You will learn by doing
Experiential learning (or hands-on learning) is a core element of the liberal arts and sciences education you will receive at Mount Allison.
With experiential learning opportunities available in every degree, our Experiential Learning and Career Development Office will help you create experiences that match your interests and style of learning. You will develop skills that you can apply to the workforce, make important networking connections, and figure out just what the future may hold for you.
Experiential learning opportunities at Mount Allison include:
Research
At Mount Allison you will get the chance to take part in innovative research projects as early as second year, a rarity at the undergraduate level. You will also have ample opportunities to work with world-class professors on research, including employment as summer research assistants. Examples:
- Mount Allison physics student participating in prestigious Amgen Scholars Canada Program
- Music student Emily Leavitt researches Women and Live Coding Music in the 21st century
Internships
Mount Allison offers exceptional opportunities to join businesses and organizations locally and internationally for paid internships that will allow you to gain hands-on experiences while allowing you the chance to explore your interests and test your abilities. Examples:
- Commerce student Jonathan Harvey spends summer interning in commercial investment with Emera
- Loewen Health Intern Dimitra Tsimiklis works at North End Community Health Centre in social work
- International Relations and Modern Languages student Jonathan Ferguson, ECHO Foundation Intern at Community Forests International
For more information about available internships, visit our internships page.
Student conferences
Learn from others and share your own work at student conferences, and even win an award or two. Examples:
- Mount Allison physics student takes top prize for presentation at Atlantic Universities Physics & Astronomy Conference
- Mount Allison student attends prestigious Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing
- Mount Allison students present summer research at international conference, Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
Academic and case competitions
You can put your knowledge to work on real-world issues in case competitions. Our Commerce teams have performed extraordinarily well in competitions such as a stock market simulation competition or on-campus competitions hosted by Maple Leaf Foods and J.D. Irving Ltd. Examples:
- Mount Allison Aviation student named Atlantic regional winner for 2019 Webster Memorial Trophy Competition
- Biology, environmental science students take top honours at Science Atlantic's Environmental Conference
- Mount Allison hosts first Hackathon
Field work and travel
You and your classmates can take trips to businesses, labs, aid organizations, and even mountaintops around the world and come face-to-face with today's realities. You will gain a wide perspective and even create valuable professional networks for the future. Examples:
- Mansbridge Intern explores non-profit work in Indonesia
- Geography and Environment student researchers study Fundy National Park's ecosystems on location
- Mount Allison students get rare opportunity to participate in archaeological dig in Pompeii
Recitals, performances, and art exhibits
Between the Music department (hosting more than 80 student, faculty, and guest concerts each year) and the Drama program (performing in our new state-of-the-art Motyer-Fancy Theatre), students are given ample opportunity to perform on a regular basis. The Purdy Crawford Centre for the Arts and other student-run exhibition spaces also give students the opportunity to exhibit a wide range of artwork. Examples:
- Music student Bryenton Innes spends summer as member of Ceremonial Guard with Canadian Army Reserve
- Mount Allison's Tintamarre stages 32nd school tour with SOLITAIRE
- 1918: Don't worry, Rejoice! Dramatic Readings from World War I
Special topics or independent study
In
your upper years, it is possible, in consultation with your department
and with a faculty supervisor, to create your own special topic or
independent study course that complements your degree and matches your
specific goals. Examples:
- Psychology student Clare Maguire studies empathy and executive function in preschoolers
- History student Grace Wilson researches food and power histories of the Dorchester Penitentiary
- Undergraduate Student Research Award from NSERC funds honours research project in inorganic chemistry
Community partnerships and volunteering
Mount Allison's close-knit and engaging community extends across campus and beyond. For a small town, there are big opportunities to immerse yourself. Examples:
- Lettuce Eat volunteer connects groups' work with her undergraduate research
- Three Allisonians honoured with Paul Harris Awards from Sackville Rotary Club
- Mount Allison students visit Dieppe elementary school as NSERC Student Ambassadors
- Mount Allison Cares initiative sees students volunteering in NB communities
See more about Mount Allison's engaging community.
Peer tutoring and teaching assistantships
Many students take advantage of opportunities to work during the academic year as teaching or research assistants, acquiring valuable skills. Examples: