Introduction to experiential course maps: four essential components to equip students on their journey

Do you care about the student experience? Are you frustrated when students lament the availability of resources on campus to support their learning and career journeys—even when you know that those resources do, in fact, exist?

If so, you’re in the right place. To address this challenge, consider designing experiential course maps. They offer students a snapshot of how their classroom and co-curricular activities can fit together across their time at university.

At their best, course maps reflect an ideal student experience in each academic programme at your institution. They go beyond listing required modules and seminars by depicting the interpersonal, service learning, and career preparation opportunities that add up to a meaningful university experience—and ideally, a rewarding career.

Experiential course maps have been successfully deployed at higher education institutions around the world to support the student journey, functioning as a single point of reference for the many services a university provides. Think about career services, the writing centre, study abroad opportunities, internships, volunteering—the list goes on and on.

While experiential course maps take on different shapes at each institution, the most effective maps share four common elements:

1. Highlight 3-5 core pillars of the student experience that are unique to your institution
2. Provide year-by-year prompts for extra- and co-curricular activities
3. Illustrate post-graduation possibilities, and how to get there, with real data on course alumni
4. Connect students across institutional siloes to eliminate barriers to accessing resources