Learning Communities

Learning Communities provide students the opportunity to join a community that supports their academic success and transitions in college.  The program is aimed at fostering learner-centered education, and places small groups of students (no more than 24 in each) into cohorts that are enrolled into some common courses.  First year students live on campus and many of them in the same residence hall floor or area. 

Learning Community Purpose

The Learning Communities Program is intended to promote a variety of activities commonly linked with enhanced general education outcomes:

• Stronger student academic achievement
• Higher levels of student retention
• Greater student-to-student interaction and social support networks
• Increased faculty-student interaction
• Established academic support networks
• Eased transition to college
• Higher levels of satisfaction with college experience

Our History

MSU Learning Communities were developed as a partnership between the Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs in the Office of First Year Experience in 1999.  At that time, there were eleven first year learning communities offered. 

Our Success

The program has since grown to twenty-three (23) first year and six (6) upper-level learning communities in the 2022-2023 academic year.  This allows for approximately 625 students to participate.