Academic Service-Learning Courses

Explore Course Options

Service-Learning can be a stand-alone course or a component of another course that covers a primary subject. Students must complete the required number of service hours for each Service-Learning option or course if involved in more than one; hours completed for one class cannot be used for another class. Explore the options below and determine which one works best for you. 

There are three ways to incorporate Service-Learning into your EFSC experience:

SOW/Service-Learning Courses 

SOW/Service-Learning courses are listed in the EFSC Class Schedule and course catalog using the course prefix "SOW". These are dedicated, stand-alone courses with Service-Learning already built into them. A brief overview of each course is listed below.

Course	Title	Description
SOW 1051, 1052 and 1053	Human Service Experience I, II and III (one credit hour each)	Elective one-credit-hour courses designed to provide students with a Service-Learning experience. Earn up to three credit hours. The courses consist of 20 hours of community service, three seminars with a faculty instructor, and assigned written and reflective work. Some instructors request a Service-Learning plan, a daily journal, a reflective essay, and/or an oral presentation.
SOW 2054	Community Involvement (three credit hours)	A theoretical and practical course examining the principles and features of Service-Learning. It satisfies a Social Science general education requirement. Students develop a personal understanding of service, civic participation, and diversity through action and reflection. The course consists of 32 hours of service to the community and 24 hours of seminars throughout the semester with a faculty instructor. The written requirement is done by journals, essays, or other reflective writing methods. Community Involvement is a highly interactive course with a significant amount of reading and writing.
SOW 2054H	Honors Community Involvement (three credit hours)	SOW 2054H is an Honors Program course adapted from SOW 2054. Community Involvement is also used as a teacher recertification course and a college-level dual enrollment class for high school students.

 

Service-Learning as a Course Component

More than 150 faculty members offer Service-Learning as a component in their courses. These instructors award their students course credit for Service-Learning hours performed in the community. Instructors may choose to offer extra credit in the course or offer Service-Learning credit as a substitute for other assignments. Check the course syllabus or ask your instructor if they offer Service-Learning as a course component

Service-Learning Field Studies: 4th/5th Credit Option

EFSC offers students the opportunity to earn an extra credit hour in course sections of many disciplines. The student registers and is charged for an extra credit hour and receives a separate grade on their academic transcript for the 4th/5th credit option. Only students enrolled in an instructor’s regular classes can register for the 4th/5th credit option, and EFSC students can take up to three 4th/5th credit options during their academic career. Learn more about this in an overview PDF.

The 4th/5th credit option requires a minimum of 20 hours of community Service-Learning, attendance at a reflection seminar hosted by the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement and written reflection assignments or presentations as determined by the faculty instructor. Check the course syllabus or ask your instructor if they offer the 4th/5th credit option.