SOUL modules - learning beyond the classroom

SOUL category

Open: Opportunities to work on collaborative projects with approved organisations outside the University, tackling real-world issues locally or internationally.  

What you’ll experience

The global industry programme is a two-week industry consulting project with real companies both in the UK and overseas. During the project you will work with a small team of students as a virtual consultant team with a client on a genuine business challenge. Projects focus on topics such as social impact, technology, business growth, creative and cultural issues.

You will be allocated to a team, supported to prepare for the industry project and then engage with the client. Your team will receive a project brief and collaborate to understand your client’s context and present your findings and recommendations in a professional report. You will attend an introductory workshop before your experience, access other resources/workshops as appropriate, and be supported to gather evidence and build a Portfolio about your experiences and reflections.

The clients will often be small organisations, non-governmental organisations, charities and start-up companies looking for support to develop ideas around their genuine business need.

This is an opportunity to work on a real challenge, offer valuable solutions to your client, develop the skills employers are seeking, build cultural consciousness and work as part of a diverse and multidisciplinary team of students.

Dates and duration of experience

The virtual project takes place over a 2-week period, and you must commit 25 hours during this time but there is flexibility as long as you coordinate with your team to ensure that you’re able to attend meetings and contribute equally to all deliverables. There will be three cohorts for this experience, the first in semester 1 and two in semester 2. This is a 10 credit module.

• Cohort 1: Early November
• Cohort 2: Mid-February
• Cohort 3: During the Easter break.

​​​​​​Register for Global Industry Project SOUL experience (Microsoft Form)

SOUL category

Unbounded: Learning beyond the classroom such as volunteering or mentoring.   

What you’ll experience

This experience is open to students who are working, or have been offered a position to work, in an eligible role with the LUU or University. Eligible roles must be linked to the University or LUU for example, Student Reps, Student Societies and Advisory Boards, Library Academic Writing Mentors, or LLC Learning Champions. This list is not exhaustive so please email the SOUL team at SOUL@leeds.ac.uk if you want more information. You can also find more information about volunteering and representation opportunities at LUU. 

At university, your experiences outside the classroom – whether you’re volunteering, working on campus, mentoring peers, or serving on advisory boards – are a vital part of your journey, helping you develop essential skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

If you’re involved in volunteering or work opportunities at the University and spend at least 20 hours on an activity, you can use this experience as the basis for a 10-credit SOUL module (or 40 hours for a 20-credit module).

You will attend an introductory workshop before your experience, access other resources/workshops as appropriate, and be supported to gather evidence and build a portfolio about your experiences and reflections. Through guided reflection and self-directed learning, we’ll support you in thinking critically about what you’re learning, connecting your experiences to your academic studies and the SOUL learning outcomes, and helping you reflect on and showcase the skills you’ve gained to future employers. 

Dates and duration of experience

You’ll need to undertake 20 hours on an activity for a 10-credit SOUL module or 40 hours for a 20-credit module.

There will be one cohort in each semester for this experience.

Register for Volunteering and Citizenship at Leeds SOUL experience (Microsoft Form)

SOUL category

Structured: Tutor-led modules focusing on today’s important topics. 

What you’ll experience

This experience is only open to LUBS students for September 2025.  

With businesses worldwide prioritising sustainability, this experience invites you to learn about and reflect on the climate crisis and equips you with the knowledge and tools to make a difference.

Through a self-paced eLearning course, you will be invited to reflect on the climate crisis and practical ways to tackle it, examining your own behaviours and how you can take positive action in your studies, career and personal life. You will be part of a community and have opportunities to connect with others who share your passion for sustainability.

The eLearning Climate Action Training element is organised into 6 units. You follow these at your own pace and in total you will need to commit around 20 hours to work through all of them. When you successfully complete the Climate Action Training element you will receive a digital Certificate of Completion from Leeds University Business School.

For the SOUL module, you will access an introductory workshop before your experience, access other resources/workshops and be supported to build an ePortfolio of evidence about your experience and reflections, including how to connect these to the SOUL learning outcomes to gain academic credits.

