Learn more about the active collaboration between a student, an academic institution, and a host organization (partner), which aims to integrate in-class learning within a work setting.
This page provides all the details about curricular WIL options available to CapU instructors.
An applied project is often called a capstone or consulting project, where students solve organizational challenges proposed by the client with the guidance of an instructor.
Since the project is embedded into the course and presented as a class assignment, there is no payment attached to employers and they could benefit from receiving deliverables within a promised timeframe (usually within 4-8 weeks).
Service Learning, also known as Community Service Learning (CSL), combines community service with academic learning to help students make connections between theory and practice. These experiences are typically embedded in courses and are enhanced through critical reflection. Not to be confused with volunteerism, Service Learning, as a type of WIL, includes a whole spectrum of activities and types of relationships within the community and is guided by principles of reciprocity and civic engagement.
Example of community service learning at CapU:
- Bachelor of Psychology (PSYC 430)
Field placements, also known as Practicums, allow students to gain hands-on experience in an intensive short-term placement without requiring supervision from a registered or licensed professional. These are immersive experiences that take place away from campus.
Examples of field placements at CapU:
Work experience allows students to gain professional experience in a setting related to their discipline through one or two work terms during their program. Work experience terms are currently available to students in Business Administration and Outdoor Recreation Management programs.
Examples of work experience at CapU:
Co-operative Education (Co-op) involves students participating in alternating academic and paid work terms to gain employment experience in their field. Students can generally complete three to four work terms during their program and graduate with a Co-op designation.
Example of co-operative education at CapU:
- Bachelor of Tourism Management (TOUR 140)
Internships are discipline-specific placements that are structured and supervised. At CapU, an internship runs over a four-month academic term, and it can be full-time (450 hours) or part-time (120 hours). Curricular internships may be paid or unpaid (exceptions for unpaid internships are made for certain roles within non-profit organizations).
Example of an internship at CapU:
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BADM 340)
Students in certain professions are obligated to participate in one or more practicum periods during the course of their program at CapU, in which they work under the supervision of an experienced licensed or registered professional in the field. Mandatory Practicums or Clinical Placements are typically unpaid and are built into a student's coursework.
Examples of Mandatory Practicum/Clinical Placement at CapU:
Entrepreneurship opportunities allow students to work with a mentor from the community to leverage funding, resources, and/or space to develop an early-stage business start-up that addresses real-world issues, all for academic credit.
Entrepreneurship is currently an optional WIL program within the Capilano School of Business, where students can opt for entrepreneurship as part of their bachelor's degree program when they select a major in this area.
Example of entrepreneurship at CapU:
- Community Empowerment and Development through Enactus (BADM 380).