Experiential education is grounded in the idea of “learning by doing”: creating purposeful opportunities for students to apply knowledge and skills in relevant and practical contexts, accompanied by reflection that helps them connect these experiences with their academic, personal and professional development.
UBC’s Strategic Direction on Enhancing Experiential Education states:
Enhance experiential education opportunities to provide learners with hands-on knowledge and skills to navigate and contribute to an evolving, complex workplace and society.
The Office of the Provost & Vice-President, Academic, has been tasked with progressing this Strategic Direction at UBC Vancouver. Below, please find what is currently under way at UBC in the area of Experiential Education:
Building a shared approach
The Experiential Education Roundtable, first established in 2021, brings together unit and program leads from UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan with responsibility for diverse forms of experiential education. Drawing on scholarship and existing approaches in the field, the Roundtable has helped shape a shared understanding of the definition, values, scope and role of experiential education at UBC.
In support of UBC’s Strategic Directions 2025–2030, the Roundtable has been reconvened to help advance this work across the institution, while allowing for different academic, disciplinary and campus contexts.
A key part of this work is the UBC Experiential Education Competencies Framework. Work on the framework began at UBC Okanagan in 2023, with the stated goal of increasing access to experiential education, and to help students identify, critically reflect on, and articulate their skill development. It is designed as a flexible resource that can be applied across curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular experiences, rather than replacing discipline-specific or professional competencies.
The framework can help students reflect on what they have learned through their experiences, articulate the skills they have developed, and connect those experiences with future academic, professional and personal goals.
Experiential education across UBC
Work-integrated learning and co-op
UBC offers opportunities across disciplines that connect students with employers, research organizations and community partners. In 2024/25, UBC’s co-op programs supported a record 8,185 work terms.
- UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan together represent the largest co-op program in Western Canada.
- In 2024/25, students completed 542 international work terms in 36 countries.
Student employment and career development
Work Learn at UBC Vancouver and Work Study at UBC Okanagan provide part-time employment that enables students to apply classroom learning, develop transferable skills and build professional networks.
- Work Learn supported 3,280 student positions at UBC Vancouver in 2025/26.
- UBC Vancouver’s Career Centre has introduced InStage, an AI-supported platform for interview practice, feedback and reflection on workplace experiences.
Research experiences
Undergraduate research programs give students opportunities to work alongside faculty, develop research and analytical skills, and explore pathways to graduate study and research careers.
- NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards supported 252 full-time research positions in 2025/26.
- Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Awards provide paid faculty-supervised research opportunities for international undergraduate students.
Community-engaged learning
Curricular and co-curricular opportunities connect academic learning with community priorities while supporting students in developing as engaged citizens and leaders.
- Students participate in both course-based and co-curricular projects with community partners.
- At UBC Okanagan, 173 students participated in curricular or co-curricular Community Service Learning in 2025/26.
Capstone and applied learning
Students across disciplines participate in industry-informed projects addressing real-world challenges, including work related to technology, infrastructure and sustainability.
- UBC’s Cloud Innovation Centre, a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), brings engineering and computer science students from both campuses together to develop solutions within their academic programs.
- Past projects have included an AI-enhanced security testing platform and remote sensing approaches for forest fires.
Indigenous student opportunities
Programs at UBC Okanagan provide opportunities to develop leadership and research experience, build connections and prepare for further study.
- The Indigenous Research Mentorship Program connects undergraduate students with faculty mentors and additional research-focused programming.
- The Indigenous Pathways to Graduate Studies Program supports students interested in pursuing master’s and doctoral studies.
Looking ahead
UBC is continuing to strengthen a coordinated approach to experiential education across both campuses. Next steps include continuing the work of the Experiential Education Roundtable, advancing the competency framework as a living and adaptable resource.