Extensive Beyond the Classroom Experience

You must complete a combined 300 hours of Community Service from at least two (2) different programs or experiences. Courses that include a service learning component may be used to satisfy this requirement; however, you may not double count your core experience toward fulfilling the coursework requirement.

Some majors require significant beyond the classroom experiences(BTC) as part of their curriculum, but a certain amount of your BTC experiences for GLD should come from outside the requirements of your major. Students majoring in Education, Social Work, and Nursing may only apply 200 hours of BTC experiences required of their major (e.g., required internship or practicum hours) towards the Community Service pathway. The remaining 100 hours must come from service experiences not required by the major.

GLD Verification Forms are required for all off-campus experiences and for on-campus experiences without a faculty or staff mentor. More in-depth information on the GLD verification process can be found on the Apply page. Students will be ineligible for GLD for failure to submit a verification form, engagement in forgery, or for misrepresenting experiences.  

To find potential community service opportunities you can search the My USC Experience Database. You can also find local service opportunities using the Leadership and Service Center's Community Partner map. 

Enhancement Experiences

You must participate in three (3) different enhancement experiences. An enhancement experience expands your knowledge and helps you understand concepts, ideas, and topics related to your pathway. They are additional beyond-the-classroom activities, separate from the core experience, that demonstrate sustained commitment related to your pathway. You will be asked to identify the experience, its significance, and how it relates to your GLD pathway.  

Enhancement experiences do not require verification from a supervisor and: 

• May be completed during a one-time event or may be an on-going experience 

• May involve active or passive attendance 

• May occur on or off-campus  

Examples include (but are not limited to): 

• Workshops, guest lectures attended outside of class, conferences, presentations, official meetings, job shadowing, leadership roles, organization membership or involvement, employment, and out-of-class events or trips 

Use the My USC Experience Database, office or department newsletters, or social media to find potential enhancement experiences related to your GLD pathway. 

Coursework

You must complete six (6) credit hours with a B or better from the approved course list for the Community Service pathway. If you have not taken courses from the approved list, you may list and describe up to two courses (6 credit hours) that were particularly meaningful for your pathway. You should have earned a B or better for these courses. You may not double count your coursework toward fulfilling the core experience requirement. 

Presentation

You must complete a presentation demonstrating learning from a meaningful beyond the classroom experience. Your presentation must meet certain expectations such as focusing on a significant beyond-the-classroom experience, articulating what you have learned from your experience, and receiving feedback from a supervisor or mentor. Visit the Presentation page for more information on approved presentation venues and requirements. 

ePortfolio

You must complete a GLD ePortfolio demonstrating the significance of your within-and-beyond the classroom experiences. The two ways of completing the ePortfolio are taking a course that supports the creation of the GLD ePortfolio (such as Univ 401 for GLD) or by attending an ePortfolio workshop and then working with a GLD advisor.

Extensive Beyond the Classroom Experience

You must complete a combined 125 hours of Community Service from at least two (2) different programs or experiences. Courses that include a service learning component may be used to satisfy this requirement; however, you may not double count your core experience toward fulfilling the coursework requirement.

GLD Verification Forms are required for all off-campus experiences and for on-campus experiences without a faculty or staff mentor. More in-depth information on the GLD verification process can be found on the Apply page. Students will be ineligible for GLD for failure to submit a verification form, engagement in forgery, or for misrepresenting experiences.  

To find potential community service opportunities you can search the My USC Experience Database. You can also find local service opportunities using the Leadership and Service Center's Community Partner map. 

Enhancement Experiences

You must participate in two (2) different enhancement experiences. An enhancement experience expands your knowledge and helps you understand concepts, ideas, and topics related to your pathway. They are additional beyond-the-classroom activities, separate from the core experience, that demonstrate sustained commitment related to your pathway. You will be asked to identify the experience, its significance, and how it relates to your GLD pathway.  

