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Internships and Externships

Internships

Internships are short-term work experiences that allow you to participate and observe in a professional working environment and explore your career interests.

Internships are highly beneficial because you can gain an inside view to an industry and the organization, develop new skills and apply what you learn at BMC, make connections with professionals, and learn more about your interests through practical work experience.

Finding an Internship

There are three ways to find an internship:

  • Posted opportunities are those that are searchable on company websites, internship sites, and job posting systems like Handshake. These are advertised openings typically part of an established program.
  • Hidden opportunities are not searchable on a job posting site. Networking with friends, family, mentors, and alumnae/I and former employers is the primary way that you can find unadvertised internships.
  • Self-Designed opportunities are those created by the student and organization together. Students can approach an organization with a proposal or idea, or offer their skills to this employer of interest. This takes initiative and time, but allows you to collaborate with the organization in designing a project that they need.

Visit the job directory to help your internship search.

Deadlines for internships vary depending on the field. Knowing when and how certain industries recruit will help you to strategize your plan of action. This is helpful if you have specific interests in mind, or help you to anticipate what you may see if you are still unsure of what type of internship you want.

For summer internships: Larger organizations, specifically corporate (most financial services and consulting firms), government agencies, media companies, and large research institutions, will begin to recruit in the fall and early spring for summer internships. Nonprofit organizations and smaller companies will conduct in-time hiring (as needed basis), with deadlines beginning in January and into the summer. The majority of students are notified about summer internship applications in March/early April.

Funding for independently-secured summer internships and some research are available for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors at Bryn Mawr College. Please visit the Summer Funding page to learn about the different grants and fellowships.

Academic Year Internships

Academic credit is available for academic year internships through the Civic Engagement Praxis Program

Summer Internships

Students doing internships during the summer can receive 0.5 credits (credit/no credit) by registering for GNST 030: Personal Development: Springboard. To be eligible to enroll in the course:

  • Students must pursue either a full-time summer internship with a minimum of 240 hours or part-time internships under 240 hours, with a minimum of 180 hours (across 8-10 weeks).
  • Students cannot exceed the 5.5 credit max for the Fall 2024. 
  • Students must participate in the Beyond Bryn Mawr Summer Internship Program, which is an integral part of the course.
  • Students can enroll a maximum of two times.
  • Students must be returning as actively enrolled students in the Fall semester. Graduating seniors are not eligible.

Students can register here. The deadline to register for the course is May 15, and you are encouraged to complete the registration link as early as possible.

Questions? Contact Katie Krimmel at kkrimmel@brynmawr.edu for more information.

The Beyond Bryn Mawr Summer Internship Program asks both funded students and students taking the 0.5 credit Personal Development course to think critically about how their summer experiences prepare them for life after Bryn Mawr.  Students submit reflections throughout the summer about what they did, what they learned about themselves, and how their experiences helped them to refine and discover their interests.  Bryn Mawr and Beyond is the culminating event that severs as a forum for student participants to share what they learned from their summer experiences with the Bryn Mawr community.  

College-Sponsored Internships and Programs

Structured opportunities with departments on campus or with partner organizations off campus. Funding sources help cover the costs associated with specific summer programs. 

Summer Programs with early assurance opportunities for sophomores from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine.

About

Bryn Mawr College has signed agreements with two medical schools for summer opportunities that include the possibility of consideration for early assurance acceptance to medical school.

Interested students should contact Dr. Gail Glicksman, Assistant Dean for Health Professions Advising, at the Health Professions Advising Office (HPAO) – gglicksman@brynmawr.edu.

Dr. Glicksman is eager to speak with any students who are potentially interested in these programs. Many programs across the United States are available for students from backgrounds underrepresented in healthcare. Program criteria and emphases vary. 

Even if these two specific programs would not be the best fit, there may be many other excellent opportunities that we could explore.

