Portland State University is known for its excellence in student learning, innovative research, and community engagement that contributes to the quality of life in the Portland region and beyond. It actively fosters the development of a network of educational institutions to serve the community. The University conducts research and community service withe the hope of supporting a high quality educational environment and reflecting issues that are important in the region. For these reasons, PSU offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs and courses that are grounded in community engagement and service learning.
Capstone courses are designed by Portland State University's faculty to build cooperative learning communities by taking students out of the classroom and into the field. In Capstone courses, students bring together the knowledge, skills, and interests developed to this point through all aspects of their education, to work on a community project. Students from a variety of majors and backgrounds work as a team, pooling resources, and collaborating with faculty and community leaders to understand and find solutions for issues that are important to them as literate and engaged citizens. Search for capstones.
Highlight: Effective Change Agent Senior Capstone
The interdisciplinary Civic Leadership minor provides students with theoretical and practical understanding about civic leadership, and prepares students to be responsibly engaged citizens and community leaders. Students who minor in civic leadership must complete core and elective courses for a total of 34 credits (at least 20 of which must be taken in residence at PSU). Some of these courses have prerequisites, and students should read course descriptions in the current PSU Bulletin before registration. A pre-approved 6-credit community-based civic leadership practicum is required as part of the minor. The practicum requirement may be fulfilled by a pre-approved capstone or by an independently developed community-based learning experience.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION COURSES
Portland State University is offering a course for undergraduate juniors titled Experiential Pathways: Engaging in Social Change. The course requires student engagement in a community-serving internship or a substantial volunteer experience with a community partner*. Within the context of an equitable partnership, organizations and students will mutually benefit from the experience by meeting course objectives and by addressing community-identified goals.
Students enrolled in this course will be participating in concurrent online academic coursework taught by PSU faculty, which will serve to enhance their community engagement experience through readings, research, discussion, and critical reflection with fellow students and faculty.
The PACE (Post-secondary Adult and Continuing Education) master's specialization offers a 18 credit Service Learning Graduate Certificate in Postsecondary Education, which was the first program of its kind in 2008 and is still one of only a few in the United States.
PACE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND INTERNSHIP CREDITS
(1-4 credits)
Students interested in credit for self-directed learning experiences should register for ELP 506: PACE Self-Directed Learning. Although one PACE faculty member is listed as the instructor for the class (faculty of record), students may ask any PACE faculty member (faculty sponsor) to work with them and sponsor the self-directed learning (often this is the student’s faculty advisor). This course is only offered on a P/NP basis. Students must be admitted to the PACE program before taking this course. No more than 6 credits of 506 coursework may be used toward a PACE graduate degree. All coursework numbered 501 through 510 that is applied toward the master’s degree must be approved by the student’s advisor. Normally it is recommended that students take self-directed learning credits after they have completed course work relevant to the self-directed learning experience.