Service-Learning

Looking to get career experience and connect to your community in a supportive classroom environment? Check out a Service-Learning class. Service-Learning is an approach to education that helps you learn your course material while producing work of real value for a nonprofit organization that serves the community.

Group of individuals posing together in a well-lit indoor walkway, dressed in professional attire.

Service-Learning Course 'Doing Good Together," Spring 2025. Co-leads Flavia Bastos and Robin Selzer far right. Photo/Emily Sullivan

In a Service-Learning course, you will: 

  • Build your professional network as you work directly with people in the community
  • Add high-impact work and new skills to your resume
  • Get the opportunity to learn about and empower your community
  • Learn the course material through real world, hands-on experience
  • Earn course credit

Many courses in every college across the university incorporate Service-Learning. These courses are marked with an "S" attribute in the course catalog.

To find a Service-Learning course: 

  1. Search class offerings in the course catalogue
  2. Choose your semester
  3. Click Additional Search Criteria
  4. Course Attribute: Choose “UC Transcripted Attributes”
  5. Course Attribute Value: Choose “Service-Learning Course”

Service-Learning Collaborative 

The Service Learning Collaboratory (SLCE 5001) is an excellent opportunity to explore and meet a community need as part of a cross-disciplinary team working on a specific project. The subjects and collaborating organizations change each term, covering a variety of industries and disciplines. You can expect very little traditional lecture, as a significant portion of your learning comes from interactions with peers, faculty, and community partners.

Next Steps 

  • Look for courses with the "S" (Service-Learning) attribute in the course catalog
  • Ask your professors to add a Service-Learning component to the courses they teach
  • Take a Service-Learning Collaboratory course (course number SLCE 5001)

Community service outside the classroom

Are you looking for community service outside of a classroom setting or opportunities for individual service hours? Visit the UC Center For Community Engagement to find volunteer opportunities.