Students have the option of completing coursework year round. This summer, students continue to shape their future career paths by completing internships, applied projects, and research.
Experiential learning is in the DNA of Middlebury Institute degree programs. Students have had the option of completing an applied project for a host organization since the inception of the Professional Service Semester in 2002, long before most professional graduate schools embraced the concept of learning while on the job as part of a graduate course.
Students completing practicum internships earn academic credit by working alongside their supervisor and a Middlebury Institute faculty mentor in the development of a robust, applied project that allows the student to apply skills and knowledge from their coursework to serve their host organization.
Practicum students also have the option of conducting field research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students completing field research for their practicum project have the option of publishing their work and developing further research proposals for Fulbright fellowships and more.
The Middlebury Institute is pleased to highlight the following summer 2023 practicum positions and research topics.
Students select a curated internship option or secure their own job or internship. While on the job, students will develop an applied project to benefit their host organization. Students work with their supervisor, a faculty mentor, and peer mentor during the semester. View list of practicum internship/job positions 2002-2023.
Jordan McFarlen (MA ITED ‘23)
US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security
San Jose, CA/Remote
Bryan Frank (MA ITED ‘23)
US Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Trade Transparency Unit
Washington, DC/Remote
Thomas Shubert (MA IPD ‘23)
Amnesty International USA, Government Relations and Congressional Affairs
Washington, DC/Remote
Andi Abel, (MA IEP ‘23)
Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps, WSP
Washington, DC
This practicum mode offers a thesis option and provides students with the opportunity to independently or jointly explore a specific topic while employing empirical qualitative and/or quantitative research methods. Students work with an academic mentor, peer mentor, and optional external reader.
Katherine Neal (MA IPD ‘23)
US-Mexico Border Policy and Interagency Cooperation
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Mark Ackerman (MPA ‘23)
Affordable Housing in California
Monterey, CA
In addition to the practicum course, Middlebury Institute students are completing summer internships outside of their coursework across the US and around the world.
The Center for the Blue Economy Summer Fellowships
Students enrolled in the Environmental Policy and Manager masters program who are pursuing the specialization in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management are eligible for funded Center for the Blue Economy positions throughout the year, with full-time positions during the summer.
Middlebury Social Impact Corps
Middlebury Social Impact Corps (MSIC) is a partnership-based program that connects students to social change through unique experiential learning opportunities. A select cohort of Middlebury College (Interns) and MIIS graduate students (Scholars) are matched with a community partner focused on impact within a local/regional context. This experiential learning program and paid summer internship focuses on six pillars: adaptability, commitment, inquiry, narrative, reflection, and partnership.
Freeman Foundation Fellowship for Funded Internships in East Asia
Students can receive $3,500-$6,500 USD to intern for 30 days or more in the following East Asian countries/regions: Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Students completing unpaid or minimally paid internships of 300 hours or more over the summer are eligible for experiential learning funding through the Middlebury Institute to offset costs.
Internship Partnerships
The Middlebury Institute has established partnerships and relationships with UN agencies including UNICEF, UNFPA and the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Many of the internship partnerships can be viewed through our list of host organizations.
Carolyn Meyer, PhD
Director of Immersive Professional Learning
cmeyer@middlebury.edu
| by Stephen Diehl
The International Environmental Policy graduate spent her International Professional Service Semester at the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center in Honduras.
| by Stephen Diehl
Her current internship with the agency’s Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs is the latest in an impressive string of experiential learning opportunities as she completes a joint master’s in public administration and international policy and development.
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| by Stephen Diehl
A member of the Choctaw Nation, Herring is working on a yearlong internship with the DOE’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs through Sandia National Laboratory.
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