leave with a résumé, not just a transcript
You won’t graduate without doing the work.
Starting with students who entered in fall 2026, every Shawnee State undergraduate completes at least one approved hands-on experience before they graduate. It is a requirement, not a recommendation.
Real work. Required.
Every Shawnee State undergraduate completes at least one approved hands-on experience before they graduate.
Most universities hope you will do an internship. Shawnee State requires it — or one of several other things that count.
Meet the Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR).
What counts.
Beginning with students who entered in fall 2026, every new undergraduate must complete at least one approved hands-on experience before earning a degree. What counts is deliberately wide: an internship, a co-op, undergraduate research, service learning, study abroad, a clinical or field experience, a creative or entrepreneurial project, or another activity that lines up with your academic goals.
The point is not to add a hoop. It is to make sure nobody graduates having only ever been a student.
“Employers value real-world experience,” said Dr. Steven Rader, Director of Personal and Professional Development at Shawnee State. “The ELR ensures that every Shawnee State graduate enters the job market with a competitive résumé, verified skills and practical industry confidence.”
“The ELR ensures that every Shawnee State graduate enters the job market with a competitive résumé, verified skills and practical industry confidence.”
Dr. Steven Rader
Director of Personal and Professional Development
You don't have to find it yourself.
Two offices exist to make it happen rather than leaving you to find it yourself. Career Services handles internships, résumé development, mock interviews and employer networking. The Office of Personal and Professional Development coordinates leadership training, mentorship and campus engagement.
Students are encouraged to start planning early — first or second year, not the semester before graduation — and Career Services will help build the requirement into an academic plan.
Shawnee State occupational therapy and plastics engineering technology students reviewing 3D rendered models of their community project
What it looks like in practice.
If you want to see what this looks like in practice: occupational therapy students and plastics engineering students at Shawnee State spent a semester designing and 3D printing assistive devices for community volunteers who needed them. Four devices got built.
That is a requirement being met — and a community being served.
You won’t graduate without doing the work.
Starting with students who entered in fall 2026, every Shawnee State undergraduate completes at least one approved hands-on experience before they graduate. It is a requirement, not a recommendation.
Learn more about Experiential Learning at SSU