Learn by Doing
Theory and practice belong together. At Bishop’s, experiential learning is woven throughout your degree. Depending on your program, you may work with community partners, contribute to research, tackle real-world challenges, complete a practicum, participate in field studies, compete in case competitions, lead a project, manage an investment portfolio or study abroad.
Experiential learning takes many forms, but the goal is the same: helping you apply what you’re learning while building new skills, perspectives and experience.
More than a single program or opportunity, experiential learning is part of how learning happens at Bishop’s. It can be embedded in your courses, connected to research, experienced in the field, or developed through partnerships with community and industry organizations.
Applied Learning in Your Courses
Many experiential learning opportunities are built directly into your courses.
Across disciplines, you may work with community partners, participate in simulations, develop creative work, contribute to research or overcome real-world challenges as part of your coursework.
In the Humanities, you will regularly collaborate with cultural organizations, archives, community partners and creative industries through course-integrated projects. In the Williams School of Business, case competitions and applied consulting experiences challenge you to solve real business problems. In the School of Education, practica and internships bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Throughout the University, experiential learning is often built directly into the curriculum rather than added to it.
Co-operative Education and Internships
Work-integrated learning takes many forms at Bishop’s. Depending on your program, you may participate in co-op, internships, applied consulting projects, case competitions, entrepreneurial experiences and other opportunities that connect academic learning with professional environments. In the Williams School of Business, you can also gain experience through opportunities such as the SEED Portfolio and case competitions.
Co-op in the Williams School of Business alternates academic semesters with paid, supervised work terms, giving you access to up to three placements across seven program concentrations.
In the Faculty of Natural Sciences, if you are studying Computer Science, you can access co-op and work-integrated learning through a selective program that places you with employers in the tech sector.
Internships are integrated in the Humanities as well. If you study in the Drama concentration in Arts Administration, Film Studies, Fine Arts, Music or Public History, you will complete structured placements in professional cultural organizations. History and Global Studies, International Studies and French as a Second Language programs include internship options as part of your degree.
Practicum and Field Experience
Many Bishop’s programs incorporate learning through practice, fieldwork and professional experience.
In the School of Education, you will complete four practica, one per year, one of which can be completed in any one of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. Many graduates receive employment offers from the schools where they complete their practica.
In the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, you will work in labs, greenhouses and field sites on and off campus. Many learning experiences take place on the 550-acre Bishop’s campus and 140-acre educational farm, while others take you to ecosystems, research sites and community organizations throughout and beyond the Eastern Townships. Biology, Environmental Science, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems and related programs all include fieldwork in the curriculum.
If you choose the Pre-clinical concentration in Psychology, you will complete a practicum component, and an inter-university partnership with the Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences opens access to clinical environments beyond the Bishop’s campus.
Other opportunities include Arts Administration practica, entrepreneurship practica and field-based learning experiences across disciplines.
Undergraduate Research
Research isn’t something you have to wait until graduate school to do.
At Bishop’s, the professor teaching your class might hold a Canada Research Chair. The mentor guiding your project could be a 3M National Teaching Fellow. The person writing your reference letter may be a member of the Royal Society of Canada. At a smaller university like Bishop’s, those connections aren’t exceptional. They’re part of the experience.
21:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Opportunities for supervised independent and faculty-led research begin as early as your second year. You can contribute to research projects, honours theses, field studies, laboratory work and conference presentations in multiple disciplines.
Paid summer research opportunities are available through programs such as NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (NSERC-USRA) and Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) funding. At Bishop’s, you can work alongside researchers who explore questions in fields as diverse as health, the environment, business, culture and society.
Learn directly from your professors. Work alongside them in research. Build relationships that can shape your next opportunity.
Leadership, Innovation and Student Projects
You have opportunities to turn ideas into action.
Experiential learning is not limited to coursework, internships or research. You can take on leadership roles in clubs and organizations, participate in competitions, pursue entrepreneurial ventures, apply for fellowships and develop projects that connect your interests to real-world challenges.
More than $150,000 in annual funding supports student-led projects and initiatives.
Through the B.E.S.T. Project Fund, Bishop’s students have conducted research at Oxford University pain research labs, attended the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, completed chemistry internships in Germany and participated in investment banking programs in New York.
Additional support is available to you through the McConnell Student Opportunity Fund, the Green Levy Fund, the EDI Fund and ASEQ Grants, which help students pursue projects in areas ranging from research and sustainability to entrepreneurship, culture and community impact.
International Exchange
Studying in another country is one of the most transformative forms of experiential learning. At Bishop’s, it is also one of the most accessible.
Through the Bishop’s International Mobility Program, you can study for a semester or a full year at one of over 60 partner institutions in 27 countries. You will typically receive your first or second choice of destination, and personal advising and funding support are provided throughout the exchange. A semester abroad is not a pause from your degree. It’s part of how the degree works.
The OUI Experience
Bishop’s is an English-language university in the heart of Quebec. Our unique setting is a cultural advantage that provides opportunities to engage with Quebec culture, build French-language skills and broaden your perspective.
The OUI Experience turns our reality into a structured opportunity. Through activity-based programming, you engage with Quebec culture as part of daily campus life: OUI Café meetups, themed dinners at the French Hub, movie nights, book clubs, TV series lunches, zine-making workshops and cultural outings across the region.
Language learning follows naturally from this immersion. French as a Second Language courses through the Département d’études françaises et québécoises are woven into the OUI Experience, preparing you to communicate in French in cultural and professional contexts.
You don’t need a semester abroad to broaden your world. At Bishop’s, it is already part of where you are.
Ready to Learn Through Experience?
Experiential learning looks different in every program. Whether you’re interested in research, internships, fieldwork, leadership opportunities, international exchange or applied projects, your degree can include opportunities to practise what you’re learning from your first year onward.
The best way to see how experiential learning fits into your future is to explore the programs that interest you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure where to start? We’re here to help.
Whether you’re exploring your options, preparing your application, or wondering what student life at Bishop’s is like, our recruitment team is ready to assist.