Career and Graduate School Preparation

College goes by quickly! That’s why Academic & Career Advising (ACA) is here from day one to help you turn your academic knowledge and experiences into professional opportunities and a rewarding career.

Internships

ACA helps arrange career-based internships that allow you to gain relevant, hands-on experience and skills while you explore your professional interests. 

Here are a few places students have interned recently:

• Audubon Society
• CBS Radio
• CNN-Boston
• Deutsche Bank
• Dow Chemical
• EMI Music Publishing
• Fox Sports Networks
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Kenya Wildlife Service
• National Science Foundation
• PepsiCo
• SETI Institute
• Siemens
• Sierra Club
• Special Olympics
• St. Louis Cardinals
• USAID
• U.S. Senators and Representatives (numerous)
• Warner Brothers
• Yahoo

Internship Stipend 

Finances shouldn’t stop you from pursuing a career-related internship. If you find an opportunity that’s unpaid (or doesn’t pay much), Principia can help with an internship stipend. This summer, stipends supported interns around the world—at St. Eustatius National Park, Redbook magazine in New York City, Ban Pongwuadaeng School in Thailand, Miami-Dade Police Department, the Tacoma Art Museum, and the U.S. State Department, for example.

Externships

Get an inside look at a career you’re considering with a one-week externship. Principia’s Externship Program provides a chance for you to “shadow” professionals in the workplace, gain firsthand experience, and learn about a field of interest.

Our students have enjoyed externships at financial institutions, government organizations, labs, advertising and marketing firms, social service agencies, arts organizations, manufacturing companies, law offices, media outlets, design companies, and more. One of our most popular externships is the “Hollywood Abroad,” where students make connections in the entertainment industry.

Research Experiences

On-Campus Research Opportunities

Want more time in the lab, field, or library? Spend a summer on campus as a Research Assistant, working alongside a faculty member. Projects span a range of disciplines—from biology to art history—and funding covers room and board.

Off-Campus Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

Spend a summer using laser technology in chemical experiments ... conducting tree research to prove (or disprove) a seismic theory ... working on enhancing the nation's cybersecurity. STEM students considering graduate school can apply for paid summer research opportunities funded through the National Science Foundation.

Career Courses

ACA provides career-related courses that help you ... 

• determine the best major and extracurricular activities to support your career goals
• craft a great résumé for summer jobs and internships
• start an online professional portfolio
• identify, develop, and leverage your network to find hidden job opportunities
• practice interviewing skills
• research and apply to graduate schools

Career Conference

Every year prior to the start of spring semester, ACA hosts a four-day Career Conference that covers everything from identifying your skills and talents to launching a job search to finding the right fit for graduate school. Participants attend seminars and take part in workshops, group activities, and mock interviews.  

CareerConnect

CareerConnect is an online career mentoring platform that enables you to connect with successful Principia alumni and friends for advice and guidance based on their career experiences. Here are a few benefits of connecting with our global network of alumni:

• Build a network of professionals committed to your success
• Practice for interviews with industry insiders who can guide you on how to land the job
• Have company and industry experts critique a résumé and/or cover letter

Success Beyond Principia

Regardless of your major, Principia graduates leave campus equipped with the ability to communicate effectively, solve problems, and think creatively—skills essential for success in the workplace. In fact, 96 percent of the Class of 2015 were engaged in career-based activities (jobs, graduate school, internships, etc.) within six months of graduating, and 18 percent of 2016 grads who interned received a job offer from their internship company.

Where Our Grads Get Hired

• Apple
• Boeing
• The Christian Science Monitor
• Citibank
• Deloitte
• Department of Natural Resources
• Dow Chemical Company
• DreamWorks Animation
• Edward Jones
• Google
• Harley-Davidson
• Harvard University
• National Public Radio
• NASA
• Northrop Grumman
• National Security Administration
• PricewaterhouseCoopers
• Samsung
• Smithsonian
• 3M
• Twitter
• U.S. Navy
• Vanguard Group
• Wells Fargo
• Yahoo

Where Our Grads Attend Graduate School

• Babson College
• Boston College Law School
• Boston University
• Claremont Graduate University
• College of William & Mary
• Duke University
• The Fletcher School at Tufts University
• Georgetown University
• Harvard University
• Northwestern University
• Purdue University
• Savannah College of Art and Design
• Stanford University
• Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver
• Syracuse University College of Law
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Chicago
• University of Michigan
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Yale