Ian Baucom, Higher Education Leader, Enterprising Administrator, and Prolific Scholar, Named President of Middlebury.

Preview Days: April 4–5

Students gather on the beach during sunset

We’re opening our doors just for you. Join our open-house event.

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Join us for our spring 2025 Preview Days, April 4–5, 2025. Experience firsthand how our master’s programs transform our students’ global careers. Explore our beautiful Monterey, California, location and meet the faculty, staff, and students who will help you achieve your professional and personal goals.

Please note that this is an in-person event.

Who Should Attend Preview Days?

The Middlebury Institute Preview Days is an open-house event for prospective students at any stage in their graduate school search, whether they are already admitted, just starting to consider graduate school, or anywhere in between.

We are also excited to welcome staff from our partner organizations and staff/faculty from colleges and universities. We know that your students, employees, and participants often come to you for advice on graduate school—our Preview Days are the perfect opportunity to get meaningful insight into our programs.

Friday Schedule (April 4)

10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Check-In 

McCone Building

Connect with the admissions team to learn about the application process, scholarships, and more.

10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Advising Sessions

Career Services

McCone Building

Meet one-on-one with a career advisor. Through collaborative relationships grounded in mutual respect and trust, the Center for Advising and Career Services (CACS) can help you develop and manage your professional skills and competencies while targeting your job search to meet your career goals.

Financial Aid Drop-Ins

McCone Building

Meet with our Student Financial Services team to better understand, manage, and finance the costs associated with your graduate program. Discuss the following topics:

  • Loans (federal and private)
  • Work-study
  • Veteran’s benefits

Student Life Drop-Ins

McCone Building

Connect with our Student Life team to learn about Middlebury Institute life outside the classroom, from health and wellness to student organizations and professional development funding.

Residential Life Drop-Ins

McCone Building

Meet one-on-one with our director of residential life if you are interested in living in our campus housing at Munras. Make sure you also check out the tour of Munras at 5:00 p.m. (see below).

1:00–3:00 p.m.Conflict Transformation Drop-Ins 

Location TBA

Meet with current fellows in the Conflict Transformation Graduate Cohort Fellowship Program. Fellows focus on the ways that conflict transformation (the development of creative solutions to conflict-based systems and situations) manifests in diverse regions, cultures, contexts, and fields around the globe. Fellows receive up to $12,5K in scholarships for in-person programs or $2.5K for online programs, engage in yearlong projects on conflict transformation aligned with coursework, and more.

3:00–4:00 p.m. Expert Discussion 1 of 2: Climate Migration with Professor William Arrocha

McCone Boardroom

How does climate change drive migration, and what are its root causes? This talk explores the connections between climate change, development, and displacement, focusing on the human impact and the structural forces behind environmental degradation and inequality. We will examine how these factors contribute to instability, forced migration, and policy challenges. Drawing insights from multiple disciplines, we will discuss the challenges and opportunities in addressing the causes and consequences of climate-induced migration, including the security concerns faced by sending and receiving states. Join Professor William Arrocha for a thought-provoking conversation on one of today’s most urgent global issues.

4:00–5:00 p.m. Campus Residential Hall Tour

Location: The tour will leave from the McCone building and walk to our residence hall at 787 Munras Ave.

After the tour, we will show you several great locations for dinner and evening exploration.

Saturday Schedule (April 5)

8:30 a.m. Check-in and Continental Breakfast

McCone Atrium

9:00 a.m. Welcome

McCone Atrium

We will welcome you to our Preview Days and share key insights on how the Middlebury Institute will help you launch or accelerate a career with purpose.

9:30–10:25 a.m. Program-Specific Sessions (1 of 2)

McCone

Faculty and advisors (enrollment and career) will guide you through the curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, and career outcomes for your program of interest.

