Bryn Mawr College

Preparing for a Career

The intellectual challenges of life at Bryn Mawr are stimulating and engrossing in their own right; beyond this, however, students have a legitimate interest in ensuring that the work they do at Bryn Mawr will prepare them for future studies and employment. To that end, the deans work closely with the Career Development Office to make information and advice available to students considering graduate study or work in the health professions, law, business, education, nonprofit work and a variety of other careers.

 

While some students arrive at Bryn Mawr knowing precisely what they want to with their life and never waver in their focus, most do not. For most students, the varied experiences of their college years, both inside and outside the classroom, give rise to new interests and goals. In this context, Bryn Mawr's divisional requirements make a lot of sense: for example, an entering freshman convinced she wants to be a lawyer takes a geology course "just to fulfill a requirement," and thereby discovers a deep interest in the content and methods of environmental sciences. Of course, not all students have such a clear-cut "eureka!" moment, but in general, a Bryn Mawr education, with its broad base in the liberal arts, allows students to "try on" various fields.

 

Pre-professional advising is available to students at every stage in their college career. Because graduate school in medicine and other health professions have extensive specific requirements for admission, the health professions adviser holds an information session on course selection for interested entering students as part of Customs Week. The Bryn Mawr/Haverford Education Program offers a course of study leading to Pennsylvania teaching certification, and students interested in this option should consult with the Education Adviser in the beginning of the sophomore year or earlier. The Career Development Office employs a designated pre-law adviser for students interested in applying to law school. Students who are interested in graduate study in the arts and sciences should discuss their plans with faculty in their departments and with their deans.

 

No matter what sort of career interests you - from advocacy to zoology - a career counselor from the Bryn Mawr-Haverford Career Development Office can meet with you to discuss your plans and questions. The CDO offers a variety of services and programs, providing general career information and tips about internships, summer jobs and permanent positions.