All About Experiential Learning

Kamora Johnson

McKay Student Ambassador

Physical Education

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"Our ultimate goal is for every BYU student to have at least two [inspiring, experiential learning] experiences during their time at the university"

- President C. Shane Reese

BYU wants every student to participate in experiential learning because some of the most meaningful learning happens outside the classroom. Experiential learning is meant to help students grow intellectually, professionally, and spiritually. To make experiential learning more accessible, we’ve compiled a list of experiential learning opportunities and examples.

What is experiential learning? 

At BYU, experiential learning is learning through real-world experiences paired with intentional reflection. Instead of only studying concepts in a classroom, students apply what they learn through opportunities like internships, research, study abroad programs, fieldwork, campus leadership, and capstone projects.

BYU’s experiential learning framework is built around four main principles: inspiration, intention, integration, and reflection. Students are encouraged to seek spiritual inspiration, set meaningful learning goals, apply classroom knowledge in real-life settings, and reflect on how those experiences shape their future goals and understanding.

You can learn more about experiential learning here.

Experiential learning is split into 6 categories: campus engagement, culminating learning experience, field study/field work, Internship, research, and study abroad. Here is a list of the official definitions of these categories with examples:

1. Culminating Learning Experience: students increase and/or demonstrate mastery of knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

• Professionalizing experience

• Capstone/Project-based learning

• Competition (competing)

• Conference/Symposium/Workshop

• Creative activity (performing)

• Festival (performing)

• Portfolio

• Public performance (e.g., final show)

• Recital

• Senior project or thesis

  
  

2. Field Study/Field Work: A faculty-led, academic study or work opportunity in a real-world setting.

3. Internship: Structured learning that takes place in a professional setting.

• Clinical

• Off-campus internship

• On-campus internship

• International internship

• Practicum

• Student Teaching

  
  

4. Research: Faculty directed study of a subject which seeks to discover new information or reach new understanding; or application of a discipline to develop new practices, processes, policies, resources, or tools.

• Conference (presenting)

• Mentored practice or product

• Mentored research

• Publishing

  
  

5. Study Abroad: A faculty-led, academic study experience where students are exposed to different cultures, people, and environments.

6. Campus Engagement:

• BYUSA

• Club leadership

• Service Learning

• Student employment

• Teaching assistantships

My Experiential Learning Experience - Field Study

This spring semester, I had the opportunity to go on a Church history travel study through BYU. It was a 4-credit religion class where we spent 18 days traveling through Missouri, Nauvoo, Iowa, and Nebraska while learning about important events in Church history. I loved this experience because we weren’t just reading about Church history in a classroom, we were actually standing in the places where these events happened. It made everything feel so much more real and meaningful. I didn’t realize how much I didn't know about the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until I experienced it firsthand. I also loved getting to learn alongside other students who were excited about the experience too. More than anything, this trip strengthened my testimony in ways I didn’t expect. It helped me better understand the sacrifices, faith, and dedication of early Church members, and it made me even more grateful for the gospel.

This experience reminded me why experiential learning is so valuable. There’s something powerful about stepping outside of a normal classroom setting and learning through real experiences. I would highly recommend this program and other experiential learning opportunities at BYU because they can be so impactful and help you become a better teacher and disciple of Christ.

If you would like to learn more about the Church history travel study click here.

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If you have any questions about a major in the McKay School do not hesitate to meet with a student ambassador! Click here to schedule an appointment.