Career and Professional Development

Kalamazoo College is a member of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA), a consortium of 12 private liberal arts colleges in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. These colleges share facilities and resources in order to provide our students with the opportunity to spend a quarter studying and interning with professionals in educational programs throughout the United States. During their time away, students are able to earn three units that apply towards Kalamazoo College graduation requirements, and gain valuable hands-on experiences in fields of interest.

Kalamazoo College students who meet appropriate qualifications are eligible to apply for participation in the following programs:

• The Philadelphia Center Program in Philadelphia
• The New York Arts Program in New York City
• The Borders Studies Program along the borders of Texas, New Mexico, & Mexico
• The Oak Ridge Science Semester in Tennessee
• The Newberry Library Program in Chicago

The Center for Career and Professional Development coordinates Kalamazoo College applicants for both the Philadelphia Center Program and the New York Arts Program; the Center for International Programs coordinates Kalamazoo College applicants for the Borders Studies Program; and the Provost Office assigns a faculty advisor who coordinates the Kalamazoo College applicants for the Oak Ridge Science Semester and the Newberry Library Program. If you are interested in learning about any of these programs it is best to first visit the department that coordinates the application process to learn more.

The Center for Career and Professional Development assists both the Philadelphia Center Program and the New York Arts Program in the application process. Our staff members collect and compile application materials that will be reviewed by the campus selection committee for each respective program. The members of this committee are the individuals who select students for the domestic-study away programs, not the staff in the Center for Career and Professional Development. Additionally, both the Philadelphia Center and the New York Arts Programs have a Faculty Liaison that oversees the selection process for each program.

If you are interested in general information about the Philadelphia Center Program or the New York Arts Program, please visit their respective sites: http://www.tpc.edu/ and http://www.nyartsprogram.org/. If you are interested in applying for the programs, or would like more information on the selection process at Kalamazoo College, please visit our Philadelphia Center and New York Arts program information pages.

Eligibility

Eligibility requirements are established by each program individually, but ultimately there are limits on how many students from Kalamazoo College will be able to participate in each program; usually one to six students are selected. For this reason, participation is competitive.

In most cases, you must present a proposal for how the unique opportunity will complement your Kalamazoo College studies. In addition, only sophomores and juniors can participate in the domestic off-campus study away programs.

College Credit and Financial Aid

It is possible to participate in more than one off-campus study away program, including study abroad. However, there are limits to the number of credits that can be earned. You can earn up to 10 units of credit from off-campus study away programs, including domestic and abroad programs. Additionally, you may apply your Kalamazoo College financial scholarships/assistance to only one extended-, long-, or short-term study away program. If you were to participate in a second short-term program you will not be able to apply your institutional financial scholarships/assistance to that program.

If you have questions about domestic study-away programs, please contact Pam Sotherland in the Center for Career and Professional Development, or come in and see us!