Experiential Learning for All Huntsman Students
2026 Venture Capital Analyst Inters at Koch Disruptive Technologies, Huntsman School students Ethan Davis (left) and Sam Gibby
Beginning fall 2026, every incoming Huntsman School freshman will graduate with more than a degree. They’ll be required to complete meaningful work experiences that will help them stand out to employers and allow them to apply what they learn in the classroom to real business challenges.
The requirement extends beyond a traditional internship. Students may participate in consulting projects, global learning experiences, analytics engagements, entrepreneurship initiatives, or other hands-on opportunities offered through the Huntsman School’s centers and programs.
“These are the kinds of experiences that jump off the page when an employer looks at a résumé,” said Kristyn Allred, associate dean for student affairs. “They accelerate students not only as professionals, but also as people. Students become more mature, more able to collaborate, and more capable of solving
problems—the human skills companies are asking for.”
Through the SEED program, a student might advise small-business owners in the Dominican Republic, work with a company through the Analytics Solutions Center, complete a consulting engagement while studying abroad, or gain experience through programs such as ProSales, the Shingo Student Center, the Center for Entrepreneurship, or the Huntsman School’s global learning programs. What connects these opportunities is that students are doing meaningful work, solving authentic problems, and building experiences they can confidently discuss with future employers.
The new requirement builds upon the Huntsman School’s Learn by Doing initiative, launched in 2020 to expand the ways students apply their education outside the classroom. During the past decade, the school has developed dozens of experiential programs designed to complement academic learning and help students translate classroom knowledge into career-ready capabilities.
“We’re giving students an opportunity to become much more marketable and make it easier to secure a job when they graduate,” Allred said. “We’re also going to give them many different ways to gain that experience, so they aren’t left frantically trying to find something on their own.”
Of his internship experience Sam said, “I couldn’t have wished for a more exciting journey and am forever grateful to those individuals at The Huntsman School that have truly helped change my life. I can’t wait to see all that lies ahead as I continue to Dare Mighty Things.”