What is Experiential Education?

Experiential Education is a hands-on learning approach where students connect classroom knowledge with real-world practice. It includes opportunities like internships, co-ops, job shadowing, service learning, applied research, and other career-related experiences. These programs foster professional growth, industry insight, and meaningful engagement with communities and employers.

These experiences not only build valuable skills and confidence—they also help students explore career paths, strengthen their resumes, and make direct connections with employers. Through experiential education, students graduate more prepared, more focused, and more competitive in the job market.

Academic Credit Requirements

To earn academic credit for your internship or co-op, you must submit your Experience Request in Handshake before the semester in which you’ll be working begins — no exceptions. Submitting your request by the posted deadline ensures it will be processed by that semester’s Add/Drop deadline. Please allow up to two weeks for processing and approval.

Upcoming Deadlines:

Spring 2026: January 2

Summer 2026: May 8

 

Credit Requirements By Major

 

    1. Secure Your Internship
      • Make sure your position aligns with your academic program and career goals.
    2. Confirm Eligibility
      • Check your program’s experience requirements and consult with Financial Aid to understand any impact on your aid package.
    3. Submit Your Experience Request in Handshake
      • This must be completed before the semester begins to be considered for academic credit.
    4. Register for Your Internship or Co-op Course
      • Once approved, you’ll receive instructions to enroll in the appropriate course.
  • Before applying for academic credit for your internship or co-op, review these baseline requirements. These are general guidelines — always check with your specific course or academic program for exact specifications and eligibility, and be prepared to address or note the below specifications.

    Participation Requirements

    • Do you meet the minimum GPA?
    • Have you completed a semester at KSU?
    • Is it a paid or unpaid experience?
    • Are there prerequisite courses or standing (e.g., junior/senior status)?

    Grading Format

    • Typically Pass/Fail, but may vary by program

    Credit Type

    • May count as audit, elective, or major credit depending on your program

    Maximum Credit Hours

    • Usually ranges from 0 to 12 credit hours

    Weekly Work Hours

    • Minimum required hours vary by course and credit amount

    Faculty Coordinator

    • Assigned by your academic department to oversee your experience

    Graduation Requirement

    • Some majors require internship/co-op credit to graduate

    Repeatability

    • Some courses may be repeated for credit
    • Rotating co-ops may be eligible in certain majors

     

    View credit requirements by major
  • Need help before submitting your Experience Request? Drop in during our upcoming advising hours to get support from the Experiential Education team — no appointment needed! These sessions are scheduled ahead of each term’s credit deadline to help you stay on track.


    FALL 2025 Drop-In Hours:

    December 8th - December 19th

     

    SUMMER 2026 Drop-In Hours:

    April 24th - May 8th 

Internship & Co-op Support

Every experience matters. Whether you're leading a campus initiative, shadowing a professional, or reflecting after a tough group project—you're building internship readiness. Here's how your college years shape your competencies, one experience at a time.

 

  • NACE defines career readiness in a number competencies, and we base our services and programming around supporting KSU students in their development as aligned with the guidelines and definitions set by NACE.

    Career & Self Development

    Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.

    Communication

    Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.

    Critical Thinking

    Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

    Equity & Inclusion

    Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different cultures and backgrounds. Engage in anti-oppressive practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism and inequity.

    Leadership

    Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

    Professionalism

    Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

    Teamwork

    Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

    Technology

    Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.

  • Every experience matters. Whether you're leading a campus initiative, shadowing a professional, or reflecting after a tough group project — you're developing the skills employers value most. Career readiness isn’t built through checkboxes, but through lived moments that shape your competencies over time.

    Explore how different experiences contribute to the NACE Career Readiness Competencies:

    Experience Type Competencies Developed
    Joining a student organization Teamwork, Leadership, Communication
    Volunteering in your community Equity & Inclusion, Professionalism
    Navigating difficult courses Critical Thinking, Technology
    Talking with a career advisor Career & Self-Development, Communication
    Leading a group project Teamwork, Leadership, Critical Thinking
    Creating a digital portfolio Technology, Communication, Professionalism
  • These guiding principles outline the foundational expectations for earning academic credit and making the most of your experience. Be sure to review your specific course or program requirements for full details.

    2025 Internship & Co-op Guiding Principles 
  • KSU offers multiple pathways to help you connect classroom learning with hands-on experience. Whether you're considering an internship, a co-op, or another type of opportunity, each option is designed to support your academic goals and career development. Understanding the available structures can help you choose the experience that fits best — and ensures you meet academic requirements along the way.

