The Dickinson Promise: During

The Dickinson Promise

During: Internship & Research Promise

The Internship & Research Promise* ensures that every student who completes the Career Accelerator Program gets an internship, research experience or other career-building, experience-based opportunity before graduation.

We’re not just saying "opportunities are available" or "students are encouraged." This is a promise for every student—backed by our Center for Career Development and a four-year Career Accelerator Program built into the Dickinson experience and available to every Dickinson student from day one.

What’s different about our Center for Career Development is that it is not simply a place where students go when they want to start their job search. Career development is intentionally scaffolded with experiences and opportunities that build upon one another from the first year through graduation.

At Dickinson, you don’t find career development—it finds you. Through proactive outreach and personalized guidance, we help students take the steps needed to turn their ambitions into meaningful opportunities and deliver on the Dickinson Promise.

Dickinson students pose for a group photo during a visit to Google Headquarters

Dickinson students attend a Burgess Institute seminar

How It Works

The Internship & Research Promise applies to every student who completes the Dickinson Career Accelerator Program, a sequence of advising, professional development and experiential learning that we build into the Dickinson experience from day one.

The list below provides examples of the specific elements of the Career Accelerator Program and is subject to change.

First Year: Explore

Enroll in the Career Accelerator Program
Complete a career assessment
Attend one career-related program or event
Join at least one student organization related to an academic or professional interest
Meet with a Career Pathway Advisor to join a career community, activate a Handshake account, and develop a resume and LinkedIn profile

Sophomore Year: Build

Meet with a Career Pathway Advisor to update your application materials, work on a personal introduction and develop an internship/research search strategy
Attend a career spotlight or fair
Begin applying to opportunities of interest
Conduct informational interviews with alumni
Complete a Forage simulation or LinkedIn Learning module
Attend the Sophomore Career Summit

Students who complete all requirements may unlock up to $1,000 of Professional Development Funding after the completion of the Sophomore Career Summit. Students can use this funding for experiences such as:

professional certifications
career-related training
conferences
professional memberships
career-related equipment or materials
specialized skill development
industry-specific preparation
or other approved professional development experiences

Junior Year: Connect and Search

Meet with a Career Pathway Advisor to identify a target list of internship employers/opportunities and build/execute a search strategy. Continue to meet with an advisor until an opportunity is secured
Conduct at least two informational interviews with alumni
Attend two virtual or in-person employer events or a career spotlight/fair
Complete a virtual or in-person mock interview

Before Graduation: Apply

Dickinson supports every student in finding internships and research opportunities throughout their academic career, and we promise those opportunities for every student who completes the Career Accelerator Program throughout the first three years of their Dickinson experience. If a participating student has not completed one of the experiences below by the end of the summer after their junior year, Dickinson will provide the student with an opportunity to complete one during their senior year and prior to graduation:

on- or off-campus internship
research with a Dickinson faculty member
off-campus research
on- or off-campus entrepreneurial opportunity
or research-intensive course

Dickinson assumes responsibility for ensuring that an eligible student has access to an applied learning opportunity before graduation.

After Graduation: The Employment Promise

Dickinson's goal is for every graduate to be employed, enrolled in graduate school or completing a postgraduate fellowship within one year of graduation. Already, 96% of graduates reach one of those outcomes within six months. The Employment Promise* applies to every student who completes the Career Accelerator Program (outlined above). If a participating graduate has not reached one of these outcomes within one year of graduation, Dickinson will provide continued career support, at no cost, until they do. This support is delivered thanks to a recent alumni gift that established career coaching, networking and professional-development opportunities for alumni beyond their first year after graduating.

Why It Works

The Employment Promise is backed by a career-development ecosystem designed to turn opportunity into experience. From funded internships to employer access to intensive experiential programs, students have multiple ways to build skills, make connections and test-drive what comes next.

Get in the Room

Career Treks connect students directly with employers in places like New York, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

Go Further, Fully Funded

Dickinson supports internships and professional experiences with substantial grant funding.

Build Skills That Travel

Workshops, advising, employer programs and hands-on experiences help students turn a liberal-arts education into career-ready skills.

Learn the Business of Anything

Through executives in residence, real-world consulting opportunities, a leadership development program and more, Dickinson's Burgess Institute offers students in any major preparation for successful careers in business, finance and leadership.

Before

After

Dickinson Promise Overview

*Internship & Research Promise: This promise applies only to students who complete all requirements of the Career Accelerator Program described above by the applicable deadlines. The applied learning opportunity Dickinson provides to fulfill the Promise may be unpaid and may not match the student’s preferred field, location, timing, or format. If a student secures a qualifying experience independently, the Promise is considered fulfilled. Dickinson determines eligibility and satisfaction of Program requirements.

Employment Promise: This promise does not guarantee a specific job, employer, salary, or work location, and applies only to students who complete the career-readiness steps built into the Career Accelerator Program. “Employed” includes full- or part-time employment, enrollment in graduate school, or completing a postgraduate fellowship or service program. A student who has not reached one of these outcomes within one year of graduation remains eligible for continued career support at no additional cost, as described above; the specific form, scope, and duration of that continued support is determined by Dickinson.

These promises describe institutional commitments and program benefits; they do not constitute a contract of employment or a guarantee of any particular outcome, and program requirements are subject to change.