Beyond the Classroom

of students who apply for enrichment funding receive it.

Take your Liberal Arts education outside the classroom

Out-of-classroom experiences—internships, education abroad, research, student organizations, and other professional development—provide you with the opportunity to use the knowledge you learn in the classroom in real-world settings. In addition to getting you career-ready—one of Dean Lang’s top priorities—these experiences allow you to step out of your comfort zones, cultivate intangible skills, and find your passions.

In the College of the Liberal Arts, our Student Services offices don’t just help you prepare for and find out-of-classroom opportunities; we also support you every step of the way, including financially. Enrichment funding through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network is available to fund internships, education abroad, and research.

Meet with a career coach in the Career Enrichment Network to learn more about out-of-classroom opportunities.

Future Students

Current Students

Future Students

Current Students

Internships

Each year, hundreds of Penn State Liberal Arts students complete internships in the private sector, government, and nonprofits. Internships allow students to gain real-world experience by applying what you’ve learned in the classroom. In recent years, our students have interned everywhere from Fortune 500 companies and the White House to local non-profits and government.

My Washington, D.C., internship was invaluable and inspiring. The experience deepened my understanding of policymaking, connected me with professionals across sectors, and showed me the path I want to follow. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity Penn State made possible.

Savannah Powder Morris, International Politics and Spanish, Schreyer Scholar

InternshipMatson Museum of Anthropology

Laenee McCoy

’27

Anthropology

Art History

Korean (minor)

Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (minor)

Anthropology

Art History

Korean (minor)

Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (minor)

As a curatorial and collections assistant, at the Matson Museum of Anthropology, Laenee immersed herself in the meticulous, often invisible work that sustains cultural preservation. She updated object descriptions in the museum’s catalog system, carefully ensuring accuracy and detail. She also labeled new acquisitions with lot numbers, wrote object descriptions, pulled artifacts for class visits and maintained exhibition spaces so displays remained intentional and engaging.

Internship

Jessica Amatrudo

’26

Economics

Information Sciences and Technology (minor)

Economics

Information Sciences and Technology (minor)

As a client relations intern at Movers Specialty Services MSS Inc., Jessica supported operational efficiency by analyzing service demand, technician availability and performance metrics such as on-time delivery and client satisfaction. She also helped optimize scheduling and resource allocation across hundreds of relocation transactions and coordinated logistics involving over 1,200 technicians nationwide.

Internship

Natalie Wright

’27

Global and International Studies

Political Science

Public Policy (IUG)

Global and International Studies

Political Science

Public Policy (IUG)

Natalie completed a State College Borough government internship with the Bob Turner Scholars Internship Program under the International City/County Management Association. “I got to work across multiple departments: sustainability, diversity and inclusion, the police department, even the Alpha Fire Company, I helped design a community garden project, reviewed legal documents for the anti-discrimination ordinance, and organized community feedback for the Borough Council.”

Internship

Shelby Corbett

’26

Criminology

International Politics

Spanish

Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies (minor)

Criminology

International Politics

Spanish

Child Maltreatment and Advocacy Studies (minor)

Shelby was a Perreault Fellow in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, she interned with Fundación Global Planet of Children, working with sick children in hospitals. The experience, she said, was deeply moving. It allowed her to further improve her Spanish and gave her confidence, clarity and a profound belief in the importance of small joys. She now dreams of returning to Argentina someday.

Internship

Delany Moreno

’26

Criminology

Political Science (minor)

Sociology (minor)

Criminology

Political Science (minor)

Sociology (minor)

Delany completed two internships in the past year. The first was with the Gross Law Firm, a workers’ compensation law firm in Allentown, where she attended court hearings, organized medical records, facilitated litigation cost documentation and provided Spanish translation. The second was with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, where she helped run a detention hotline connecting detainees with legal staff, translated legal documents and helped with client intakes.

Internship

Ahmed Al Saleh

’26

Political Science

This past summer, Ahmed had the opportunity to translate his academic studies into real-world experience through an internship with the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco at the United Nations in New York City. There, he assisted senior diplomats in their day-to-day activities, helping to draft reports and summaries for high-ranking officials.

Education Abroad

Excavate along the Mediterranean Sea. Research in Australia. Develop language skills in China. Every year, thousands of Penn State students engage the world through academic programs, research, service, internships, and cultural immersion. In the College of the Liberal Arts, we believe that global experiences can play an integral role in personal, academic, and career development. International experiences offer students the opportunity to set themselves apart through intercultural competency, expanded resourcefulness, and experience navigating new contexts.

Liberal Arts students can choose any program offered by Penn State. However, the College of the Liberal Arts curates education abroad programs to fit with our majors. Interested students can explore our faculty-led embedded programs or see what Penn State has to offer.

