Applied Learning

At La Roche University students are driven by doing.

Education for the Real World

At La Roche, your education starts with action. From your first semester, you’ll take on real projects like managing financial portfolios, analyzing crime trends for local law enforcement, or supporting nonprofits through marketing and research.

Through the SOLVE Center, every major includes hands-on work that connects you to real organizations and real outcomes. With guidance from faculty and connections to local businesses, you’ll graduate with practical experience and the confidence to move forward in your career.

Student Operated Learning Venture & Experience Center (SOLVE)

The SOLVE Center at LRU aims to expand real-world learning opportunities for students of all majors. From freshman year to graduation, you’ll get a head start on your future and career through hands-on assignments such as:

• Client-based projects serving local businesses and nonprofits
• Student-run laboratories and experiments
• Internships and field exercises

The SOLVE Center collaborates with businesses and nonprofit partners to provide students with authentic learning experiences. By completing assignments for real-world clients and communities, LRU students learn by doing—by solving real problems, making decisions and evaluating risks.

These hands-on experiences also give students the opportunity to learn from real success and failure. SOLVE community partners have included:

• Allegheny County Police
• Allegheny Land Trust
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
• Corey Diethorn Real Estate
• Culturora
• Dollar Bank
• First National Bank (FNB)
• Learning Express (Wexford)
• Latino Community Center
• Loafers Bread
• Mega Clean Pittsburgh
• Providence Alpha School
• Olive Branch
• Sisters of Divine Providence
• Soma Movement
• Team 412 Boxing
• Toni Unleashed
• WPXI

Other Applied Learning Experiences