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Get Your Hands Dirty
At Principia, you’ll get your hands dirty, test your theories, and put your understanding into practice. Sometimes, you’ll be in a classroom; other times you’ll meet in a field, theatre, forest, museum, studio, or manufacturing plant. Many of our majors are known for experiential learning—check out biology, political science, educational studies, and theatre, for example.
Hands-on learning isn’t limited to classes, though. Student clubs and activities put you in the middle of the action. Between classes and clubs, you can design and race a solar car, produce maple syrup from scratch, direct plays, choreograph dances, become a beekeeper, compete in Moot Court, mediation, and computer programming contests, and more.
Check out these examples of experiential learning.
Prin at the Polls
Conduct exit polls during national elections and participate in live, on-air coverage on election nights.
Solar car
Join the solar car team to build and race a car against other universities in national and international competitions.
Student-led conferences
Plan and direct the annual Public Affairs and International Perspectives Conferences. You’ll help choose the topic and speakers and coordinate logistics.
Mediation team
Compete with Principia’s award-winning mediation team in the U.S. and abroad.
Cardboard canoe race
Design and build a cardboard canoe and race it on the Mississippi River. Don’t count on staying dry, though!
Externships
Prepare for life after college through a one-week externship. A popular one is the “Hollywood Abroad,” where students make career connections in the entertainment industry.
Sugarbush
Tap trees, make maple syrup, and design packaging to sell the finished product.
Principia Internet Radio
Host your own radio show and broadcast it to a worldwide audience.
Dance Production
Join the 40+ students who perform and choreograph for Principia’s annual Dance Production. You may even get to debut work by a world-renowned choreographer.