Learning by Doing

Hands-on learning is found throughout Occidental’s curriculum. Classes routinely use greater Los Angeles as a resource for field study and research. You can design and conduct your own experiments in science labs, study wildlife in the nearby San Gabriel Mountains, work in the community on economic development issues, or help manage the six-figure Blyth Fund investment portfolio.

To graduate, you must carry out original research or produce original work – what is known as a “senior comp.” Here, you actually do science, make art, or conduct historical research in original sources, instead of relying on class reading or by-the-book experiments.

Our location in Los Angeles provides you with a wide range of opportunities for learning outside the classroom, from internships to involvement in community programs. Programs and classes offered by the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute and the Community-Based Learning Center make it possible for you to make a difference in local schools, help develop new solutions to urban pollution, or apply GIS technology to urban development.