To learn deeply, one must be able to experience broadly.
To truly understand how the world works, one must live in it.
To embrace diversity fully, one should be a part of it.
Grinnell places high emphasis on experiential learning. We encourage students to study and work with different people, organizations, and cultures that are both down the street and around the world.
Grinnell provides an amazing range of outside learning opportunities. The Center for International Studies fosters international learning and understanding through lectures, films, and events on campus. There are 3,000 internships available to Grinnell students. Over 70 approved study abroad programs offer myriad combinations of learning and personal growth. More than 55 percent of the students take advantage of these opportunities, ranging from participating in a cultural immersion program in Kenya to working for a U.S. senator on Capitol Hill.
International offerings include approved study abroad programs in Asia, Australia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America. There are eight different options to choose from in Africa alone. We also foster a unique opportunity to explore London or Washington, D.C. through our Grinnell-in-London and Grinnell-in-Washington programs. Grinnell’s Off-Campus Study office will help you decide which abroad experience is right for you, help you finance your semester, sort out credit transfers, and give support at every juncture. Don’t miss out on what many consider to be the turning point in an education.
Internship offerings are even more extensive. Internships provide "real life" experience in work settings while allowing students to explore career interests. Second- and third-year students may apply for summer internship grants or receive credit for the experience. Through the Alumni Career Network, Grinnell's Career Development Office connects students with alumni who have volunteered to sponsor internships and offer career advice and job search assistance. The CDO remains a valuable resource for the rest or your life as a Grinnellian—its services will always be open to you as you explore life outside Grinnell.
In one recent year, students completed internships with the U.S. Embassy in Paris, studied at
the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, and conducted research at the Marine
Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Whatever your interest, whatever the desired locale — there are no limits.