Outside the Classroom

The world needs you

Being a Pioneer means exploring new challenges and blazing trails for others to follow, both inside and outside our halls. At our University, you'll have the chance to get real-world experience outside the classroom and apply coursework to improve your community.

Whether it's through service, internships or research projects, your DU education will ensure you'll have the chance to develop your skills and make the world a better place. Our students turn their experiences at DU into lifelong journeys. We'll be here to provide information, advisement and support as you tailor your experiences and pursuits to your own academic and personal goals.

Living and Learning Communities turn dorm life, a crucial element of the first year college experience, into an opportunity for hands-on study and engagement

Living & Learning Communities

Our Living & Learning Communities provide a space for students with similar academic and career interests to live and study together during their first year of college. You'll get essential hands-on experience in your chosen area of study and community engagement early in your college career, putting you on the right path for success at DU and beyond.

Each Living & Learning Community (LLC) has a specific focus, with options ranging from Environmental Sustainability to Social Justice. You'll live on the same floor with the rest of your LLC group and take some of the same classes, meaning you'll have an instant group of friends who share your interests. It's a great way to meet like-minded Pioneers and get a head start on your academic path.

Explore Living & Learning Communities

Learning through experience

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Center for Community Engagement to advance Scholarship & Learning (CCESL)

CCESL is where your passion for doing good meets our belief in learning through experience. Join us and discover how your education can help you address homelessness and other challenges in society.

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Research & Innovation

Whether you're an undergrad or graduate student, you'll have opportunities to create your own research projects or work with faculty to tackle some of the world's most complex and pressing challenges

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Internships

67 percent of our students take at least one internship during their time at DU, meaning they finish school with a stronger resume and the real-world experience needed to start a meaningful career.

"Being able to take our knowledge from the classroom and come out and actually build something feasible and physical, I think that's where we actually connect the dots."

Jack Ross, Daniels College of Business

  • Students on a tour of mural art in RiNo

    As part of a first-year seminar course on global hip-hop, DU freshmen tour Denver’s RiNo neighborhood to view examples of local street art.

  • Students working in a community garden

    Students in our Wellness Living & Learning Community work the land in the Bridge Community Garden, which brings sustainable, organic, local and ethically grown produce to the DU community.

  • Students participate in a chili cook-off, a mainstay at our annual Winter Carnival.

    Students participate in a chili cook-off, a mainstay at our annual Winter Carnival.

  • Students work together in the human dynamics lab

    In our Human Dynamics Lab, students and professors collaborate to better understand the physical aspects behind movement and health.

Special Programs

Interterm Courses

Gain real-life experience by traveling the world for a service learning project or immersing yourself in Denver’s local communities through our interterm course program. Available between quarters, these courses offer credits in a condensed timeframe to help you meet your personal goals while expanding the depth of your academic experience.

Explore Interterm Courses

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