Middlebury Students Explore East Asian Geopolitics Through Immersive Field Research
From Beijing to Tokyo, Middlebury researchers analyze the security, trade, and cultural historical tensions shaping the future of East Asian relations.
Experiential Learning and Study Abroad
A key part of the Institute’s mission is to provide you with immersive, hands-on learning as part of your studies.
Unlike other classroom-based graduate programs, these immersive experiences allow you to apply practical skills in your field of study before you graduate. Not only do you gain professional experience, but you are exposed to relevant networking opportunities that often lead to jobs after graduation.
Below are some of the options available, with more emerging as the Institute’s professional partnerships grow and change.
Funding
Institute students can apply for up to $4,000 in Experiential Learning Funding (ELF) to cover costs for eligible unpaid or minimally paid opportunities including virtual internships, volunteer opportunities, and start-ups.
Separate from ELF, there is a Professional Development Fund (PDF) for conferences and professional licenses/certificates.
Design Sessions
The Experiential Learning Team can provide design support for students, faculty, and staff interested in developing credit and non-credit applied learning activities in the US or abroad.
For Students…
- Developing an experiential learning plan to augment your MIIS experience
- Design a student-led experiential learning trip or training
- Support connecting your class projects with the real-world through clients or publication outlets
- Connecting with experiential learning opportunities through professional associations or conferences
- Help navigating international visa and travel requirements
For Faculty/Staff…
- Support developing and delivering global courses
- Design support for developing experiential learning opportunities
- Developing an experiential learning strategy for a course or degree program
- Adding non-credit experiential learning activities to augment or customize degree experience
Experiential Learning and Research Impact Report
Read our 2023-2024 Impact Report to see what past students have done through Middlebury Institute programs. Get ideas for your next research project or internship.
Student Stories
Learn from the experiences of other students through our experiential learning blog.
Global Courses
Faculty lead onsite courses for students and alumni on pressing global issues every January and March.
Semester-Long Programs
Students can complete internships or study abroad as part of their degree program or between semesters.
Additional Experiential Learning Opportunities
Students can participate in internships and research with Institute Centers and Initiatives, work on a team competition, complete simulation classes, and develop initiatives and start-ups.
Featured News
Read All-
From Monterey to the World: Students Use Practica to Make Real-World Contributions to their Professional Sectors
From Monterey to the global stage, Middlebury Institute students are putting their skills to work this spring. Through applied research and practicum courses, our students are collaborating with organizations making a tangible difference worldwide while finishing their degrees.
J-Term 2026: Global Courses Across Three Continents
Where Classrooms Meet the World — January Global Courses Across Three Continents
Each January, Middlebury Institute (MIIS) students step beyond Monterey’s classrooms into immersive global courses that translate theory into lived experience. Supported by the Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation and MIIS Experiential Learning Funds, the 2026 Winter Term brought nearly forty students to South Africa, Czechia/Austria, and Bhutan — three distinct contexts united by a shared pedagogical model: experiential learning grounded in partnership, practice, and reflection.
Contact
Director of Experiential Learning
Julia Tucker
Graduate Assistant