Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning is an umbrella term used to cover all opportunities available to students to take part in sector-specific learning experiences. These opportunities can take place in a variety of settings including workplaces, simulation facilities, labs, shops, and studios in both educational, workplace and practice environments. This is a chance for students to build meaningful experience in their field or industry.

There are options for you depending on your program of study.

School Of Design

At the School of Design, the following programs have a mandatory field placement:

The following programs have an optional field placement:

Please note:
International students are not eligible to enroll in the Field Placement elective as this is a non-mandatory WIL course; co-op work permits are not issued for participation in this elective. For inquiries regarding eligibility and work permits, please visit Permits and Visas – George Brown Polytechnic.

Field Placement Workflow

Please refer to the School of Design Field Education Workflow page to look up your program of study to see the steps to follow to successfully secure and register for a field placement.

Important Dates

Start/end dates for work terms — work terms typically begin on the first day of the semester and finish on the last day. Paid work terms may finish before the end of the semester. Refer to the college’s Important Dates webpage for specific dates for your academic term.
The last week to request to be registered for the Field Placement course is Week 5 of the semester in which your work term takes place.

PLAR Eligibility

Prior learning assessment & recognition (PLAR) is a process that gives you the opportunity to obtain academic credit for your field placement, internship, or co-op course. The prior experience must be aligned to your academic program/learning outcomes listed on the official program page. Students must complete the minimum required hours prior to applying to PLAR. Hours by program requirements are as follows:

120 hours minimum; Graphic Design (G102), Interaction Design (G113), Game-Art (G119)
360 hours minimum; Web Development – Front-End Design (G418)
420 hours minimum; Brand Design (G304), and Digital Experience Design (G301)

Learn more about PLAR and how to apply.

Summer Workshop

The School of Design offers a free workshop to help you develop your resume, cover letter, and portfolio. This workshop is hosted annually in August to provide students who plan to participate in Field Education the opportunity to get ahead with developing your application package. Participation is highly encouraged as employers may start their co-op/internship recruitment for the Winter semester (January – April) as early as September. Information regarding the workshop will be emailed to all students at the School of Design in June/July of each year.

School Of Fashion & Jewellery

At the School of Fashion & Jewellery, the following programs have a mandatory field placement:

Fashion Management (F102)

The following programs have an optional field placement:

To Qualify for Optional Field Placement:

Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher
Student must secure a position related to their academic program outcomes

To Apply for Field Placement Positions:

Students are provided access to pre-approved job postings through Outcome.
If students choose to conduct a self-directed employment search, the posting must be approved by the Field Education Office before applying
- Contact: Michelle Walc, Field Education Officer, mwalc@georgebrown.ca
- Note: Unapproved jobs that do not meet the academic program outcomes will not be qualified for field education credit.
Students registered for Field Placement are required to follow the Experiential Learning Student Conduct Guide.

Experiential Learning - School of Design, Fashion and Jewellery