Practicum: International Policy and Development

Overview

Your final semester includes an immersive semester-long practicum, where you will work for organizations like the United Nations Development Programme, the International Organization for Migration, USAID, the U.S. State Department, or a diverse array of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and private enterprises improving the world through development initiatives.

Become an agent of meaningful change at a global or local scale and begin your career with the practicum experience at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Funding Your Practicum

Many practicum positions are paid positions. Students in unpaid or low-paid positions can apply for experiential learning grants from the Institute.

Each year, the Institute supports more than 250 students with grant awards—an investment of more than $400,000 for fieldwork each year.

Practicum Options

A web of support, including the director of experiential learning, your career and academic advisor, faculty, alumni working in a similar field or on a similar project, and an on-site practicum mentor, help practicum students as they spend four months working full-time on applied projects across a broad range of topics. The practicum can be based in the U.S. or internationally, in-person or remote.

Choose from three options to develop the most meaningful platform for your career.

Work Project

In this internship, you will work a minimum of 25 hours per week and develop an applied project to benefit your host organization. You can either work with our advisors to find this internship or secure an opportunity independently. The Work Project can be completed via a full-time paid position or via an internship or fellowship.
Example: Create a training manual as part of an internship with a UNICEF field office. 

Client Project

Select partner organizations request Middlebury Institute students for applied projects or you can propose your own client project. You will work in a team or independently for 20 hours per week. 
Example: Complete an evaluation for a California-based nonprofit.

Research Project

Structured like a traditional thesis, you will explore a topic for 20 hours per week. Professor Wei Liang guides students through empirical qualitative and quantitative research methods as they work independently or in groups.
Example: Research policy, including conducting experimental field research abroad through a faculty-led global course, with the goal of publishing the work or continuing the research through a Fulbright after graduation.

Finding Your Practicum

Practicum planning starts in your first semester. Our faculty are all engaged professionals with active networks. You will meet influential guest speakers from various organizations and work on client projects that can evolve into practicum placements. We also have an extensive alumni network, and many alumni offer placement in their current workplaces and act as mentors. You will attend conferences, and faculty members will connect you to leaders in your field of interest. 

Carolyn Meyer, director of experiential learning, will work closely with you to secure an opportunity that best fits your professional goals and makes the most of the experience. You may also secure an opportunity through your own network. One hundred percent of our students receive placements, most of which are their top choices.

Your Career and Academic Advisor

Many of our students secure their first job after graduate school through the network developed at their practicum. Your advisor in the Center for Advising and Career Services is available to help you clarify your professional goals and career readiness. Their customized approach will help you develop or strengthen your résumé, cover letters, online presence, networking, interviewing, and negotiation skills.

Practicum Sites

Practicum placements reflect the range of organizations where our graduates make their careers, including nonprofits, consultancies, federal, state, and local governments, the private sector, international organizations, and think tanks.

Select Practicum Organizations

• Amnesty International
• International Organization for Migration
• USAID
• U.S. State Department
• United Nations
• United Way
• Community Foundation
• Local, State, and National Government

Student Profiles