Work-integrated learning opportunities prepare career-bound graduates

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Including industry-relevant experience as part of the undergraduate journey — not just something that happens after it — is a key piece of the Mount Royal University (MRU) identity, and career-ready graduates are reaping the benefits.

“Students deserve a program that can give them both the knowledge to succeed as well as hands-on experience to jumpstart their next endeavour, whether that’s securing their dream job or continuing on to graduate studies,” says Shea Ellingham, director, admissions and recruitment at MRU.

According to Ellingham, work-integrated learning opportunities, including fieldwork, practicums, simulations and research opportunities, are often cited as high-impact practices associated with increased academic performance.

“These activities not only help with preparing for the future, but they make the educational journey meaningful to a student’s life.”

For MRU bachelor of communications — public relations graduate Katherine Sharples, work-integrated learning not only gave her first-hand experience in her chosen field, but also helped her land a permanent full-time role directly out of university.

Reflecting back on her time in the PR program, Sharples shares that her first year helped build a solid foundation of understanding and transferable skills.

“We were thrown into a lot of group work projects and our cohort became really, really close. I think that was a key component to why so many people from my program were successful, because we were able to make connections and support one another,” Sharples says.

The next step for Sharples and her classmates was to test the waters and begin gaining hands-on industry experience. Students in MRU’s PR program are required to obtain 150 volunteer or paid hours of PR experience, which then makes them eligible for the official work experience term in their third year.

“I worked on some really fun events during my volunteer hours,” Sharples says. “I was able to get an inside look at the PR world, begin learning which aspects I enjoyed the most and narrow down the type of work I wanted to pursue in the future. This really helped me when it came time to do my work experience term.”

Also helping ensure Sharples and her classmates would be able to find success with their work terms was a mandatory work preparation course. It covered topics such as how to produce targeted resumes, cover letters and portfolios suited for a position in the communications industry.

“The interview section of the course was especially helpful,” Sharples says. “PR professionals who had ties to the program helped us with practice interviews and were able to share first-hand tips, tricks and insights into the industry.”

Sharples secured her first work term in the summer of 2020, helping a busy communications and marketing team relay fast-changing pandemic protocols to the public. Putting her classroom education to work, Sharples impressed the team and was invited to continue working in a part-time role throughout the final year of her degree. After graduation, she was offered a full-time position as a communications analyst with the same company, a position she currently holds.

“Combining the foundation I built in the classroom with my volunteer hours and internship experience gave me a clear view of what I enjoy working on and where my strengths lie,” Sharples shares.

“Instead of bouncing around from position to position after graduation trying to figure out where I fit in the industry, I already knew what would work best for me. I was able to secure a role I felt confident with and where I know I can continue to grow, learn and excel.”

More than 50 per cent of the credit programs offered at Mount Royal include required or optional work placement opportunities, with even more including alternate forms of work-integrated learning. While the experiences may vary, they share one important goal: creating confident, career-bound graduates who are ready for wherever the future takes them.

Discover more about how MRU is helping students align their passions and shape their futures at mru.ca/WhyMRU.

This story was provided by Mount Royal University for commercial purposes.