s about discovery, growth, and hands-on experiences that prepare you for life beyond graduation. That’s the idea behind experiential learning. At UCalgary, we believe every student should have the opportunity to apply what they learn in meaningful, real-world settings as part of their degree. Whether through research opportunities, internships, global learning experiences, community-based projects, or classroom experiences, experiential learning helps you connect theory to practice and build skills that last long after graduation.
Experiential learning is exactly what it sounds like: learning by doing. Instead of only studying concepts in a classroom, you apply what you've learned through real-world experiences that help you build skills, confidence, and connections throughout your degree. At UCalgary, experiential learning is designed to be part of every student's university experience. Whether you're interested in research, work-integrated learning, creative projects, community partnerships, or global opportunities, there are countless ways to put your learning into practice while you're still a student.
These opportunities begin earlier than many students expect. Even in your first year, you may find yourself working through real-world case studies, collaborating on team projects, participating in simulations, or developing practical skills in labs, studios, and clinical settings. Depending on your program, learning might also take place beyond the classroom through field schools, community-engaged projects, guest speakers, hackathons, or land-based learning experiences.
As you progress through your degree, those experiences continue to grow. You might complete a co-op or internship, contribute to an undergraduate research project, volunteer with a community partner, or participate in an international exchange. Each opportunity allows you to apply your knowledge in new settings while exploring potential career paths and developing transferable skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
Supporting these experiences is UCalgary's Office of Signature Learning Experiences (OSLE). Their team helps students discover opportunities through resources like the Experience Catalogue, supports undergraduate research through Summer Studentships, and offers workshops and programs—including the Ready for Research micro-credential—to help students build new skills and prepare for future opportunities. No matter where you are in your degree, there are resources available to help you get involved.
The value of experiential learning extends well beyond graduation. While these experiences strengthen your résumé, they also help you better understand your interests, build professional networks, and gain confidence in applying what you've learned. They allow you to explore different career paths, work alongside faculty, community partners, and industry professionals, and discover how your education can make an impact beyond campus.
Choosing a university is about more than selecting a program—it's about choosing the experiences that will shape your education. At UCalgary, experiential learning is woven throughout the student experience, giving you opportunities to learn by doing from your first year through graduation. It's one of the many ways you'll develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to start something meaningful—both during your degree and beyond.
Looking for more content? View our other blogs by clicking here