What Is Experiential Learning?
Experiential learning opportunities help to make the Pitt student experience unique. Students engage in hands-on, real-world experiences that build professional skills—and often are available from the moment students arrive on campus.
Pitt undergraduate students are encouraged to curate and pursue more meaningful integrative learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom. As they actively explore real-world problems and apply learning to local or global contexts, students are pushed to think critically and learn to translate their knowledge into practical applications, laying strong foundations for their life's work.
An outgrowth of the work of the General Education Reform Task Force, this focus on experiential learning works hand-in-hand with the core general education curriculum to help students become more well-rounded citizens and scholars. Together they offer students integrative approaches to develop foundational knowledge, skills, and habits of mind while building competencies for personal and professional success.
Experiential Learning Student Showcase
The inaugural Experiential Learning Student Showcase took place March 18, 2026, in the Tansky Family Commons at Hillman Library. The pilot program highlighted the variety of hands-on learning opportunities that exist around the University. Learn more about the showcase.
Digital Directory of Opportunities and Events at Pitt
Experiential learning at Pitt is so full of opportunity that a one-day showcase couldn't contain them all, so we are developing an experiential learning digital directory. Learn more about types of experiences and how to submit your Pitt experiential learning offerings for inclusion in the directory.