Student FAQ

The Junior Practicum application opens on Thursday, September 15, 2022 and closes on Friday, October 14, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

For Music Leadership students, the deadline to withdraw from LEAD 375 follows the college's second-module withdrawal deadline. For all other career communities, please contact your career community advisor if you are considering withdrawing from Junior Practicum. Students who withdraw from Junior Practicum will not be eligible for funding for a summer experience.

Yes. Students are eligible to receive up to $4,000 for completing all program requirements and securing an 8- to 12-week internship for the summer.

Students must attend three career development events; complete an approved resume and e-Portfolio; and secure an 8– to 12-week internship in order to be eligible for funding.

LEAD 375 Music Leadership Career Community students will not be required to complete any of the requirements listed above, but will be required to complete the fall semester second-module class.

Music Leadership students must receive a Pass grade for their Junior Practicum LEAD course to be eligible for funding. A grade of No Pass will not count as the student having completed the course, which is a requirement for funding.

As part of the Junior Practicum funding request, you will need to provide a budget and supporting documentation of your estimated expenses. The budget and supporting documentation will be used and considered to determine the amount of funding you will be granted for your summer internship experience. For more details about what to include in your budget and documentation, please see the question “What can my funding be used for?”

Yes, you are still eligible to receive funding if your internship is paid. However, the amount you will be paid by your internship host will be taken into consideration when calculating the total amount of funding you will be granted for your summer internship experience.

Your summer funding can be used for living expenses and other expenses for your internship. This includes things like rent, travel (to and from the internship location, as well as any routine travel as part of the internship), food, and supplies needed for your internship experience that will not be covered by your internship host.

Students should contact their career community advisor with any questions about the funding process.

All applications will be considered on an equal basis, as long as they are submitted on time. The funding application deadline is Friday, April 21, 2023.

After you submit your funding application, the Junior Practicum team will review your application. Once a decision has been reached, you will be notified of the amount of funding you have received for the summer. Your funding will then be directly deposited into your bank account.

The funding application will open on Monday, February 20 and will close on Friday, April 21.

You will be notified about the amount of funding you’ve been awarded by no later than Friday, May 12.

You will receive your funding award via direct deposit by the end of May. To facilitate this process, please make sure direct deposit is set up on your student account; review the Direct Deposit Guide for instructions.

No, you will not need to provide documentation of summer internship expenses such as receipts and bills after the internship experience. However, Junior Practicum participants requesting internship funding will need to provide documentation for estimated expenses for the internship funding request form. This means documentation to provide an estimate of living expenses for the internship experience such as rent, food, and transportation.

For Junior Practicum 2.0, Career Exploration and Development (CED) and Conservatory Professional Development will not match students with internships. However, alumni and friends of the college will post summer opportunities to which you can apply directly, or you may apply to any summer internships that interest you. JP workshops and individual career advising (as well as LEAD 375 for Music Leadership students) will help you put your best foot forward as you apply and interview for internships.

At this time, the program is designed to support remote, hybrid, and in-person internships.

Acknowledging that a proper work environment is an important aspect of a successful summer internship, you should strongly consider your living situation when working fully remotely. You may live in the location of your choosing; however, it will be important to consider noise levels, privacy, and access to broadband internet.

Absolutely! We encourage you to network and stay connected with your sponsor after your internship officially ends. You are more than welcome to accept further opportunities, if offered by your sponsor. This, however, is not guaranteed and will be independent of the practicum experience.

Due to the volatile nature of the pandemic, students are advised to stay up-to-date on the College’s policies regarding travel and testing. Up-to-date information can be found on the ObieSafe website. When traveling, students should carefully consider their own risk tolerance and ensure that their program has appropriate contingency plans in place. Students are also advised to be sure their travel insurance covers COVID-related matters.

Funding through Career Exploration and Development (CED) is available for unpaid, off-campus experiences sponsored by an established nonprofit organization, for-profit employer or government agency. The funding committees will consider funding students who receive a stipend from their host organizations.

The following experiences qualify for funding:

Internships (must be full time for at least 8 weeks or 320 hours)

Pre-professional experiences including off-campus research and performance (must be substantial in intensity although the length may vary)

Funding can only be applied to travel and living expenses. Students applying for funding to participate in a tuition- or fee-based program (i.e. festival, language study, volunteer abroad, writing institute, etc.) must have a clearly defined experiential component with at least 200 hours spent on activities that classify as an internship.

Yes, 3-2 engineering students may participate in Junior Practicum prior to their final year at Oberlin (after their second year).

Students must be enrolled on campus for 2022-2023 to participate in Junior Practicum, as the program will have in-person components. Students who are studying away will be given priority to apply for and receive summer funding to help support their Summer 2023 internships. Career Exploration and Development (CED) can also support you in your summer internship search. Schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor for help with your search.

International students are welcome to participate in the Junior Practicum program. We encourage you to meet with the International Student Resource Center for OPT advice.