As students start the new academic year, The University of Toledo is rolling out a new requirement ensuring every undergraduate student, regardless of major, completes hands-on, experience-based learning before earning their degree.
Beginning with the 2026 incoming class, all undergraduate bachelor’s degree-seeking students will complete an approved experiential learning opportunity, integrating real-world application directly into the academic journey.
UToledo engineering students Meredith Harrison (left) and Kurt Meiring completing a co-op with Dana Inc. in late 2024.
“As the Class of 2030 arrives on campus this fall, we’re making sure that from day one, they’re building skills toward a career, not just a degree,” said President James P. Holloway. “A UToledo education should translate directly into opportunity.”
Building on a Firm Foundation
The requirement builds on strengths already in place at UToledo, where most academic programs already incorporate co-ops, internships, clinicals, research, performances and other field experiences into their curriculum. The new mandate extends that expectation to every program of study.
A new office, ASCEND (Applied Skills for Career Experience, Networking and Development), will support students as they fulfill the requirement.
“This is more than a requirement, it is a commitment to ensure that every student leaves UToledo with the experience and professional connections needed to launch a successful career,” said Provost Mitchell S. McKinney. “By weaving real-world application directly into the academic journey, we are bridging the gap between classroom learning and the professional world.”
Under guidelines managed by the Provost’s ASCEND team, the new requirement for “learning by doing” can take many forms including internships, co-ops, undergraduate research, clinical placements, service-learning, study abroad, artistic performances, leadership experiences, or other University-approved opportunities including options right on campus like crunching data for athletics or working in UToledo’s partnership with ESPN.
Academic advisors and the Rocket Career Center will also help students identify approved experiences that align with their academic and career goals.
Aligning with Employer Demand
The move reflects a changing entry-level job market and rising employer expectations that candidates arrive with experience already in hand. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Job Outlook 2026 survey, 70 percent of employers now report using skill-based hiring, up from 65 percent the year before.
“Our plan is to prepare a workforce that is day-one ready to address local and global challenges,” McKinney said. “Employers can hire with confidence, knowing UToledo graduates have already proven themselves through the experience every student will gain.”
Student Stamp of Approval
UToledo students have long recognized the value in learning by doing.
Kaiden Snyder, an electrical engineering senior, calls his co-op at Vistra’s Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant in Oak Harbor, Ohio, “the opportunity of a lifetime” and an advantage of UToledo’s location and strong industry partnerships.
“You can’t find this kind of work in a lot of places. Until I started my co-op, I wouldn’t have thought it was something that I could do here in Ohio,” Snyder said.
Evan Salas, who followed an interest in history and a fascination with fossils to the undergraduate anthropology degree program, found broad utility in a summer field methods course that put him to work on an archaeological dig.
“I kind of want to go into paleontology, but I’m interested in museum management as well. The skills I’m learning in this course are going to be applicable to a lot of different fields that I’m interested in,” said Salas.
And Sampriti Senapati, a neuroscience senior, highlighted the benefits of contributing to meaningful research as an undergraduate.
“It’s been really easy for me to get hands-on experience early on. I didn’t have to wait until I was a junior or senior here [at UToledo]. Having had literally no prior wet-lab research experience, I was able to get experience in very impactful research,” she said.
Read more stories of student experiential learning via UToledo News and find more information about ASCEND, including program-specific guidance, on the ASCEND webpage.
