Semester in the City and the College for Social Innovation have partnered with UVM to provide an immersive semester-long internship experience in Boston, Massachusetts.
Students of all majors are invited to participate in the program. Internships are a vital piece of a liberal arts education and the College of Arts and Sciences is committed to providing their students with a diverse range of experiential learning opportunities.
Application deadlines for Spring 2025: TBD (October)
Program Components
Semester in the City is comprised of three components that make up your typical week in the program:
The Internship
Students will work 30 hours per week at their internship (Monday through Thursday), which allows them to accomplish real, meaningful work and feel like a part of the team. Semester in the City works with social sector organizations, so students will be placed at sites that address current social issues; including nonprofits, social mission businesses, or government agencies. Semester in the City works closely with students to place them in an internship aligned with their interests.
Course: Becoming a Problem Solver
On Fridays, interns will begin to develop their professional identity and understand how to navigate the workplace as they get a feel for their career path. Interns will interact with peers, identify and leverage their strengths and share their internship experiences. Through the “Becoming a Problem Solver” course, students will get experience solving problems within the workplace and within the nonprofit and social organization sector.
Course: Social Innovator’s Toolbox
This course will expose students to the concepts and practices associated with social innovation and social entrepreneurship – i.e., the development and growth of new, sustainable, and scalable approaches to the major social economic, and environmental challenges facing society. Students will learn a variety of tools and methods used for the development, implementation, management, and assessment of social solutions that they will be able to use over the course of their careers. The course will emphasize the systemic, interdisciplinary, and often cross-sector nature of both the problems and their solutions.
How does it work for UVM students?
Semester in the City is a UVM partner, meaning that UVM students will earn UVM credit for the program, and the advertised “program fee” will be covered by UVM tuition. It also means that you will remain enrolled at UVM while you complete your semester in Boston!
Credit Information
UVM students will receive 15 credits for Semester in the City under three course numbers:
- 9-credit internship course under CAS 2991 (aligns with your internship and reflection work). CAS allows a maximum of 12 internship credits to count toward your 120 credit total, so most students will still have time to do another internship during their time at UVM. Check with your advisor if you have questions. Kelly Smith, Internship Coordinator, can also help.
- 3-credit academic course under CAS 1902 (Becoming a Problem Solver course). This course will count as elective credit.
- 3-credit seminar course under CAS 2902 (Social Innovator’s Toolbox course). You may request permission from your department Chairperson to count the TWC academic evening seminar toward your major or minor if it aligns with the academic subject matter.
All three courses will be graded A-F. At the end of the semester, Semester in the City will send your recommended grades back to UVM and they will be entered into the UVM grading system by the normal deadline
Financial Information
Tuition: UVM students will pay their normal tuition amount for a 15 credit semester. All grants, scholarships, and financial aid will apply as normal. Your tuition covers the SITC program fee shown on their website.
Housing: Pay for housing directly to Semester in the City. Current rates can be found on their website.
Food: No meal plan is included, so students will need to work with their roommates to shop, cook and eat together. However, SITC provides some financial assistance for food and several full meals will be provided per week.
All students will also receive:
- $595 stipend for the semester
- Food reimbursement (grocery/restaurant) up to $585
- MBTA card with an unlimited balance for you to get around and explore all the diverse neighborhoods that Boston has to offer!
- ~$2,000 AmeriCorps Segal Education Award
Living Information
Housing:
Semester in the City provides housing in an apartment building located in Allston, a neighborhood in Boston with a large student and young professional population.
Each intern will share a 4-bedroom furnished apartment with 3 other interns. Each person will have their own bedroom and will share a kitchen, bathroom and living room area. Cookware, plates, glasses, utensils, pots and pans, all utilities, microwave and high-speed wireless internet are all included.
Each apartment building will have a Community Adviser (CA) who will organize community activities for Fellows and act as a first responder to any incidents or emergencies in the building. CAs must live in SITC apartments and will receive discounted housing.
Transportation:
All interns who reside in SITC housing are a short 5-7 minute walk from the Harvard Avenue train stop on the Green line or six different bus stops. Commutes to internship sites will vary for each intern.
To familiarize yourself with the Boston public transportation system and riding the T, we encourage you to visit Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority website.
The favorite apps of SITC students and staff for getting around the city are Google Maps, Transit, and the MBTA’s Realtime Subway and Bus tools on their website
About the Application
The application consists of several components and steps. If you have any questions at any point in the process, feel free to reach out to cas.internships@uvm.edu.
- Demographic information
- Short answer questions
- Interview (30 minutes) – this is to get to know you and give you the chance to ask questions and find out about what type of internship you are interested in.
Once you have been selected for the program you will work with SITC directly to secure your internship for the semester.
Eligibility Requirements
UVM students must meet the following requirements in order to participate in Semester in the City:
- At least Sophomore standing during the semester you intend to participate. (In some rare cases we will consider a student with first year standing who is in their 2nd year at UVM).
- GPA above 2.0
International students who hold F-1 or J-1 status must seek permission from the Office of International Education in order to participate.
Admitted Students Pre-Departure Checklist
Before you depart on your journey to Boston, make sure to complete the following steps.
Step 1: Academics
- Speak with your faculty advisor, or an advisor in CAS Student Services, to make sure the credits from this program will work for you.
- Enroll in:
- Internship Course (CAS 2991) (9 credits) *
- Academic Course (CAS 1902) (3 credits) *
- Academic Course (CAS 2902) (3 credits) *
- Get in contact with SAS (Student Accessibility Services) to make sure any accommodation documentation is forwarded to Semester in the City as soon as possible.