Academic Clinical Experience Summer Program (ACES): Rutgers—Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) 2024

ACES is a six-week summer program for sophomores at Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore, and Princeton who are seriously considering a medical career. RWJMS will provide academic and clinical experiences, faculty mentoring, and interaction with medical students. ACES aims to facilitate meaningful preparation for medical school for educationally and/or economically disadvantaged students. Note: Successful participants may be eligible for an early assurance acceptance to Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 

  • This is open to Bryn Mawr sophomores (Class of 2026) who are educationally and/or academically disadvantaged. This includes first-generation college-goers and/or those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. 
  • GPA and: Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, with 3.2 by graduation.
  • Standardized test scores for those who took a standardized test, a minimum combined SAT verbal/math score of 1300 or ACT score of 29. Applicants who have never taken the SAT or ACT will be considered, but they must take the MCAT before being offered admission to RWJMS. 
  • A realistic plan for completion of RWJMS prerequisite courses by graduation
  • US citizen or permanent resident
  • Considered socioeconomically and/or educationally disadvantaged as measured by one of the below:
    • Socioeconomic disadvantage:
      • Your family’s income on the most recent tax return is 400% or less than the 2022 US Department of Health and Human Services poverty level guidelines for your family size. This aligns with the AAMC Fee Assistance program requirements for medical school applicants or
      • You and your family receive need-based aid (Pell grants, Bryn Mawr grant aid, or other) or
      • Your personal/family financial contributions to attend Bryn Mawr are less than 30% of the cost of attendance.
    • Educational disadvantage:
      • None of your parents or guardians has obtained a post-secondary degree (associate degree or higher) or
      • You attended a high school where less than 50% of graduates attend a two- or four-year college.

Please note: If you have financial or educational disadvantages but do not meet these specific criteria, please talk with Gail Glicksman about any special circumstances.

  • Application materials include an application form, two short essays (in response to prompts), unofficial transcripts from any colleges you attended, and one recommendation. (An additional recommendation would be accepted.)

PENN Access Summer Scholars (PASS): Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania 2024

PASS is a program for sophomores (Class of 2026) at Bryn Mawr (as well as Haverford, Howard, Morehouse, Oakwood, Penn, Princeton, Spelman, and Xavier or participants in the STEMM Prep Program). Students are paired with research mentors for 8 weeks during the sophomore and junior summers on Penn’s campus. coupled with enrichment that fosters the development of a physician identity and prepares students for the transition to medical school. Note: Students who successfully complete the PASS program may be eligible for an early assurance acceptance to the Perelman School of Medicine. 

  • Open to Bryn Mawr sophomores (Class of 2026) from diverse backgrounds underrepresented in medicine, including those from socio-economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds, and those who are the first in their family to pursue higher education and/or medicine.
  • Because the program’s summer research funding is from U.S. government grants, participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
  • GPA: Successfully completed three semesters with a roster of rigorous science courses (biology, chemistry, physics, and math), attaining science and cumulative GPAs of 3.6 or higher. 
  • Standardized test scores: SAT of 1300 or higher or ACT of 29. Applicants who have never taken the SAT or the ACT will be considered, with two possible ways to proceed: Evidence of AP credit earned by the applicant in at least one STEM field will be provided by a liaison from the HPAO at Bryn Mawr College; or Evidence of strong ability on timed, multiple-choice tests in STEM courses at Bryn Mawr College will be provided by the liaison from the HPAO. 
  • Applicants should demonstrate strong personal attributes, character, leadership, maturity, as well as a clear and consistent motivation to study and ultimately pursue a career in medicine and readiness to matriculate in medical school.
  • Students apply through Bryn Mawr HPAO. Finalists interview with the medical school. 
  • Application materials include an application form, responses to two essays prompts, an unofficial copy of transcripts from any colleges you attended, and one recommendation. (An additional recommendation would be accepted.) 

Make connections at a great law school and with peers at other great institutions.

