Home > Academic Courses and Programs
The Center for Social Concerns offers a variety of seminars and programs built around national and international immersion experiences. Seminars and programs fall into two major categories: Break seminars and Summer Service Learning Projects.
Typically academic break seminars occur during student breaks in the fall, winter and spring for which students receive one-credit. These seminars are facilitated by Center Faculty and staff, in conjunction with other academic departments, student leaders, and community partners. Students examine social issues from multiple perspectives, read relevant texts, study Catholic social tradition, and take an active role in building a learning community.
Summer service learning projects typically receive 3-to-4-credit and run for 8-10 weeks. Through summer service learning projects, students typically engage in direct service with partner agencies, examine social issues and provide an academic reflection on their experience.
Academic courses are taught by Center faculty and are usually cross listed with other academic departments.
The Community-Based Learning Course Guide lists University of Notre Dame courses that address social issues through experiential learning. This guide is designed to help students find courses that address social issues with an experiential learning (EL), community-based learning (CBL), or community-based research (CBR) pedagogy. EL opportunities put you in direct contact with the phenomenon you are studying or with important contexts of that phenomenon. CBL courses involve community service or other ways for you to be involved in and learn from and with the local community.
