Business Experiential Learning Requirement

Review the following criteria to ensure your experience is eligible for the Business Professional Development Program requirement.

What makes an experience eligible?

• Your experience should hold significant, professional, business-related responsibilities, similar to those a full-time college graduate would have in the organization.
  • You must add value to the organization and be challenged with a major project, series of smaller projects or regular responsibilities that require advanced education and knowledge.
• You should have regular interaction with coworkers, supervisors or clients.
• You should have a dedicated, experienced supervisor who can provide feedback and evaluate your performance.
• The experience follows Department of Labor standards.

Other considerations

• Your supervisor should not be a family member.
• If you're working for your own business, you must connect regularly with a mentor to foster growth in business development and other entrepreneurial skills.
• Internships involving direct-to-consumer sales must also include higher marketing strategy or greater business management component.
• You should not be required to utilize personal contacts as sales leads
• Your internship should consist of skilled tasks; the majority of your time should not be spent filing, copying, answering the phone, or performing manual labor or data entry.
• Opportunities with a previous or current employer must be related to your career goals and extend beyond work previously completed for the organization.
• Unpaid opportunities with a for-profit organization and door-to-door sales opportunities are not eligible experiences.

Submitting a petition for the Experiential Learning (SOAR) badge

You may petition to count your experience toward the Experiential Learning (SOAR) badge if you are:

• Enrolled in or planning to take ACCT 599
• Approved for or enrolled in FIN 303, JMC 507 or HSES 499
• Completing a business internship abroad
• Participating in ROTC cadet summer training, serving in the military reserves or have previous significant military experience
• A nontraditional and/or transfer student with previous business experience
• Involved in a unique or non-traditional experiential learning opportunity 

Fall 2025 petition deadlines

Submit your petition using this form by 11:59 p.m. on one of the following dates:

• Aug. 24
• Sept. 21
• Oct. 19
• Nov. 16
• Dec. 14

Please allow for up to 10 business days from each deadline for review and notification of petition status.  

You'll need to complete an application in Handshake and get pre-approved before you start your experiential learning opportunity in order to meet the Experiential Learning (SOAR) badge requirement.

Once approved, you will need to track your hours and complete reflections within the Experiential Learning (SOAR) badge in Suitable. At the end of your approved experience, you will submit your completed Time-Tracking form.

Steps to apply

1. Log into Handshake.
2. Click "Career Center" in the left-hand menu. "Experiences" should appear with a white box containing three rows.
3. Select "Experiences."
4. Click "Submit an Experience."
5. Under "Experience Template," choose "Business Experiential Learning."
6. Fill out the application. Required questions are marked with an asterisk.
7. Click "Submit an Experience" — but please note that your application is not yet complete.
8. Click the blue "New Attachment" button and upload your official internship offer letter.
9. Once your offer letter is uploaded, your application is complete.

Finding your experiential learning opportunity or internship is up to you. You will not be placed into one, but there are plenty of resources at the school and at KU to help.

Where to start

• Make an appointment with a career advisor at 1130 Capitol Federal Hall to discuss your goals and options.
• Take BUS 210 Career Management and Planning.
  • This course helps you build your resume, refine your interview skills and explore internship opportunities.
• Search for internship opportunities using Handshake, KU's job and internship platform.
• Explore international internships by making an appointment with KU's Office of Study Abroad and Global Engagement in 108 Lippincott Hall.
• Tap into your personal networks of friends, family or mentors.
• Use KU Connect through the KU Alumni Mentoring platform to reach out to professionals in your field(s) of interest.

Q. What is experiential learning?

A. Experiential learning is defined as a work-based experience that occurs outside the classroom and enhances or applies the knowledge gained in academic coursework. 

Experiential learning encompasses, but is not limited to:

• Internships or micro-internships
• Undergraduate research
• Military experience
• Significant business-related responsibilities that extend beyond regular job duties

The experiential learning requirement does not include:

• Door-to-door sales internships
• 100% shadowing (just observing with no hands-on work)
• General participation in study abroad (unless it includes a business internship)

Q. Can I do a combination of micro-internships and experiences to meet the requirement?

A. Yes, you can use multiple experiences to reach the 120-hour and minimum of six weeks requirements. Below are some options for valid micro-internships or micro-experiences:

• Parker Dewey
• Taproot
• Life & Leap Program through CIMBA
• Live to Influence through CIMBA
• Micro-internships through employers or business organizations

Q. Can I receive retroactive credit for a previous internship or experiential learning opportunity?

A. No. You must receive pre-approval through your Handshake application before starting your experience. Only students who are nontraditional and/or transfer students with previous business experience may petition their experience using the petition form. 

Q. Can I do an unpaid internship or experience?

A. Internships with a for-profit company must be paid for the experiential learning requirement. Unpaid internships will be granted in certain circumstances, such as a nonprofit organization, governmental agencies or business study abroad internships. Students may petition for an exception within the Experiential Learning Application on Handshake. Approval of a petition is not guaranteed and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, prioritizing safety, educational value and overall career alignment. 

Q. Can I do a door-to-door sales internship or experience?

A. Door-to-door sales opportunities do not count as an approved experiential learning requirement. This includes but is not limited to selling products, services or subscriptions. Students may petition for an exception within the Experiential Learning Application on Handshake. Approval of a petition is not guaranteed and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, prioritizing safety, educational value and overall career alignment. 

Q. Do I have to take BUS 310 coursework?

A. Beginning in fall 2025, BUS 310 will no longer be a required course. Instead, students complete the Experiential Learning (SOAR) badge in Suitable to fulfill this requirement. If you would like to complete BUS 310 coursework alongside your experience, you can opt in by selecting that option in your Handshake application.

Q. Are there resources available to help offset the cost associated with completing an internship or experiential learning opportunity?

A. Yes, need-based scholarships are available through UKASH, with award amounts of $500, $750 and $1,000.

Apply for these scholarships by 11:59 p.m. on these dates:

• Nov. 10
• Jan. 26, 2026
• March 30, 2026
• May 18, 2026

Please allow for up to 10 business days from these deadlines for review and notification of scholarship status. 

Q. I can't find an internship or experience. What do I do?

A. Please contact the Business Professional Development Program to see what options may be available. If you have additional questions or challenges, please contact Madelyn Mueller, internship program coordinator, at bschool.el@ku.edu.