About

The Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law 

The Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law, Yale School of Law
2025 Summer Fellowship

Why should I apply?  Students should be interested in public service and social justice. Make connections at a great law school and with peers at other great institutions. Participate in a Public Interest Law Colloquium with other undergraduates from Barnard, Brown, Harvard, Princeton, Spelman, Stanford, and Yale. Engage with incredible thought-leaders at the Public Interest Law Colloquium. Distinguish your summer internship as Liman Summer Fellow on your resume. 
 
What exactly am I applying for/what is a Liman Fellow?  You are applying to attend the Public Interest Law Colloquium, Safety, Security, and the Harms of Punishment @ Yale from April 3-4th. This event will include a special program for this year’s Liman Summer Fellows. You will meet a cohort of undergraduates from Barnard, Brown, Harvard, Princeton, Spelman, Stanford, and Yale (who also attend the Colloquium) interested in public service.  Finally, if selected you will be distinguishing your summer internship as a Liman Summer Fellow, which means being part of Summer Network that provides opportunities  to connect through virtual meetings, email lists, and more.  Fellows must also submit a final reflection by September 1 to the Career & Civic Engagement Center, which will be shared with Yale’s Liman Center.
 
What are the requirements to apply?  You must be planning to do an 8-10 week in-person summer internship at a publicly funded or non-profit (501c3) social service, cultural, or state or local government organization. The goal is to support organizations and offices most in need of resources.  Thus, for example Fellows do not work as academic research assistants or in any of the many branches within the federal government.  In general, applicants are not required to have a host organization before applying; students should learn about options and when possible secure commitments. Organizations are not limited to organizations in a particular field.  Subject areas of host organizations have included immigration, housing, labor and workers’ rights, indigent criminal defense, death penalty representation, disability rights, children and family services, environmental policy, and mental health advocacy. For-profit institutions do not qualify. 

Your internship does not need to be secured to apply to be designated as a Liman Fellow.  Please note that rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors from all majors are eligible to apply.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Prudencio at jprudencio@brynmawr.edu.

Apply

A complete application includes: 

  • Your contact information
  • A one-page resume
  • A 1-2 page personal statement
  • The names of two references.

Apply by submitting the Career and Civic Engagement | Liman Summer 2025 Fellowship Application Form.

Do NOT apply through the Handshake listing.

Funding Options

What are the funding options if the internship I secure is unpaid? 

If you:
1.      Are selected as a Liman Fellow AND
2.      You secure an unpaid internship at a non-profit organization focused on public service and social justice that is in-person and 8-10 weeks long AND
3.      The internship fits the criteria for funding offered by the Career & Civic Engagement Center
 
Then Liman Fellows are guaranteed to receive summer funding from the Career & Civic Engagement Center and become a participant in the Beyond Bryn Mawr Summer Funding Program for Summer 2025.
 

Questions? Contact Jennifer Prudencio at jprudencio@brynmawr.edu.

Summer of Service provides opportunities for students to live, serve, and learn with others in the community.   

About

Ten to twelve undergraduate Bryn Mawr College students are selected to live together on campus, spend 32 hours each week interning for a service or activism organization in the Bryn Mawr/Philadelphia region, and spend an additional three to five hours each week in service-learning activities, including ongoing training and reflection.

Students live together in housing provided on campus and receive a $3,000 stipend for the ten-week program. Each student also receives a monthly SEPTA Trail Pass for June and July to pay for transportation to and from their service site.

Civic Engagement will provide individual SEPTA fares for travel to and from service sites in May and/or August.

Apply

Applicants must apply using our online application. The application must be completed in one sitting. You may not save your entries and return them. 

Apply Here (applications for 2025 open January 5)

Deadline: TBD for 2025

Questions: Amanda Moser-Shick at amosershic@brynmawr.edu and Tiffany Stahl at tstahl@brynmawr.edu.