- If you are an international student, please get in touch with OIE (Office of International Education) to obtain the proper visa permissions.
* Kelly Smith will send you an override for these courses.
Step 2: Internship
After you get matched with your internship through Semester in the City…
- Fill out the College of Arts & Sciences Internship Information Form
If you have any trouble or questions about the form, please contact Kelly Smith
Step 3: Housing
If you are signed up for a UVM dorm room during the semester you will be away, contact reslife@uvm.edu stating your intention to withdraw from student housing due to participation in a CAS-sponsored program. Please remember to CC Kelly Smith (ksmith52@uvm.edu) so that she can provide official documentation to ResLife!
Semester in the City will be in touch about housing (roommate selection, paying the housing fee, etc.) about 2 months prior to the start of the program.
Step 4: Health
- Make any arrangements for counseling services and/or prescription medications while in Boston. If you currently work with UVM CAPS, you will need to locate a counselor in Boston to work with while you are there. UVM’s CAPS staff are only licensed to practice in the state of Vermont and can’t work virtually with clients located in other states. Please get in touch with your CAPS team to see if they have any recommendations in the Boston area and, if you feel comfortable, reach out to SITC to see if they have any recommendations or resources for you.
- Make sure that your UVM health forms and immunizations are up-to-date and your emergency contacts are correct in MyUVM.
- If you are enrolling in UVM SHIP (Student Health Insurance Plan), you MUST contact the student health insurance office to coordinate a PCP while in Boston.
Step 5: Connect!
UVM Alumni based in Boston are interested in connecting with you! Have you heard of UVM Connect? This system bridges the network between students, alumni, and faculty of UVM. Join UVM Connect before you depart for Boston and build your network by reaching out and saying hello, or joining in on events that are happening in the area as you see them pop up on the forum!
Additional Information
Health
MAKE A PLAN WITH YOUR DOCTOR:
Keep in mind that moving to a new city and experiencing a transition to a new environment, new culture, new food, etc. can exacerbate or uncover physical and mental illness. It is important to work with your health professionals to make a plan for dealing with your health.
- Before you depart, make sure you visit your doctors, dentists, and any other health care practitioners that you regularly see. During these visits, you should discuss any medical issues you have that may affect your experiences abroad.
- Make sure your health records are up to date and that you have copies of them that you can access if needed. This is particularly important if you have a medical condition or if you expect to need medical care.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS:
If you are taking any prescription drugs with you, please visit your health care provider prior to departing to discuss transporting your medications.
- Ask your health care provider and insurance company for guidance on how to secure a sufficient supply of medication to last through your stay. Or, find out if you can transfer your prescription refills to a location in Boston for pickup.
- For safety reasons, it is best to carry your medication in their original, clearly labeled containers along with a copy of the original prescription while travelling.
- Always keep your medications in your carry-on bag.
- If you have a medical condition, consider wearing a medical alert bracelet or other notification.
- Bring photocopies of your prescriptions- even a glasses/contact lens prescription.
IF YOU HAVE UVM STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE (UVM SHIP)
If you are planning on enrolling in UVM SHIP (student health insurance) during the semester you are away, you MUST contact the student health insurance office to coordinate a new PCP (Primary Care Provider). Visit the UVM SHIP website for more information. Contact studentInsurance@uvm.edu with any questions.
Money
It is crucial to notify all of your banks and credit card companies prior to traveling for an extended period to avoid your card being frozen or disabled due to suspected fraud. It is also advised that you ask for the best practice if your card is lost/stolen, and their policy for getting a new card sent to you at a temporary address.
Voting
If you are a US citizen, voting in US elections is your right and civic duty. You can still vote in all local, state, and national elections using an absentee ballot while in Boston. Make sure to follow the process for getting an absentee ballot mailed to you, and pay attention to the date you are required to return it via mail.
The voter registration and absentee ballot request processes are different depending on your state of residency. Typically UVM students who are US Citizens are allowed to register to vote in either Vermont or their home state. Please see here for additional information and resources for voting via absentee ballot.
The Semester in the City program is aimed at improving your:
- Confidence and purpose
- Transferable Skills
- Networks
- Career Outcomes
94% of alumni reported meaningful gains in self-confidence!
UVM Students at Semester in the City
Amanda Redmond
UVM 2024“The people I met in SITC were kind and uplifting. I was so scared that I wouldn’t be able to make a friends and that I wouldn’t fit in at my internship, but SITC connected me with a variety of people that made my time in Boston incredibly enjoyable.”
Victoria Leda
UVM 2023“This is a learning-by-doing experience more than anything, so no matter what happens, just take a breath and try to take a lesson our of your experience.”
Josh Comeau
UVM 2023“Rather than thinking of what could go wrong, think of what could go right! Do what you can and embrace all the wonderful gifts that SITC and Boston have to offer.”
Marco Cepeda
UVM 2021“During my time with the program, I’ve gained a lot of confidence in myself and my abilities, I’ve fallen in love with Boston, and I’ve met so many incredible people.”
Lindsay Burtle
UVM 2024“Don’t let your vision of the future keep you from being flexible and open to opportunities that might make your time with SITC more valuable.”
Jackie Nutter
UVM 2020“Overall, SITC has so far ben my favorite semester at college and I think it is not only a great experience, but a great opportunity.”
Henry Neuman
UVM 2024A UVM College of Arts & Sciences collaboration with:
Still have questions?
Email cas.internships@uvm.edu — our team would be happy to assist.
