Off-campus experiences
If you’re itching to apply what you learned in the classroom out in the world, we’ve got you covered. Whatever captures your imagination, wherever you want to explore, Earlham can take you there. More than 65 percent of Earlham graduates participate in a semester or year-long off-campus study during their Earlham career. Students tell us that during an off-campus experience they learn new ways of living and thinking, new ways of understanding the world, and they learn more about themselves and their own culture. Past participants often report that their off-campus experience was one of the most important parts of their liberal arts education and one that has a life-long impact on them.
Start your exploration
Ready for a new adventure?
Epic Advantage
Discern your career path with the Epic Advantage.
The Epic Advantage is our guarantee that every Earlham student will have access to a career-discerning experience before graduation. One way you can use your Epic Advantage is to participate in a faculty-led research project somewhere in the world.
Because funding for the Epic Advantage comes from the generous support of Earlham’s donors, these transformative opportunities are available to every student, without increasing tuition.
Explore experiences like these:
Summer Collaborative Research
Be part of cutting-edge scholarship with Summer Collaborative Research
Collaborative student-faculty research is integrated within the Earlham academic curriculum; you’ll do research alongside faculty in many of your classes. But for students who are interested in a more immersive experience, Earlham also offers paid summer collaborative research experiences. These projects allow you to pursue cutting-edge scholarship under the mentorship of subject area experts, review current literature in the field and present your results at conferences—from Earlham’s Epic Expo to regional and national professional events.
Earlham has offered collaborative research experiences during the summer since 1988. More than 375 students participated in projects between 2008-2020.
SCR programs
Special programs
Travel with a group of peers through special programs
In addition to off-campus study, the Epic Advantage and summer collaborative research, some Earlham students also have the chance to travel through special programs. Below, learn more about off-campus experiences open to first generation students in our LIFT program, student-athletes and incoming first years.
LIFT
Incoming LIFT students are eligible to apply for an all-expenses-paid immersive term. In the past, LIFT cohorts have traveled to Montréal, Hawaii and Italy.
Epic for athletes
We believe in the power of a global education—but we also recognize that for many student-athletes, off-campus travel can be difficult to coordinate. That’s why we developed Epic for Athletes.
August Wilderness
From backpacking in Utah to canoeing in Canada, incoming first-year students have the opportunity to participate in this pre-orientation program before they even arrive on campus.
Vicki Penziner-Matson Trips
The Vicki Penziner-Matson field trips support field natural history and photography experiences and have taken students to various sites in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ontario, Kentucky, Florida, Texas and elsewhere.
Take your education even further
Earlham offers numerous ways for you to amplify your education both in and out of the classroom. Learn more about how you can keep your journey going outside of the academic year through summer opportunities like Epic Advantage research, summer courses and internships.