CriminologyEducation AbroadEmbedded Course

Christina Hughes

Criminology

Human Development and Family Studies (minor)

Sociology (minor)

Addictions and Recovery

Addictions and Recovery (minor)

Criminology

Human Development and Family Studies (minor)

Sociology (minor)

Addictions and Recovery

Addictions and Recovery (minor)

Christina visited Amsterdam through the CRIMJ 499: Foreign Studies embedded program last spring, enhancing her knowledge of the criminal and social justice system in the Netherlands.

CriminologyEducation AbroadEmbedded Course

Christina Hughes

’26

Criminology

Human Development and Family Studies (minor)

Sociology (minor)

Addictions and Recovery (minor)

Criminology

Human Development and Family Studies (minor)

Sociology (minor)

Addictions and Recovery (minor)

Studying abroad has been a constant source of inspiration for Christina. In the spring of 2024, she traveled to Curaçao for the Liberal Arts embedded program, CRIM 425: Organized Crime. The trip allowed her to immerse herself in Curaçaoan culture while applying material learned throughout the semester to effectively communicate with members of the U.S. Air Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the University of Curaçao.

Education AbroadSpanish

Avery Snowden

’27

Political Science

Spanish

Legal Studies (minor)

Political Science

Spanish

Legal Studies (minor)

Avery deepened her academic and cultural understanding through education abroad, participating in the College of the Liberal Arts’ Spanish Language and Culture program in Ronda, Spain. The six-week, faculty-led experience, she said, allowed her to fully immerse herself in the Spanish language while engaging with the region’s history and culture alongside fellow students.

CriminologyEducation Abroad

Ashley Carmona

’26

Criminology

In Barcelona, Ashley took a contemporary history course that aligns closely with concepts she learned at Penn State, allowing her to compare international legal frameworks with those in the United States and drawing on her classes as well as her professional experience. While there, she learned how Spain handles unaccompanied immigrant minors, and that their legal barriers are much different than those in the United States.

Education Abroad

Camren Boyogueno

’26

Psychology

Biology (minor)

Psychology

Biology (minor)

This past summer, Camren expanded her academic horizons abroad, studying in Italy, both in Florence and on the Tuscan island of Elba. The program focused on the effects of climate change on coastal marine life, a departure from her usual focus on human biology.

Education AbroadSchreyer Scholar

Fatoumata Doumbia

’27

Global and International Studies

African Studies

Global and International Studies

African Studies

During winter break her second year, Fatoumata studied sustainable urban redevelopment in Sydney, where she explored how growing cities balance modernization with equity. That spring, she joined other Schreyer Scholars in Bulgaria to examine history, identity and propaganda in media — a course that helped her understand how narratives shape political realities across continents.

Research

Students and faculty in the College of the Liberal Arts are working on timely and relevant research with impactful, real-world implications. There are many great opportunities for Liberal Arts students to become involved in research with funds available to facilitate or enhance your research project or to work on a meaningful faculty-led research project during the academic year or summer. The experience allows students to develop skills that will be attractive to future employers and can also help students decide whether to pursue a graduate degree.

ResearchUndergrad Research

Rand Tayseer Alkhunaizi

’26

Psychology

Sociology

Psychology

Sociology

Rand has worked in the MultiGrammar Lab with associate professor of Spanish and linguistics, Matthew Carlson and the Newman Depression and Anxiety Lab with professor of psychology and psychiatry Michelle Newman. There Alkhunaizi saw firsthand the strong culture of mentorship across departments in the College of the Liberal Arts and how committed faculty and graduate students are to supporting undergraduate researchers.

Undergrad Research

Rand Tayseer Alkhunaizi

’26

Psychology

Sociology

Psychology

Sociology

Research has also been a defining part of Rand’s experience. At last year’s Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Expo, she presented a project as part of her as a Partnerships in International Research and Education (PIRE) undergraduate fellow, a National Science Foundation-funded program supported by the College of the Liberal Arts and the Center for Language Science. As part of the fellowship, she spent two months in Mexico City collecting data and working on the dissemination of her research.

Undergrad Research

Jui Baliga

’26

Psychology

Human Development and Family Studies (minor)

Psychology

Human Development and Family Studies (minor)

Jui presented her research project, “Parental Differences in Child-Centered Versus Parent-Centered Interaction Patterns During Structured Play,” explores how specific parenting behaviors may help reduce child behavioral problems, at the Undergraduate Research Expo earlier this year. Using behavioral video coding to analyze parent-child interactions, she discovered that both mothers and fathers provided similar levels of support but mothers used more directive strategies in how they guided tasks.

ResearchUndergrad Research

Jessica Amatrudo

’26

Economics

Information Sciences and Technology (minor)

Economics

Information Sciences and Technology (minor)

As a research associate with the Economics Association, Jessica worked on semester-long research projects, assisting with data collection and using tools like Excel and Stata to conduct regression analysis. This role allowed her to apply classroom learning to real research questions while collaborating with other motivated students.

