Your entire time as an undergraduate is filled with opportunities to learn, from your classes and extracurricular activities on campus to study abroad and co-op programs with employers in Cleveland and around the country. Students can work with faculty on research, create their own companies, secure internships, become civic engagement scholars, and much more.
Case Western Reserve has a number of ways in which we help students find meaningful real-world experiences.
Research
The university has a dedicated office just for undergraduate research called Support of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors because we want to encourage and support this important work starting as early as your first year on campus.
Our staff can help you identify research projects or show you how to get started on your own research. We can get your research published in our journal or help identify other ways to get published, and we help you find and present your research at conferences on our campus and elsewhere.
Undergraduate research not only helps make you a strong candidate for graduate programs and employers, but participating in research projects as an undergraduate gives you the chance to explore various topics before committing to a specific area of study.
On-the-Job Experience
Students who participate in practicum gain on-the-job experience with local employers while keeping full-time student status during the semester in which they participate.
Practica are open to students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Weatherhead School of Management and students work closely with a faculty member to identify learning objectives for the practicum. About 25 students participate each semester and are matched with employers such as Amazon, the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, Cleveland Clinic, Microsoft and Sherwin Williams.
The Office of Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education has practicum coordinators who will meet with you to work out details of finding and securing a practicum and will meet with you during and after your practicum experience.
Community Involvement
Civic Engagement Scholars are undergraduate students who spend time working with and studying local non-profit organizations and community organizations. This program is for students passionate about engaging in community issues and social justice. The university provides classes related to civic engagement and social justice and receive a certificate when they complete the program.
Study Abroad
Our International Affairs staff works with students on bespoke study abroad experiences that can span a semester, over a break or a specific time frame based on travel with a faculty member.
You can search the possibilities through our online tool to start thinking about where you'd like to travel and your areas of focus while you're away, but we also meet in person with each student who is thinking about study abroad to answer questions and offer suggestions to maximize your experience.
Internships
We'll connect you to the right internship, be it full-time, part-time, paid or unpaid, for a semester or a set amount of time.
Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education helps students from every college and major through a large network of employers and organizations who seek out Case Western Reserve students.
Startups
Entrepreneurship is celebrated and supported here. You may need access to tools and equipment to build a product or business advice on how to launch your venture. We've got the connections and experience helping other students.
Engineering Co-ops
Engineering majors can get hands-on, paid experience through our co-op program that lasts two semesters. Juniors and seniors who are engineering majors have the chance to participate. We will connect you with employers and you'll maintain your student status while gaining invaluable experience.