Career and Professional Development

Internships and Externships at K

Each summer K students conduct externships and internships around the world in a wide variety of fields, gaining skills and building relationships with alumni and other professionals who serve as their supervisors and hosts. Many of these opportunities are made available through CCPD programs, and others are referred directly to students by alumni and friends of the College. 

Summer Relationship-Based Opportunities

The CCPD brokers relationship-based summer opportunities available exclusively to K students. During Winter Quarter, students may apply for a total of TWO of the relationship-based opportunities offered through the Discovery Externship Program and the Field Experience Program. A smaller second round of relationship-based internship opportunities becomes available during spring quarter.

The nationally recognized Discovery Externship Program places students with alumni sponsors for 1-4 week extended job shadows and homestays during the summer.

The Field Experience Program includes K-Internships with alumni supervisors, Community Building Internships with Kalamazoo area community partners, and Arcus Center for Social Justice Internships with nationally recognized social justice organizations, as well as student-secured independent internships.

Summer Referred Opportunities

Outside of the CCPD's summer internship program, many additional internships are referred via the CCPD to K students by alumni and friends of the College who wish to facilitate successful applications by K students. Graduates and friends of the College may offer special assistance or advice to K students applying for internships in their workplaces, they may be willing to meet with you once you are on-site as an intern, or they may simply want to ensure that K students know about the unique opportunities available where they work. Whatever the level of alumni involvement, having a successful K graduate in your court can increase your chances of securing and succeeding in an internship.

The CCPD maintains a list of referred internships on its webpage.

During the Academic Year

While the CCPD's job and internship database, K-Connect, may contain external postings for year-round internships (including opportunities during winter break), we do not provide referrals, stipend support, or transcript notation for internships or externships conducted outside of the summer non-enrolled period.

Looking to earn credit off-campus during the academic year? The Center for International Programs (CIP) oversees Domestic Study Away.