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Hands-On Learning

Get experience. Roll up your sleeves and get started on your next level of learning!

In This Section

Hands-On & Experiential Learning

Hands-on learning is a participatory form of education that allows students to reflect on their learning, and identify and clarify their skillsets. Involvement in hands-on and experiential learning activities can be a great way to start garnering impressive skills and hands-on experience that can catch the eye of hiring managers. At Nevada State, students have an adundance of opportunities to apply their course materials to the real world outside of the classroom. Additionally, students will be exposed to hands-on learning within various courses in their degree program. To learn more about program courses, see the Nevada State catalog.

Benefits of hands-on learning include:

  • Improved critical thinking skills
  • Building relevant experience for your resume
  • Making connections to potential references and referrals for jobs after graduation
  • Improved self-confidence and leadership skills
  • Practice collaborating with diverse groups of people in professional settings

Internships

Our internship program offers students applied learning through meaningful internship opportunities. Our faculty and Career Services Center staff identify local employers that mentor, train, and provide hands-on relevant experience to student interns in a real-world, hands-on experience. Not only can an internship look amazing on your resume, it can kick-start your career through the networking opportunities inherent in every work environment.

Internships For Academic Credit

Liberal, Arts, Sciences & Business Students
Currently, Nevada State College offers for-credit internship courses for the following Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Business (LASB) programs*:
  • Biology (BIOL 399)
  • Criminal Justice (CRJ 491)
  • Counseling (COU 497)
  • Communication (COM 499)
  • Environmental Resource Science (NRES 416)
  • Interpreting (AM 450)
  • Psychology (PSY 497)
  • Visual Media (VIS 499)

*The aforementioned internship courses may not be offered every semester; course offerings depend on faculty availability and student interest. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure all prerequisites and/or corequisites have been met in order to begin the internship enrollment process.

We strongly recommend meeting with a Career Advisor in the Career Services Center to discuss internships. We also recommend meeting with your Academic Advisor to ensure you are eligible for the internship course you want to enroll in. To learn more about the LASB internship courses and the process to enroll, please visit: nevadastate.edu/student-life/career-services-center/internships/

 
 
Education & Nursing Students

Students who are accepted into the nursing program or any of the education programs at NS have hands-on learning courses built into their curriculum requirements to graduate. These courses usually occur within the student’s last 1-2 semesters in their program. To learn more about those courses, navigate to the menu at the top, select Academics and then Degrees and Programs and click on the appropriate program to learn more about the degree requirements. If you have questions about these courses, please reach out to your Academic Advisor or faculty within your program.

Internships Without Academic Credit

Students in Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Business (LASB) programs are not required to complete an internship for credit, though it is highly encouraged if a course in their degree is offered (see above). For more information on internships, please visit: nevadastate.edu/student-life/career-services-center/internships/

Undergraduate Research at NSU

Since 2013, our IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides diverse undergraduate students, including underrepresented first-generation and low-income populations, an eight- to ten-week paid summer experience during which they learn to BE A RESEARCHER.

 

Service-Learning & Volunteering

Alternative Spring Break (ASB)

What is an Alternative Spring Break?

An ASB is when college students choose to participate in volunteer projects during the traditional week-long spring break vacation. You’ll help with vegetation management, litter clean up, and other projects to keep our natural places happy and healthy. You will have opportunities for park exploration and creating ever-lasting memories.

To learn more or apply to be a part of an upcoming Alternative Spring Break, go to Scorpion Central, click on Forms at the top, and search for he Alternative Spring Break application.

Volunteer in Las Vegas / Henderson

Volunteering is a great way for students to give back to their local communities, learn about their interests, and gain experience outside of the classroom.

Staff in our Career Services Center can help students identify local organizations looking for volunteers that match student’s interests and/or career goals.

Student Clubs & Organizations

Learning is fun when you love what you’re doing! Nevada Sate offers an abundance of clubs and activities where students can use their hands-on abilities to hone their skills in a relaxed environment with peers who share the same interests.

Some examples of student clubs at Nevada State includes:

  • Women in STEM 
  • Black Student Organization
  • Dreamers Club
  • Garden Club
  • …and more!

Student Goverment – Nevada State Student Alliance (NSSA)

The Nevada State Student Alliance is a governed body with the mission to represent the entirety of the student body, listening to their needs in the effort to promote student affairs and success in our community and in Nevada.