We offer funded international internships through the following partnerships. Questions? Contact Jennifer Prudencio at jprudencio@brynmawr.edu

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

Innovation Academy Sustainability Internships Program

  • Bryn Mawr College and the Department of Environmental Studies is partnering with the Innovation Academy in Germany's "Green City" of Freiburg for the third year to offer international summer internships for Bryn Mawr students. Sophomores and juniors pursuing any major who maintain an active status at the College and are in good academic standing are eligible to apply. Students may apply for up to two internship sites. Complete descriptions for each internship site can be found in Handshake. Please note that language requirements vary by internship site.
  • Freiburg has been a center of environmental innovation since the 1970s. It is a leader in renewable energy as well as sustainable housing and transport. The Innovation Academy has been introducing groups from around the world to the "Green City" since 2004. The Academy sees itself as part of a global movement that aims to contribute to societal transformation through educating on sustainable development. In addition to coordinating the internships, the Academy offers interns a program with intercultural training, excursions in the context of sustainability, company visits and regular cohort meetings to exchange experiences and build community. Students will be housed with host families, in private studio apartments, or in shared student flats. Questions? Please contact Professor Carol Hager at chager@brynmawr.edu or Jennifer Prudencio at jprudencio@brynmawr.edu.

 

IES Abroad

  • Bryn Mawr College partners with IES Abroad to establish international student internship opportunities. In Summer 2024, 9 full-time international internship opportunities are available with IES Abroad in three locations: Santiago, Chile, Berlin, Germany, and Vienna, Austria for qualified Bryn Mawr College juniors and sophomores. Alongside the internship experience, students participate in a for-credit seminar to put their internship into professional and cultural contexts and learn from other interns' experiences.

 

Laɣim Tehi Tuma

  • Fellowships with the community of Dalun, Ghana. Now entering its 12th year, Laɣim Tehi Tuma (“Thinking Together” in Dagbani and also known as “LTT”), is an undergraduate community-based learning and inquiry fellowship program grown out of a grassroots collaborative between Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges (The Bi-Co) and local educators in the rural community of Dalun, Ghana. The program is now also supported by a growing team of educators from University of Development Studies–Tamale (UDS), community-powered NGOs and collectives in Dalun, and other higher education institutions in Pennsylvania. LTT is emerging as a threshold between these communities and individuals sharing a vision toward reconceptualizing  education—formal/informal, community-based, and self-directed—centered by Black diasporic liberation and study. 
  • The mission of LTT is to create a platform for collaborative thinking that co-creates education through study, intercultural exchange, internships within community-based partnerships, and through engaging Black study/ies to open questions about what education has been, is and can be. LTT is designed to be an intervention in colonial pasts and to foster movement towards just and thriving futures. 
  • Through study, action, and reflection, LTT engages several themes. The process of thinking together about education entails engagement with questions of history, culture, race, class, gender, and other dimensions of identity; of language, colonialism, nationality, and  post-coloniality; and of the discourses of development, post-development and indigeneity.
  • More Information
  • Application Deadline: TBD for Summer of 2025 BMC Students can complete the Laɣim Tehi Tuma Summer 2025 Application Form through the Career & Civic Engagement Center. (Application opens Jan. 2025)

We partner with organizations to offer paid summer internships to Bryn Mawr students. These opportunities are developed in a strong partnership between the College and the organization. First-years, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to apply unless the organization has listed specific requirements. 

Apply

A complete application includes:

  1. A Funding Application Form.
  2. A resume and cover letter for the partner internship to submit through the specific Handshake listing. 
  3. Some partnerships ask for an additional application step, such as submitting application information on their website. Visit each opportunity for specific details.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Prudencio at jprudencio@brynmawr.edu.

