Career & Life Experience Courses

In partnership with Study Abroad, this Career Trek includes a two-course series, connected by a trek to London over spring break. You must apply and be accepted to the United Kingdom: International Careers program to be enrolled in the courses. This program is for students interested in living and working abroad. Participants will receive Experiential Learning (EL) credit from DePaul upon successful completion of the courses and trek.

CLD 340: Exploring a Career Abroad (Winter Quarter)

Opportunities for working, studying, and/or volunteering abroad post-graduation are plentiful, but you need to know where to look. Before embarking on any search, you need to explore more about yourself and potential career paths. In this course, you will analyze your strengths, values, and interests as you explore career options and paths to work, study, or volunteer abroad. You will learn about London as a global city and connect with DePaul alumni living overseas, learning from their experiences.

CLD 345: Designing a Career Abroad (Spring Quarter)

Upon returning from a week in London, you will continue reflecting on your experience and sharing insights with your peers as you begin considering future work/study/volunteer opportunities abroad. While there are a wide range of international opportunities available to you, securing a position with an employer, university, or volunteer organization is not only competitive but also requires careful reflection, research, and planning. This course will help give you the knowledge and skills needed to create a personal career toolkit that you can use to apply for future opportunities. Building on what you learned in CLD 340 and your week in London, you will also develop a customized search strategy for working, studying, or volunteering abroad, taking into account country-specific rules, regulations, and trends.

All current DePaul undergraduate students can apply for enrollment using both paid and unpaid work experiences. We accept the following work experiences, so long as they meet our enrollment requirements: internships, on-campus employment, part-time and full-time jobs, and research positions. 

In order to receive academic credit for your work experience through enrollment in CLD 250, your position must meet the following qualifications:

1.  The work performed should provide you with clear opportunities to practice and hone analytical, technical/professional, and/or interpersonal skills.

2. The work experience should also serve as an opportunity and space for you to explore career development issues, career and academic interests, and potential career options.

3. The work should act as an extension of the classroom, serving as both a learning space and a space to apply concepts learned. 

4. Your work experience must run for the duration of the course, accumulating a minimum of 80 hours during the quarter you are enrolled.

5. The position should provide you with substantial interaction with professional staff who offer feedback and mentorship and who can discuss your goals, interests, and professional development. Your supervisor must be a paid professional within the organization. 

Apply for enrollment in 4 easy steps:

LAS students who have an internship with a non-profit, non-governmental organization, or government entity can submit an application for funding through the Community- and Project-based Learning (CPBL) Internship Scholarship. 

You can also find additional funding sources here.