  • Translation, Translation and Interpretation, Conference Interpretation, Interpretation for Diplomats and Executives (V499 CNS Video Conference Room)
  • Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies (McCone Boardroom)
  • Environmental Policy and Management (McCone 238)
  • International Education Management (McCone 127)

10:25–10:30 a.m. Short Break

Transition to your next session.

10:30–11:25 a.m. Program-Specific Sessions (2 of 2)

McCone

  • Translation and Localization Management, Online Localization Project Management (V499 CNS Video Conference Room)
  • Threat Intelligence (McCone Boardroom)
  • International Policy and Development, Global Governance and Policy, Online MPA in Sustainability (McCone 238)
  • Online TESOL (McCone 127)

11:25–11:30 a.m. Short Break

Transition to the expert discussion in McCone Irvine Auditorium.

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Expert Discussion 2 of 2: Dark Web Data with Professor Karen Nershi

McCone Irvine Auditorium

Unlike the surface level web, the dark web is a network of sites hidden behind powerful encryption technology. This technology provides individuals accessing the dark web with a high level of secrecy. While this has enabled legitimate uses like protected communications for journalists and dissidents, it has also led parts of the dark web to become hubs for illegal activity. These activities include dark web marketplaces (where individuals buy and sell illegal goods), hacker forums (where individuals advertise and hire expert hackers), and ransomware extortion sites (where groups threaten to sell or leak victims’ stolen data). In recent years, researchers have increasingly turned to the dark web as a source of data to study illegal activity. Join Professor Karen Nershi for a talk that will explore the origins and structure of the dark web, the range of data available on the dark web, and how these data can be used to study a wide range of social phenomena.

12:30–1:30 p.m. Lunch 

Samson Student Center

1:30–3:00 p.m. Campus and Library Tours

Leave from the Samson Student Center

Take a tour of our downtown campus and the library.

3:00–4:00 p.m. Closing Reception

Pierce Street Promenade

Meet current students from your program and hear about a wide range of classroom and extracurricular activities. 

Please bring your ID if you plan to drink alcohol during the reception.

Open Gallery | 12 images

Preview Days Highlights

Accommodation

There are many great hotels in the Monterey area. Here are a few convenient options: 

Parking

You will see signs for parking at the following locations:

Directions

The Institute is located in central California in the city of Monterey, approximately 130 miles (210 kilometers) south of San Francisco and 350 miles (560 kilometers) north of Los Angeles. 

Get directions.

Things to Do in Monterey

Visit SeeMonterey.com to learn more things to do in the area before or after Preview Days. Some of our favorites are below:

  • Hiking trails: Point Lobos, Garrapata, Jacks Peak
  • Old Monterey Wharf
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Cannery Row
  • 17 Mile Drive
  • Nightlife: Alvarado Street, Downtown Carmel
  • Beaches: Del Monte Beach, Lovers Point, Asilomar, Carmel Beach
  • Wine tasting in Carmel Valley: Folktale, Georis
  • Whale watching

Campus Map

Please use this interactive campus map to help orient yourself.

Download or print a PDF of the campus map (updated April 2023).

Future Preview Days

Save the date for future Preview Days events

  • Summer: July 17–18, 2025

Why Preview Days?

Check out these quotes from past attendees:

“The faculty and current students were so welcoming and informative. It definitely solidified my decision to apply.”

Ashton D.

“It was a great way to get a taste of what it’s like to be enrolled in a program. We met faculty and staff and newly graduated students in our field of study.”

Heejung L.

“Attending Preview Days moved the Institute to the top of my grad school preferences. The faculty and students did a great job differentiating it from other programs.”

Sam H.

“This is a great opportunity to network with faculty and staff and to meet fellow potential students.”

Cameron H.

“My session with the advisor was great! She thoroughly explained what I wanted to know about my degree of interest and answered all my questions.”

Julio T.

“I was on the fence about applying and whether or not the Institute was a good fit for me, but now I’m ready to apply. I want to be part of this community of world changers!  

Emily J.

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