Enhancement experiences do not require verification from a supervisor and: 

• May be completed during a one-time event or may be an on-going experience 

• May involve active or passive attendance 

• May occur on or off-campus  

Examples include (but are not limited to): 

• Workshops, guest lectures attended outside of class, conferences, presentations, official meetings, job shadowing, leadership roles, organization membership or involvement, employment, and out-of-class events or trips 

Use the My USC Experience Database, office or department newsletters, or social media to find potential enhancement experiences related to your GLD pathway. 

Coursework

You must complete three (3) credit hours with a B or better from the approved course list for the Community Service pathway. If you have not taken courses from the approved list, you may list and describe a course (3 credit hours) that was particularly meaningful for your pathway. You should have earned a B or better in this course. You may not double count your coursework toward fulfilling the core experience requirement. 

Presentation

You must complete a presentation demonstrating learning from a meaningful beyond the classroom experience. Your presentation must meet certain expectations such as focusing on a significant beyond-the-classroom experience, articulating what you have learned from your experience, and receiving feedback from a supervisor or mentor. Visit the Presentation page for more information on approved presentation venues and requirements. 

ePortfolio

You must complete a GLD ePortfolio demonstrating the significance of your within-and-beyond the classroom experiences. The two ways of completing the ePortfolio are taking a course that supports the creation of the GLD ePortfolio (such as Univ 401 for GLD) or by attending an ePortfolio workshop and then working with a GLD advisor.

Extensive Beyond the Classroom Experience

You must complete a combined 400 hours of Community Service from at least two (2) different programs or experiences. Courses that include a service learning component may be used to satisfy this requirement; however, you may not double count your core experience toward fulfilling the coursework requirement.

GLD Verification Forms are required for all off-campus experiences and for on-campus experiences without a faculty or staff mentor. More in-depth information on the GLD verification process can be found on the Apply page. Students will be ineligible for GLD for failure to submit a verification form, engagement in forgery, or for misrepresenting experiences.  

To find potential community service opportunities you can search the My USC Experience Database. You can also find local service opportunities using the Leadership and Service Center's Community Partner map. 

Enhancement Experiences

You must participate in three (3) different enhancement experiences. An enhancement experience expands your knowledge and helps you understand concepts, ideas, and topics related to your pathway. They are additional beyond-the-classroom activities, separate from the core experience, that demonstrate sustained commitment related to your pathway. You will be asked to identify the experience, its significance, and how it relates to your GLD pathway.  

Enhancement experiences do not require verification from a supervisor and: 

• May be completed during a one-time event or may be an on-going experience 

• May involve active or passive attendance 

• May occur on or off-campus  

Examples include (but are not limited to): 

• Workshops, guest lectures attended outside of class, conferences, presentations, official meetings, job shadowing, leadership roles, organization membership or involvement, employment, and out-of-class events or trips 

Use the My USC Experience Database, office or department newsletters, or social media to find potential enhancement experiences related to your GLD pathway. 

Coursework

You must complete nine (9) credit hours with a B or better from the approved course list for the Community Service pathway. If you have not taken courses from the approved list, you may list and describe up to three courses (9 credit hours) that were particularly meaningful for your pathway. You should have earned a B or better for these courses. You may not double count your coursework toward fulfilling the core experience requirement. 

Presentation

You must complete a presentation demonstrating learning from a meaningful beyond the classroom experience. Your presentation must meet certain expectations such as focusing on a significant beyond-the-classroom experience, articulating what you have learned from your experience, and receiving feedback from a supervisor or mentor. Visit the Presentation page for more information on approved presentation venues and requirements. 

ePortfolio

You must complete a GLD ePortfolio demonstrating the significance of your within-and-beyond the classroom experiences. The two ways of completing the ePortfolio are taking a course that supports the creation of the GLD ePortfolio (such as Univ 401 for GLD) or by attending an ePortfolio workshop and then working with a GLD advisor.