ItalianUndergrad Research

Alexis Wilson

’26

English

Italian

Art History (minor)

English

Italian

Art History (minor)

Alexis applied her linguistic and research skills as a research intern working with Maria Truglio, professor of Italian and of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, on a digital archive dedicated to preserving the stories of Italian American women living in Centre County. The project collects recorded interviews, transcripts, abstracts and historical information, capturing personal experiences that might otherwise be lost. Alexis’s primary role involved transcribing interviews and creating detailed abstracts.

PsychologyUndergrad Research

Miguel Morazan

’26

Psychology

Miguel joined the Department of Psychology’s Cognition, Affect, and Temperament (CAT) Lab, he found a meaningful way to connect his academic interests with real-world research. In the CAT Lab, he worked with technologies such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) while contributing to a project on parent-to-child anxiety. The project resonated with him, offering a chance to better understand how anxiety can be transmitted across generations and how the developing brain responds to connection, resilience and fear.

Professional Development

It’s never too early to start assessing your strengths and taking steps to develop the skills and tools you need to prepare for your future. By taking advantage of all of the resources the Career Enrichment Network provides to students, you will be better prepared to go out into the world and succeed.

The Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program connects current undergraduate students with an alumni mentor. Students meet regularly with their mentor who helps them navigate academic, professional, and extracurricular experiences.

Explore the Alumni Mentor Program

Celebrate and explore the endless possibilities of a liberal arts degree.

From discovering careers in the romance languages and navigating the federal government job market, to learning how to advocate for yourself in the job search and pursuing further education, these events are designed to help you uncover your passions, gain practical skills, and connect your liberal arts education to meaningful opportunities. Join us for workshops, panels, and activities that empower you to turn your passions into purpose and shape your future.

Learn more about Love Liberal Arts Week

The Career Enrichment Network also provides resources to help you develop self-knowledge around career paths, explore occupational and educational information, and strategize your career planning through job applications, interview assistance, and negotiation.

Find more professional development opportunities

Student Organizations

Students in the College of the Liberal Arts can be found in leadership positions of student organizations across campus, including academic, international, multicultural, philanthropic, and political organizations, as well as student government, honor societies, and Greek life.

Additional Opportunities

Paid and volunteer work through student organizations or part-time jobs can be valuable ways to spend time outside the classroom and develop your professional skills.

Connect with the Career Enrichment Network on social media:

Featured Resources

Schwartz Fellows Program

The Schwartz Fellows Program provides a year’s worth of funding—as much as $45,000—to cover expenses for a graduating student who plans to engage in a yearlong (at least ten months), postbaccalaureate service activity related to social change, the environment, disaster relief, youth development, or other causes.

Chapel Executive Internship Program

The Virginia Todd Chapel Executive Internship Program provides $6,000 to Liberal Arts students completing full-time, in-person internships in the business or private sector.

Kleppinger Internship Program

The Kleppinger Internship Program provides $6,000 to Liberal Arts students completing internships in specific Pennsylvania-based government relations firms, as well as in state, county, and municipal entities.

Internships

Check out these great Liberal Arts resources to kick off your internship search

Research

Explore the wide range of research happening across the College of the Liberal Arts and see how our faculty and students are shaping new ideas and discoveries.

Financing Your Education Abroad Experience

Penn State offers a wide range of funding options—including scholarships, grants, enrichment funds, and financial aid—to help students afford education abroad experiences. From Liberal Arts Enrichment Funds to national fellowships and need-based scholarships, most students can find support to make studying abroad more accessible.

Why Education Abroad?

Want to expand your horizons? Studying abroad helps you gain global perspectives, immerse yourself in new cultures, and build skills that employers value in today’s connected world.

Psi Chi

Psi Chi is the international honor society in Psychology, aiming to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship and to advance the science of psychology.

Phi Beta Kappa Society

The Phi Beta Kappa Society is the oldest and most prestigious academic honor in the United States, celebrating excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, champions freedom of thought, recognizes academic excellence, advocates for the value and benefits of a liberal arts and sciences education, and connects members to a diverse network of high achievers.

Alpha Phi Sigma

Alpha Phi Sigma is the National Criminal Justice Honor Society.

Tri-Alpha Honor Society

Alpha Alpha Alpha, or Tri-Alpha, is an honor society for students who will be first in their families to complete a bachelor’s degree.

National Residence Hall Honorary: Nittany Chapter

The National Residence Hall Honorary is a prestigious organization dedicated to recognizing outstanding students, fostering leadership, and giving back to the campus community.

Association of Residence Hall Students

Driven by the voices of Penn State’s on-campus students, the Association of Residence Hall Students stands tall as the vanguard of your residence experience. From the corridors of our residence halls to the lively chatter in the dining commons, they ensure your voice is not only heard but echoed to those who can make a change.