Summer 2025 Internships

MD Anderson 

  • Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. ET, Thursday, January 15, 2025 - To apply, students must (1) apply directly on the MD Anderson University Outreach Summer Programs page which can also be accessed through Handshake and (2) If interested in receiving funding from Bryn Mawr College if you are selected for an internship, please complete this brief form (This form is NOT an application form for the internship, but rather an interest form for you to be considered for funding from Bryn Mawr if you are selected for the MD Anderson program by the MD Anderson team.)  Questions? Please contact Katie Krimmel at kkrimmel@brynmawr.eduPlease note that late applications will not be accepted.

Summer 2024 Internships

  • LITS Digital Technology Internships - Continuing Bryn Mawr students are invited to apply for several on-campus summer LITS Digital Technology Internships. These internships allow you to develop valuable digital competencies while assisting Bryn Mawr faculty and staff develop and support college programs through project-based work. You will also have opportunities to network with professionals with experience across academic, education, library and information science, and digital technology-related fields. Deadline: Sunday, March 8, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 
  • American Philosophical Society - The American Philosophical Society Library & Museum seeks a motivated, enthusiastic intern to assist in developing its 2025 and 2026 exhibitions, tentatively titled The Revolutionary City, Philadelphia 1774-1783 and The Declaration. The intern will join a small, versatile staff in a collaborative workplace that brings together experts in exhibition planning, education and outreach, collections management, and conservation. Deadline: March 17, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 
  • Founders Hall Museum, Girard College - Do you like old stuff? Do you like museums? This is an opportunity to participate in and learn about many different facets of the functioning of a small museum. Other collections projects may include object cataloging, digitization, moving and rehousing objects, inventory, and routine collections care. The intern will also participate in the general life of the museum, attending meetings, helping with events as needed, etc. We are a small museum, so you will have a big impact! Join us in helping to document and share the stories of a truly fascinating and significant Philadelphian and Philadelphia institution. Deadline: March 24, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Students can find the complete descriptions of all internship sites on Handshake.

About

Thanks to the generosity of Ellen Michelson P'09, Bryn Mawr College can offer scholarship support for at least one student interested in attending a one-week summer course offered by the Rare Book School.

The Rare Book School provides continuing education opportunities for students from all disciplines and skill levels to study the history of written, printed, and digital materials with leading scholars and professionals in the field. It is based at the University of Virginia and also offers classes at other sites, including the University of Pennsylvania.

Learn more about the Rare Book School.

More Details

  • Eligibility for the scholarship depends upon being accepted into one of the Rare Book School courses. 
  • The deadline for applications to the School is TBD for Summer of 2025.
  • Visit the Rare Book School Application Form to learn more and review the application process. 

A paid 8-week summer internship opportunity for Bryn Mawr College undergraduate students, sponsored by the Friends of the Bryn Mawr College Libraries. 

About

Program dates: TBD for Summer 2025

Special Collections, a unique department within the Library and Information Technology Services (LITS) division, provides access and programming around extensive collections of rare books, manuscripts, artworks, cultural heritage objects, digital collections, and the college archives. During this experiential internship, interns will gain hands-on experience rotating among these various collections. 

Students will learn the behind-the-scenes work of special collections libraries, archives, and cultural heritage organizations including aspects of preservation, collection management, digital archiving, outreach, and interpretation, as well as touch on current topics in the field. The internship will also prepare students for public engagement, culminating with an opportunity to present their experience to other LITS summer interns.

Apply

The full job description can be found on JobX.

Deadline: TBD for Summer 2025

  • Application form
  • Resume
  • Name and email address of one faculty member or professional reference

Questions? Contact Special Collections at speccoll@brynmawr.edu.

Continuing Bryn Mawr students are invited to apply for two (2) summer internships working on the next phase of the Who Built Bryn Mawr? project.  

About

The project will involve extensive historical research and writing to produce labels for objects on campus and a public presentation of their work as part of the four-year focus on Asian histories at the college. These internships will offer students the opportunity to learn how to do historical research with primary sources and to share their experience and findings broadly. Interns will develop digital and material archives skills, as well as curatorial and website development strategies. 

The interns will work on their project as a team in close collaboration with staff in Special Collections, Digital Scholarship, and be advised by faculty.