    Learn More

Important Dates

Semester Which Credit will be Applied Advising Period Drop-In Advising Dates Experience Request Deadline
Fall 2025 Summer 2025 July 28th - August 8th August 8, 2025
Spring 2026 Fall 2025 December 8th - December 19th January 2, 2026
Summer 2026 Spring 2026 April 24th - May 8th May 8, 2026

Experiential Education Workshops

At Kennesaw State, we offer targeted workshops to help students prepare for and succeed in experiential learning opportunities. These sessions are designed for students at different stages—whether you're actively searching for an experience or looking to make the most of your current one. Our experiential education workshops are here to help you take the next step toward your professional goals.

Intern-vention Week

Intern-vention Week is your chance to level up before, during, or after your internship or co-op. This week-long event features daily sessions with employers and hands-on workshops designed to help you tackle real-world challenges, reflect on your growth, and turn your experience into a launchpad for your career. Whether you're just starting out or wrapping up your internship, there's something here for you.

Experience Starts Here: Internship/Co-op Orientations

Prepare to make a confident leap into your internship or co-op with this essential, one-time orientation. Offered daily for convenience, each session focuses on building professional skills and expectations—so pick the day that works best for you and get ready to step into the professional world with clarity and confidence.

Appointments

Scheduled Appointments

Students can book one-on-one appointments with an Experiential Education Advisor at any time throughout the year. These sessions are great for personalized guidance on eligibility, application steps, and course registration.

Schedule an Appointment
Drop-In Advising

Beginning two weeks before each Experience Request deadline, our team offers 15-minute virtual and in-person drop-in appointments. These quick sessions are perfect for checking your application status, asking last-minute questions, or getting help with submission.

No appointment necessary — just join during scheduled hours and get the support you need.

Your Experiential Education Advisors

Meet Madison Cantrell and Day Young, our Experiential Education Advisors in the Department of Career Planning and Development.

They help Owls earn academic credit for internships and provide support throughout the internship or co-op experience. Whether you're just getting started or already working in the field, Madison and Day are here to guide you, answer questions, and help you make the most of your opportunity.

 

Internship/Co-op FAQs

  • All internship and co-op courses are tuition and fee-bearing for-credit academic courses, except for COOP 2000 and ENGR 3398, as these are non-credit/audit courses with no academic requirements or tuition costs. A breakdown of tuition and fees based on the amount of credit hours taken.
     
    Under new federal guidelines, federal student loans being used to pay tuition will only be applied to those utilized and/or required in your course program of study. Courses that are not eligible to be paid with federal student loans will be flagged in DegreeWorks and students will be notified.

    Please read the Course Program of Study and Awarding Policy by KSU Financial Aid in full prior to registering for an internship or co-op. 
     
    At this time COOP 2000 and ENGR 3398 are flagged as ineligible for federal student aid. However, there are not tuition costs associated with either of these courses as they are not credit-bearing. 

  • In the Handshake Experience form, which serves as the application for internship/co-op credit, please respond appropriately to the specific question asking if you are an international student. Then, follow up with International Student and Scholar Services by contacting  ISSS@kennesaw.edu  to learn about the CPT/OPT process.
  • If you already have a job that you feel qualifies as a co–op or internship, review the qualifications for academic credit that are specific to your major on the left side of this page. All positions have to be approved through the Department of Career Planning & Development.
  • You can include your HR representative you’ve been in touch with and email your Career and Internship Advisor to update the information as soon as you have it.
  • Communication is key! Email your Career and Internship Advisor and your faculty member teaching your internship course as soon as possible to make them aware of your situation.
  • Congratulations! That’s a great problem to have! You’ll want to weigh the pros and cons of the offer you have and the one you’re waiting on. Does one more closely match your preferred job and location after graduation? Would one have a total compensation package that is significantly higher than the other? In terms of applying for academic credit, move forward by completing an Experience form with your first offer. Then, email your Career and Internship Advisor and internship course faculty member to make them aware of your situation.
  • Maybe, but keep in mind that KSU does not award retroactive credit. This means we cannot award academic credit for a past internship or co-op. However, if you’ve started an internship or co-op in the last 6 months and plan to continue working, check with your Career and Internship Advisor to see if you should apply for academic credit.