THON

THON is a childhood cancer nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and families fight the battle by raising funds and awareness, providing comprehensive support, and funding innovative research.

University Park Allocation Committee

The University Park Allocation Committee is responsible for allocating a portion of the Student Initiated Fee towards events, travel expenses, equipment, and other items requested by student organizations or individuals.

Become a Resident Assistant

A Resident Assistant (RA) works in a residence hall or apartment setting with other residence hall staff to facilitate an environment that promotes the educational experience of residential living and helps to make campus feel like home.

Residence Life

Learn more about living on campus, including how to get a housing contract and immunizations, explore the dining options and the Living Learning Communities, and more!

Office of Student Affairs

Explore the Penn State Student Affairs Office to discover your community, get involved, learn about health and wellness services, and more!

Global Brigades

Global Brigades is an international non-profit that uniquely implements a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Penn State hosts four different Brigades Chapters: Medical Brigades, WASH (Water, Engineering, and Public Health) Brigades, Business Brigades, and Legal Brigades.

Education Abroad Fair

Each October, Penn State hosts an Education Abroad Fair where students can speak with representatives from universities and study centers abroad, connect with advisers, meet faculty who lead education abroad programs, and learn about the 300+ education abroad programs.

Internship Search Tracker

Managing multiple internship applications can be challenging. This Internship Search Tracker makes it easy to keep everything organized—from deadlines to follow-up actions—so you can stay focused on landing the right opportunity.

Why are internships important?

Internships provide invaluable real-world experience, skill development, and professional networking opportunities that set you up for future success. They’re key to boosting your employability, refining your career goals, and fostering personal growth.

The Internship Search

Starting your internship search can feel overwhelming, but with the right approach, it’s a powerful step toward your career goals. From defining your interests to building connections, each part of the process gets you closer to landing a meaningful internship.

How Internships Help with the Job Search

Looking to stand out in today’s job market? Internships can open doors, build your network, and help you land that dream job by giving you real-world experience and a competitive edge.

Liberal Arts Sustainability Council

The Sustainability Council helps the College of the Liberal Arts create a sustainable world—a diverse, safe, healthy, and just world for all planetary life while living within a thriving environment that is ecologically viable over the long term. Find sustainability-focused courses, out-of-classroom opportunities, and more!

Moments of Change: Creating a Livable Planet

Through the spring of 2024, the College of the Liberal Arts’ theme, “Moments of Change: Creating a Livable Planet,” is focusing on the ongoing work of Liberal Arts students, faculty, staff and alumni in support of sustainable futures.

Sustainable Student Organizations

Graduate Awards

Each year, the college and University offer several awards that recognize students for research and teaching excellence.

Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion

The Graduate Alliance for Diversity and Inclusion (GADI) is a graduate student-led organization devoted to the principles of diversity and inclusion among graduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State. GADI is a space for building community, sharing knowledge, and advocating for policies that promote diversity and inclusion for underrepresented students.

Voting Information

Learn more about registering to vote, requesting a mail-in ballot, and finding polling locations in State College.

Penn State Global

Penn State Global manages education abroad programs, hosts international students and scholars, and facilitates the University’s many international partnerships around the world.

Student Organizations

Liberal Arts students are leaders in student organizations across campus, including academic, international, multicultural, philanthropic, and political organizations, as well as student government, honor societies, and Greek life.

Internship Credit

The LA 495 internship course accommodates a broad range of career fields and internship sites for students interested in earning credit for an internship. Student should discuss with their academic adviser first.

Liberal Arts Ambassadors

The Liberal Arts Ambassadors work closely with the college’s recruitment manager to develop programming and messaging that give prospective students and alumni a better understanding of what it looks like to be a student in the College of the Liberal Arts.

Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council

For nearly 50 years, LAUC has served as representatives of all undergraduate students in the College of the Liberal Arts. The council creates programming and hosts events to foster the experience of Liberal Arts students.

Minorities in the College of the Liberal Arts

MCLA helps minoritized Liberal Arts students access resources, make sure students’ needs are met, and help build the college community.

Find Research Opportunities

Explore research opportunities in the College of the Liberal Arts.

Academic Advising

Academic Advising supports students through a combination of in-person and virtual advising meetings. Advisers are available via pre-scheduled 15-minute quick questions, pre-scheduled 30-minute appointments, and same day drop-in advising. Students are encouraged to meet with their adviser at least once a semester.

Education Abroad

Liberal Arts students engage in a variety of education abroad experiences from short-term to year-long. The Career Enrichment Network can help Liberal Arts students navigate their options, understand the resources, and discuss financial support.

Enrichment Funding

Liberal Arts Enrichment Funds are available to all Liberal Arts students with one major in the college to support out-of-classroom experiences including internships, education abroad, and research.

Academics

Admissions

Academics

Funding