Undergraduate students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln tend to gain practical, real-world experience that prepares them for career success.
Just ask Ella Humphrey, who walked knee-deep through Nebraska waterways to collect shiners to advance her natural resource research.
Check out the work of Dillon Galloway, who honed his photography skills by photographing the sidelines as he patrolled the sidelines in support of Husker Athletics.
We review designs created by architecture students who partnered with Nebraska Game and Parks to develop concepts for Nebraska State Park Visitor Centers.
Get inspired by Skyna Alhamedi, who reached for the stars (and beyond) by completing four NASA intensive programs before graduation.
These once unique experiences have become standard at Huskers as the university aligns toward achieving its N2025 strategic goal of providing documented experiential learning opportunities to all undergraduate students prior to graduation. It's coming.
“Our students are engaged in hands-on learning in all areas, and there is no shortage of opportunities available to them,” said Amy Goodburn, senior vice president and dean of undergraduate education. “We plan to achieve this goal by 2026, but due to the impact of COVID-19, we have had to postpone it by a year.”
To achieve this goal, the university's nine colleges are working with the Office of the Vice President to track and (in many cases) expand the experiential learning opportunities offered. To date, 3,140 students from her fall 2022 to 2023 cohort have completed the practical program. This includes more than a third of him in the 2026 class.
“As of the fall 2023 semester, 446 students have enrolled in at least two different experiential learning programs,” Goodburn said. “Fifty people got at least three and two got four.
“Our students embrace and take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to pursue their degrees.”
The EVC website has a growing list of experiences categorized by type, from study abroad opportunities and internships to community involvement and leadership offerings.
The university is committed to providing experiential learning opportunities sooner so students can gain experience and decide whether their chosen academic path really aligns with their passion. One example is the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's Experience Lab, which provides students with the opportunity to “hands on from day one.”
Launched in 2021, the Experience Lab offers a variety of opportunities for students to learn about industries, from student-led advertising agencies working with real-world clients to news services providing news for publications across the state. doing.
During their first semester on campus, college students spend four to six hours each week exploring their professional interests in at least one experiential lab program. A student participates in the program over her three semesters and must earn three credit hours while developing her industry skills.
“The aim is to give students the opportunity to experiment, play and hopefully fall in love with a career in journalism. Or give them the opportunity to quickly realize that this field is not for them. '' said Shari Behr, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Our Experience Her Lab is a true opportunity for students to understand their passion and start pursuing it from day one of their college experience.”
The program is popular and steadily growing each semester. Approximately 330 students are currently enrolled, and the number is expected to increase to more than 400 by fall 2023.
“We have students volunteering in our lab, but they're not there for credit, they're there to learn different skills,” Bale said. “And we have a lot of students coming to us from other majors to get these experiences.”
Other unique experiential opportunities available to students across the university include masterclasses with world-class performers through the Hixson-Reed College of Art and Performing Arts. Community Impact Design/Architecture in the School of Architecture. Entrepreneurial Ventures in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Global Exploration in the College of Business. Industry-leading internships in the School of Engineering. Case studies in the Faculty of Education and Human Sciences. Serves as a research assistant for a prominent faculty member in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Work with clients in clinics offered by the College of Law.
“Experiential learning is a real strategic focus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” Goodburn said. “We are preparing our students to be world-ready and develop the skills they need to excel in their career fields and contribute to communities in Nebraska, across the nation, and around the world. Masu.”
Read more about University of Nebraska-Lincoln students' hands-on learning experiences on Nebraska Today.
