King’s Experience gives you formal recognition for activities that you do alongside your degree.
Experiences such as volunteering, travelling, work commitments, starting your own business or creating your research projects, to name but a few, are valuable for employers because they make the candidates stand out. Thanks to King’s Experience online modules and award programmes, students develop employability skills through self-reflection.
Why are King’s Experience Awards beneficial?
- Students receive King’s Experience Awards certificates which confirm their participation in the award programmes and formally recognise activities completed beyond their degrees
- The awards feature on your Higher Education Achievement Record, the official transcript of your accomplishments at university, thereby giving you an employability advantage
- Our online courses expand students’ knowledge in areas that they are particularly interested in
- While completing their activities, students gain a wide range of transferable skills. King’s Experience Awards enhance learning, by forming connections between the classroom and experiential learning. They introduce students to different ways of learning, and expanding their social, personal, and academic skill sets
- Some awards are additionally funded
King’s Experience Awards can be completed in three different streams: Service, Leadership and Research.
Service
This award stream is dedicated to students who complete activities such as volunteering, campaigning, or participating in charitable initiatives. Students will reflect upon how to bring positive impact to the King’s community by serving the society and sharing their vision to inspire others.
The Champion for Change Award has been designed to understand how to make the world a better place through social awareness, active allyship, the consciousness of the individual impact on society, critical thinking, and in-depth analysis of local and global communities. Our online courses, selected by participants according to their interests, focus on: Intersectionality and Inclusion, Sustainability, Volunteering with Social Impact, and Social Enterprise. Students, members of staff, and alumni are eligible to apply.
King's Mentoring is a King's Experience Award under the Service Stream which aims to help peer mentors reflect on and consolidate their contribution to the belonging and wellbeing of the King's community. The award also helps Peer Mentors develop their own service ethic and employability.
Leadership
Leadership offers a range of opportunities to investigate what it means to be a leader in the 21st century. Therefore, this award stream is designed for students who wish to explore career management skills through entrepreneurial activities and various work commitments.
The Principal’s Global Leadership Award (PGLA) enables students to learn about leadership from experts in the field and to develop distinctive leadership skills in service to society. Participation on the Award involves attending workshops and a residential week-end, participating in group discussions and completing a reflective assessment. This award is coordinated by King’s Global Institutes.
The Enterprise Award aims to develop, enhance, and recognise student enterprise activity. The award encompasses activities undertaken outside formal learning and is open to all current undergraduate and postgraduate students from any faculty. It is coordinated by the Entrepreneurship Institute.
Participants will have access to a range of online lessons such as Learning to Lead or Project Management which will help them reflect on their unique set of knowledge, attributes, skills and experiences. They will also develop understanding of professional identity formation, interpersonal skills, or network development. Students, members of staff and alumni are eligible to apply.
Research
King's College London is a research-led and student-centred university. This award stream aims to introduce students to the practices of research and make them an integral part of this community.
The King’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship (KURF) gives undergraduate students the opportunity to work as research fellows alongside King’s academics’ and staff members’ research projects during the summer break. Undertaking KURF is particularly recommended for students interested in postgraduate study and research-related career paths. Only undergraduate students are eligible to apply.
If students are doing research outside of their degree programmes and seek a way to get their research formally recognised, they should explore the Self-sourced Research Award. Students can apply whilst conducting research, or retrospectively.
Student Opportunity Fund
The Student Opportunity Fund provides King’s students with financial support in undertaking projects to their areas of interest and future aspirations. These projects include attending conferences, workshops, or seminar, organising events, creating publications or undertaking courses. The fund welcomes applications for opportunities that will develop students' knowledge, attributes, skills and experiences which will contribute to their academic and career goals. Students can apply individually (up to £500) or in groups (up to £1000). We welcome applications from students at all levels of study. Find out more information for the Student Opportunity Fund through our KEATS pages.
How to participate?
Discover more about the awards and how you can get involed through KEATS.