The interns will be based in the Special Collections Department and are expected to work full-time, in-person (35 hours/week) for 10 weeks during the summer, likely June 3rd to August 9th.

Stipend: $4000

Apply

  • Complete the online application form.
  • Application due date: TBD for Summer 2025
  • Questions? Contact Allison Mills at amills1@brynmawr.edu.

Interested in Projects for Peace?

Need internship funding?

Externships

Externships enable you to explore different career options by allowing a firsthand glimpse into a field of interest.

By shadowing professionals in their workplace or engaging in virtual career conversations (similar to the format of an informational interview), you can begin to explore your interests and learn about various opportunities. The advice and guidance from alumnae/i in this shadowing experience will help you identify potential career options.

During Winter or Spring break, externs observe and talk with alumnae/us sponsors and their colleagues. For in-person shadowing experiences, students can participate in the sponsors' regular routines, following alumnae/I hosts throughout their workday and learning about their career pathways. 

For virtual career conversations, alumnae/i and students schedule a 1:1 meeting to discuss questions about their experiences. This is an opportunity to learn about a field of interest and connect with Bryn Mawr Alumnae/i. 

Questions? Contact Lolita Beylina at lbeylina@brynmawr.edu.

The Externship Program allows current Bryn Mawr College (BMC) students to broaden their perspectives of potential career pathways, explore careers of interest, job shadow, and network with BMC alumnae/i from various professional industries. As a Host, your advice and guidance in this shadowing experience will help a student(s) identify potential career options. The structure is flexible, and the Host can develop an experience for 1 day up to a week. 

In lieu of hosting a student in person, the Host may instead choose to meet with a student virtually for a career conversation. The video chats or phone calls are intended to be 30-60 minutes long; however, meeting times can vary based on the needs of the host and student schedule. Students will guide the conversations to learn about your career path and may seek advice regarding their plans. Still, we encourage the Host to guide the interaction as experienced experts in your profession equally. As a volunteer, you may choose to participate in one or more career conversations with multiple students.  

Winter Session

  • November 15, 2024 - Winter Session registration deadline

  • January 6-10, 2025 - Externship Program Winter Session

Spring Session

  • TBA - Spring Session registration deadline
  • March 10-14, 2025 - Externship Program Spring Session 

Student and Host matching for Winter Session will be held before Thanksgiving break.

Questions? Contact Lolita Beylina at lbeylina@brynmawr.edu.

The Externship Host and students work out the details together for each externship, considering the students' interests and the Host's availability. Consider the benefits of the following when planning your sponsorship:

  • Offer an itinerary for an in-person arrangement.
  • Coordinate with colleagues and set up times for the student to meet briefly, learn about other roles in your workplace, and observe what a particular career field encompasses, from daily to long-term activities. This can be coordinated both in person and virtually.
  • Talking with the Host about his/her life, the student begins to learn about the different paths one can take, and that one encounters many decisions after college.
  • Touring the office, departments, or other organizations. Helps the student see how different aspects of the same organization 'fit together' or vary in their work. This may be their first in-depth exposure to the specific career field.
  • Plan for a debriefing of the day to allow the student to ask more questions and process their experience.

Dates and Deadlines

Winter Session

  • November 15, 2024 - Winter Session registration deadline

  • January 6-10, 2025 - Externship Program Winter Session

Spring Session

  • TBA - Spring Session registration deadline
  • March 10-14, 2025 - Externship Program Spring Session  

Extern Sponsor Registration Form

Support from Our Generous Donors

Thanks to the generosity of Bryn Mawr College alumnae and other donors, the College can award more than $600,000 in annual summer internship funding. Internships represent a wide variety of fields, including the nonprofit, NGO, healthcare, government, sciences, arts, and private sectors.

Important Links

Photo of the exterior of The Well

Contact Us

The Career & Civic Engagement Center

Phone: 610-526-5174