Study Abroad
Students who choose study abroad for their immersive experience will travel beyond Vanderbilt to deepen their skills, enhance their knowledge, expand their horizons, and increase their sense of independence and self-confidence. Whether studying abroad on programs or through other opportunities, students develop professionally and academically, interculturally, and personally. Some possible ways to engage include:
- Fully immerse in Spanish in Seville, Santiago, Buenos Aires, and more
- Compare European and US medical systems in Copenhagen or France
- Investigate Climate Change and its effects in Patagonia and Antarctica
- Excavate the Roman seaport at Caesaerea, Israel, as part of a Maymester course
- Study mechanical engineering in Torino, Italy, center of Italy's automotive industry
Internships
Internships are invaluable opportunities for students to gain research or work experience, grow their knowledge of the profession and themselves, build professional connections, and ultimately determine if the field is right for them.
Students who complete an internship often have a competitive edge in the workplace.
- Undergraduate students are encouraged to learn about their options and opportunities by scheduling a coaching appointment with an expert in the Career Center!
- Please note: shadowing or other primarily observatory practices may not qualify as an immersive experience.
Innovation, Arts, and Design
Students pursuing innovation, arts, and creativity may want to develop the next life-changing phone application, find a groundbreaking solution to a global problem, direct a play, create a work of art, or write a best-selling novel. Innovation, arts, and design at Vanderbilt is supported by many partner offices and academic departments, including but not limited to:
Civic & Community Engagement
Different from service learning or volunteer work, community and civic engagement require ongoing and intentional interactions between the student and the people or entity that are central to their immersive experience.
- Civic engagement is when students benefit a community or region through direct or indirect work. Examples include voter registration, advocacy and education, and political involvement.
- Community engagement is direct or indirect work with an entity or group that provides a service or product to a group or community.
- Civic and Community Engagement at Vanderbilt is supported by many partner offices, including but not limited to:
Research
Faculty-directed or mentored bench science, fieldwork, data science, literature review, creative arts-based research, technology research, etc.
- Undergraduate research experience and culminating projects must be overseen by a Vanderbilt University faculty member. Undergraduate research can take place in any discipline and can occur on campus, in the field, abroad, or at another institution. Advisers in the EL&IV can help students with a plan to find research mentors and decide what kind of undergraduate research they may want to pursue.
- Students who conduct undergraduate research present at one of the Vanderbilt University Undergraduate Research Fairs.
Please note: shadowing or other primarily observatory practices may not qualify as an immersive experience.
Leadership and Professional Development
Leadership and professional development training provides students with opportunities to practice critical skills in leadership and team building, identify the qualities, behaviors, values, and standards of a specific profession, and effectively adjust to existing experiences and situations.
Pre-professional training, project development and management, and formalized leader training or certifications:
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Leading diverse teams
- Managing challenging situations
- Allocating resources
- Navigating constraints
Please note: shadowing or other primarily observatory practices may not qualify as an immersive experience.
