Sed Vitae Experience

St. Charles and All Saints Chapel

Not For School, But For Life

The Sed Vitae experience is a chance to connect your Carroll education to the world beyond campus. It is a central part of Carroll’s commitment to preparing you non scholae, sed vitae, “not for school, but for life.” 

All Carroll students must complete one Sed Vitae experience as part of their Core Curriculum Requirements. All Sed Vitae experiences:

  • are developed in conjunction with and pre-approved by the appropriate campus bodies. 
  • undergo a formal application process that defines learning outcomes.
  • involve a minimum of 42 contact hours. 
  • require students to complete an essay addressing how their experiences allowed them to “substantively integrate their academic formation with the concerns of the broader world” (Core Curriculum Outcome 1e).

Use the information on this page to figure out which Sed Vitae experience is right for you and to determine your first steps. Once you complete the approval process for your experience, you will be enrolled in the appropriate Core-Sed Vitae course and the corresponding Moodle course where you can submit your essay.

Sed Vitae Experience

What: An academic internship at Carroll College is an opportunity for students to apply academic coursework in a real-world setting. An academic internship is a supervised, interactive, professional work experience that forms an academic relationship among a student, a faculty internship advisor, and a cooperating organization.

Who: Juniors and seniors in any major may participate with the approval of the faculty internship advisor and Career Services. Enrollment in internship credits must be during the same semester in which the majority of the work experience takes place.

How:   Through Handshake, make an appointment with Laurie Rodriguez,  Director of Career Services.   Then, submit an Internship Experience proposal via Handshake. Be prepared to supply the following information: (a) contact information for the agency with which you will be interning; (b) a timeline for completing the required hours; (c) your academic plan.

Learn More: Carroll College Internships home page

What: Study abroad is an opportunity for students to pursue academic coursework in an international setting and to immerse themselves in a host culture. A study abroad is a supervised, interactive curriculum that forms an academic and interpersonal relationship among students, faculty, and the host community. Study abroad experiences fulfilling the Sed Vitae requirement, in addition to having defined academic objectives, must include at least 42 hours of meaningful interaction with individuals living in the host country.

Who: Open to all Carroll College students.

How:   Through Handshake, make an appointment with Shannon Ackeret, Director of Global Learning. Then complete the study abroad application and follow through on all assignments.  

Learn More: Carroll College Global Learning home page

What: Service-learning is a form of experiential education that focuses on community needs and the common good. More than volunteerism, service-learning projects include intentional, guided reflections that tie service in the community (be it local, national, or international) to the student’s academic development. 

Who: Open to all Carroll College students

How: Contact an academic advisor to develop an academic plan with learning outcomes. Then, submit a Service-Learning Experience proposal via this form. Be prepared to supply the following information: (a) contact information for the agency with which you will be working; (b) a timeline for completing the required hours; (c) your academic plan.

What: Undergraduate research is “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline"  (Council on Undergraduate Research). While research happens at all levels of the curriculum, in projects meeting the Sed Vitae requirement students engage in the methods, reporting, and ethical protocols of scholarly/creative/professional inquiry at the highest levels possible at the undergraduate level. These projects involve independent scholarly work on the part of the student, either an individual research project or the opportunity to take initiative in the execution of faculty-led projects. Sed Vitae research projects require students to go beyond what is required by standard semester-long courses (with the exception of 499 Senior thesis courses), but may extend or supplement coursework. Sed Vitae undergraduate research must be presented to a larger scholarly or professional community (e.g., SURF, a conference presentation, a department symposium, etc.).

Who: Open to all Carroll College students

How: Contact an academic advisor to develop an academic plan with learning outcomes. Then, choose one of two paths:

  • Path A: Register for Senior Thesis credit (an xx 499 course).
  • Path B: Submit an undergraduate research experience proposal via this form. Be prepared to supply the following information: (a) the name of your research advisor; (b) a timeline for completing the required hours; (c) your academic plan.

Learn More: Carroll College Undergraduate Research home page

What: A practicum is a course-based experience in which students engage in sustained contact (at least three times a semester) with constituents beyond Carroll. Students are able to form professional relationships, receive feedback from outside mentors, complete a project or conduct relevant professional activity, and, where appropriate, develop leadership skills. Practicum courses are upper-division courses that require high levels of student engagement and performance. 

Who: Students qualified for and enrolled in approved Practicum courses. Currently, these courses are:

  • ANZ 389
  • BA 378
  • BA 402
  • ED 410
  • ENGR 412
  • NU 305

How: Enroll in a designated Core Practicum course.