Dates and duration of experience

You’ll need to undertake around 20 hours on the course. This experience will take place in semester 1. This is a 10 credit module.

Register for Climate Action Training SOUL experience (Microsoft Form)

SOUL category

Open: Opportunities to work on collaborative projects with approved organisations outside the University. 

What you’ll experience

Please note you must have an accepted place on a Leeds Summer School exchange before you complete the SOUL registration form for this experience.  

Summer Schools are short-term programmes intended to provide students with a more compact version of an international experience. They vary in length, intensity, and academic rigour - with so many wonderful partner universities, Leeds students can enjoy summer programmes all around the world!    

Summer schools provide an excellent opportunity to expand your global perspectives and experience another country, without committing to a full year's stay. The summer programmes we promote are well-established and welcome students from all over the world each year.   

You will build many of the transferrable skills that future employers are looking for, even with a short stay abroad: organisation, adaptability, problem solving, intercultural skills, communication, not to mention increasing your self-confidence and challenging your preconceptions.   

You will attend an introductory workshop before you leave for your Summer School and be supported to gather evidence and build a portfolio about your experiences and reflections.   

Dates and duration of experience

To use your Summer School experience for a SOUL module you must have a minimum of 20 hours of taught content for a 10 credit module and 40 hours for a 20 credit module. 

This experience will take place throughout summer 2025 with assessment taking place early in semester 1 (the module credits will therefore be shown as semester 1 2025/26).

Register for Leeds Summer Schools SOUL experience (Microsoft Form)

Each SOUL module is built around one of four categories of learning experiences:  

• Structured: Tutor-led modules focusing on today’s important topics. 
• Open: Opportunities to work on collaborative projects with approved organisations outside the University, tackling real-world issues locally or internationally. 
• Unbounded: Learning beyond the classroom such as volunteering or mentoring. 
• Learner-led: Design your own learning experience with support from tutors and peers

Before: introduction

This is where your SOUL experience begins. You will attend an in-person workshop or access resources about this online. Here you will learn all you need to know about how SOUL works, and you will be directed to other workshops and resources to help you make the most of your experience. You might connect with these before or during your SOUL experience depending on when it takes place. Doing so will help you to step back and reflect on the impact of your experience to look forward and get a good grade.

During: undertaking your experience, reflection and research  

This is where your SOUL experience takes shape. You’ll engage in your chosen experience and collect evidence for your ePortfolio. You will have guidance from your SOUL tutor and in workshops and online resources about how to connect your evidence to theory to place the professional skills you are developing into academic context.

After: evaluation and writing-up 

This is where you take your experience forward. Here you will reflect on your experience, evidence and the SOUL learning outcomes. This will help you to evaluate what went well and less well, the skills and insights you have developed, and their impact on your academic, personal, and professional plans. You will get support here in workshops, online resources and in writing-up sessions at the SOUL Hub.

You will create an ePortfolio that showcases your experience, related research and reflective insights. This ePortfolio serves as a personalised assessment tool, tailored to the experience you undertake and your academic focus and interests, and is where you reflect on the SOUL learning outcomes. It will be the equivalent of 2,000 words for a 10 credit module and 4,000 words for a 20 credit module. There is support for building your ePortfolio throughout the module.

SOUL aims to help you to: 

• gain valuable experience that employers look for 
• develop skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership 
• build connections and expand your horizons
• earn credits for learning beyond your degree. 

Whatever stage you’re at in your learning journey, you will have the freedom to explore, grow, and make a real impact. 

The module you choose will need to comply with the regulations of your course alongside any compulsory and optional modules you’re taking. 

Some experiences may have entry requirements or prerequisites, and numbers are limited on some modules. You can find this information in the SOUL experiences section.

To be able to graduate, you need to pass the number of credits at each level as specified in our Academic Regulations. The exact number of module credits you need for your course can be found in the programme (course) catalogue. 

Your parent school will have final approval of your choices. Contact your school for guidance.