Experiential learning
Integrating classroom learning with real-world challenges and scenarios
Experiential learning seamlessly blends classroom studies with practical application by integrating real-world challenges and scenarios into your learning. Our programmes give you the opportunity to apply the skills and theory that you’re learning to real organisations and see the impact firsthand.
London as your classroom
At Northeastern University London, our close partnerships with organisations of all sizes – from start-ups to multi-nationals – provide a wide range of experiential learning opportunities. And as we are based in the heart of London, on the edge of the City of London financial district and the Central Business District, these partnerships provide endless possibilities to engage with businesses of all kinds, making London an extension of your classroom.
The benefits of experiential learning
Experiential learning is incorporated into your studies at Northeastern University London, making it easier to:
- gain the work skills necessary to land a job after graduation
- develop a strong CV and the skills to go along with it
- grow your network of industry connections whilst you are studying
- develop the confidence to make an impact in your career from day one
How experiential learning works at Northeastern University London
Experiential learning is at the heart of what we do. At Northeastern University London, we offer a wide range of experiential learning opportunities built into our programmes, with extensive support to ensure you make the best of every opportunity. These include:
- curricular – activities integrated into your studies in the classroom
- co-curricular – activities designed to complement classroom learning
- extra-curricular – activities independent of any course
And because it is grounded in real-world experience, experiential learning can also take place outside of the university. Through experiential learning, we have engaged with the British Museum, the Royal Opera House, the British Library, the Museum of Brands, the Thames Barrier, ServiceNow, Tesco, Accenture, IBM, CitizensUK, UK Parliament, and many more!
Alongside activities that are built into our programmes, such as site visits, guest talks and case studies, here are some of the experiential learning opportunities you have the opportunity to engage with:
With a co-op placement you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a professional environment with one of our employer partners, typically for four to six months.
These placements provide an integrated learning opportunity that enhances both your academic experience and career development. Co-op placements open the door to exploring career paths, forging valuable industry connections, and gaining the essential skills and knowledge for career success.
Find out more about co-op here.
These give you the opportunity to develop a creative, evidence-informed solution to a complex real-world challenge, typically over several weeks. The real-world challenge might be identified by you, introduced by your tutor, or set up by external partners or communities.
The challenges allow you to engage with a problem that matters to you, that speaks to your interests and values, and that also develops your knowledge and skills in a real-world context. Regular reflective assignments and tutor, practitioner or peer feedback will help support you throughout the challenge.
These are impact challenges with strong external partner engagement, where your work is planned with the potential to directly impact critical business or organisational decisions. An XN project provides a short study-integrated work experience in a classroom setting, enabling you to gain confidence, develop new skills, and build your profile towards securing a strong co-op placement.
Northeastern University’s experiential network involves over 2,400 partner organisations world-wide, and has provided 13,000 learners with 3,000 real-world projects since 2015. There are several courses at different levels specially designed to integrate impact challenges or XN projects, such as the Ideas for Impact Experiential Project course.
Read more about it here.
These are short virtual projects for external partners, typically paid but less immersive than co-ops, and not embedded in courses like XN.
These enable you to gain in-demand skills through intensive training co-delivered and/or co-certified with industry partners, such as global digital transformation company ServiceNow.
These enable you to participate in pop-up challenge events with external and global network partners.
You can participate in cutting-edge research with academics who are among the best in their fields – all you need is curiosity, a strong work ethic, and the passion for making a positive difference in the world. This provides you with an opportunity to undertake in-depth work on an agreed challenge or topic, under the guidance of an assigned tutor.
A research assistantship (which can be a co-op) is another fantastic way for you to hone knowledge and skills as part of an active research team. Recent research that students have collaborated on include the Mapping Black London digital project, which brought together an interdisciplinary and community engaged team to help re-centre and recover the presence of communities that had been marginalised across the city’s long history.
These give you the opportunity to embed yourself in a workplace, either part-time or full-time, typically for a minimum of two weeks for a community, public sector or industry organisation. An internship allows you to ‘test the waters’ to see if a potential career is right for you. It also helps you gain experience to add to your CV and build your professional network of connections.
As part of the Northeastern University Global Network, you have some amazing opportunities to broaden your knowledge and experience at a global level.
Our semester abroad programme provides a unique opportunity to study for one semester in the USA, at either our Boston campus or Oakland, California.
There are also opportunities to participate in collaborative online international learning where you connect online across the global network on a course-related theme. It is a form of ‘virtual study abroad’. Learn more about Global experiences.
As a student you are a member of Northeastern University London Students’ Union (NUSU), and can participate in and set up clubs and societies and become a student representative. For example, as a student representative, you can represent the views of students in your year of study on all matters relating to programme delivery and student experience, gaining valuable experience in organisational governance, problem solving and planning.
This brings together students, alumni, academics and professionals in a year-round series of panel discussions, talks, workshops and Q&A on complex and significant real-world themes. Events are regularly posted on the NU London Events page.
Our Start-Up Hub catalyses and supports experiential entrepreneurship and venture initiatives across external start-ups, alumni, staff and the wider partnership network. We encourage you to get involved by joining Northeastern Young Entrepreneurs (NYE) and the Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship (WISE) clubs – part of the global Mosaic network. There are a wide range of entrepreneurship events across the year, such as Husky Start-Up Challenge and Hackathon.
Our career design team hosts a series of events and opportunities with guest speakers, alumni and industry panels across a range of sectors, as well as providing seminars on key topics such as crafting a CV. These include:
- careers clinics: 1:1 advising, practitioner workshops and weekly drop-ins
- ‘Day in the Life of’ events
- co-op and internship database with guidance and support
- mock interviews & assessments: get prepared with interview role play and simulated industry tests
- speed hiring events: explore a wide range of job opportunities and fast-track your career
- work shadowing: e.g. shadow a start-up at our Start-Up Hub
Find out more at the Employability and Careers Advice page.
All of these complement activities that are built in to your studies, such as:
- site visits – which provide opportunities for place-based learning outside of the regular classroom setting. They include excursions to galleries, museums, theatres, law courts, neighbourhoods, political institutions, social enterprises, start-ups, and other public, private and third sector organisations.
- case studies – which utilise realistic situations to help you gain a comprehensive understanding of them by placing theory in the context of complex, real-world situations.
- role play – where you take on different roles, characters or personalities as you interact with others, providing hands-on training to further develop your teamwork and communication skills.
- guest speaker events – which involve on-campus or online participation from experts and practitioners outside the university, enabling you to explore, test and refine knowledge and skills interactively with current expert perspectives and real-world practitioner insights. Read more about it here.