I’m a parent whose son wants a college with a large focus on internships…
I know schools like George Washington and Northeastern have this, but I’m trying to compile a list of liberal arts colleges where this is present.
Thanks!
What subject?
Can you be more specific about what you are looking for? For instance, some LACs offer summer funding for unpaid internships, such as Grinnell, Conn Coll, Denison (I’m sure many others do it as well, those are just examples I recall from our research). Schools located near urban areas may provide the opportunity for semester-based internships. Some have proactive career development offices which nudge and prod and get students in early in the 4 year cycle.
Union’s academic calendar is set up to support internships, including during the year. (3 classes in each of 3 terms, which make it easier to have chunks of time during the term for an internship. )
Many schools that have a 4 1 4 schedule also support internships during the 1. Imo, these are helpful but not like a full coop program like Drexel of Northeastern. These are often offered by schools that are not as close to an area where internships are plentiful (i.e., cities).
Many LACS are isolated, so if you are looking for something during the school year, sorting by geography might be helpful.
Kalamazoo
Bennington has a january term during which the students go away from campus to work
Many of the LACs offer financial support for internships that are unpaid or have low pay. One thing you can do is to google the name of the school and “internship support”. That should pull up the page that describes what support that school offers financially. Often it also explains how students can get those internships and jobs.
Centre college emphasizes internships or research as part of the 4-year guaranteed graduation package.
Trinity has an internship program aligned with government in Hartford.
Richmond, like some of those mentioned above, provided a stipend for unpaid internships.
College of the Holy Cross offers a DC semester and a NYC semester, with an internship being a big component of the program.
Connecticut College
I agree with @Midwestmomofboys that researching urban LACs might help narrow down. Here’s a list: http://www.thecollegesolution.com/33-liberal-arts-colleges-in-or-near-cities/
Trimester based schools in which students take 3 courses a term, and often start later in September, then off for a long winter break, and then (downside) finish in mid-June – can align with internship goals as the students can work later into Sept, when everyone else is back in class, or over winter holidays. Another model which can support internships is the Jan or May term which can create opportunities for month long internship.
@gocats14, most LAC’s have well connected internship programs, although few are structured as comprehensively during the academic year like Northeastern’s. That said, at Hamilton College for those interested in internships including all three branches of government, think tanks, NGOs, non-profits, and lobbying and consulting firms, Hamilton has an almost 50 year program in Washington DC -https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/offcampusstudy/washington-program
In addition, here’s some links to Hamilton’s on-campus or off-campus paid summer internships this summer that included over 10% of the student population - https://www.hamilton.edu/after/student-internship-news, https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/student-research
Good luck!
In general, colleges with established terms in other locations (e.g., D.C., NYC) will offer internship placements as part of the curriculum, at least for the duration of these terms.
Macalester comes to mind
St Lawrence has a semester in DC and NY which includes internship experience, though I think those programs are open to specific majors, not everyone. Denison has the Lugar program, which involves coursework plus Congressional internship or international internship experience. Many top 50 LACs offer summer funding for summer internships.
The list may vary depending on whether the OP is asking about summer internships or school year internships. Strength of summer internships will be affected by a variety of factors, including availability of summer funding for unpaid internships, alumni engagement (the more connected alumni feel to a school, the more likely they are to offer summer opportunities for current students) etc. School year internships will be affected by location and the curriculum.
It might be easier to provide info for the OP if they identified types of schools/geography or specific schools and folks with experience with those specifics could respond in more detail.
It all comes down to student initiative. If he is motivated for interning, no college will stop him. My daughter does not attend any of the colleges suggested above but she has had 3 internships and will have a 4th spring semester.
Have attend all the talks and workshops offered by the career office starting 1st semester of freshmen year. Even in colleges known for internships, no one hands one to the student. The student has to get it.
Thanks guys, all of you answered my question… I was sort of just thinking generally and wondering about liberal arts colleges that have an internship “bend” to them, where all students getting internships was the culture at the school.
@gocats24, I know summer internships are a huge focus at Hamilton with lots of support from the administration and the alumni - I think alumni are a big driver at the highly selective LAC’s.
BENNINGTON!
All undergraduates at the University of Richmond are eligible for $4,000 in funding for an internship or research.
For a less competitive option look at Endicott College, very highly ranked for internships.