Interested but not ready to apply?
Any questions? Contact CAS Experiential Learning & Internship Team, SITC-UVM recruitment manager, Erin Demers.
The program components:
The Internship
Students will work 30 hours per week, Monday through Thursday, at their internship 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, most likely including nonprofits, social mission businesses, or government agencys. Semester in the City works with students to place them in an internship aligned with their interests.
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.
Social Innovator's Toolbox (seminar)
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. This course provides the theoretical foundation and academic counterpart to the Social Innovation Fellowship and Becoming a Problem Solver course. 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!
SITC is designed to fit into a typical CAS student's curriculum as elective credit. If you have concerns or questions regarding how the program will fit into your schedule, please contact cas.internships@uvm.edu
Credit Information
UVM students will receive 15 credits for this semester-long program.
- 9 credits will be internship credit under CAS 2991
These credits count as electives, and DO count toward graduation. However, you can only count a maximum of 12 internship credits toward graduation as per CAS internship policy. So keep this in mind if you have already taken over 3 internship credits. Check with your advisor if you have questions. Kelly Smith, Internship Coordinator, can also help,
- 3 credits will be academic credit under CAS 1902
These credits are for the Social Innovator’s Toolbox course you take while at Semester in the City. You may apply these credits toward your major with department permission.
You will need to apply to have these credits counted toward your major. Keep in mind that your request may not be granted if the content of the academic course does not align with what your department considers credit worthy. If the credit is not counted toward your major, it will count as elective credit.
- 3 credits will be academic credit under CAS 2902.
These credits are for the Becoming a Problem Solver course you will take on Fridays at Semester in the City. These credits are usually ineligible for major/minor credit, but will count as elective credit.
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 & Living 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.
Housing: Pay for housing directly to Semester in the City. Current rates can be found on their website.
- 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.
- Semester in the City provides housing in an apartment building located in Allson, 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. Photos can be found on the Semester in the City website under “Living in Boston”.
- Cookware, plates, glasses, utensils, pots and pans, all utilities, microwave and high-speed wireless internet are all included.
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. SITC also offers up to $385 in food reimbursement.
Transportation: A CharlieCard (unlimited MBTA transportation pass, subway, tram and bus system) is provided to each student.
- 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
Additional Benefits:
- Unlimited transportation pass
- $595 stipend for the semester
- Up to $385 in food reimbursement
- $40 wellness reimbursement
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DO Semester in the City?
SITC accepts students from sophomore year and up and you can decide when you want to participate! Some students take advantage of sophomore year before studying abroad and completing major seminars, and some wait until second semester senior year and use the semester to launch their post-graduation career. Talk to your advisor about how this program can fit into your 4-year plan!
