Hands-on Learning

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Learning that goes beyond the classroom is a cornerstone of a Randolph-Macon education. Here, you’ll get high-impact experiences that put you in the middle of the action.

You’ll apply the knowledge from your courses to real-world situations, tied to your future goals. That kind of experiential learning makes Yellow Jackets problem solvers: making connections across disciplines and taking on complex challenges.

100% of Randolph-Macon Students complete a hands-on learning experience.

Whether it’s an internship, a travel course led by a professor, or research conducted with a faculty mentor, 100% of students participate in a hands-on learning experience before they graduate. It’s a requirement of the curriculum because we believe in its power. The connections you’ll make, with the subject matter and with faculty, will open the doors to your future success.

diving deep

Environmental Problem Solving is a series of courses that pairs students with a real-world client seeking a solution to a real-world environmental problem, providing a firsthand look at how projects operate at the intersections of government, industry, and science.

Professor Mike Fenster, Wyatt Cotner '23, and Trey Canady '23 gather data on Lake Anna as a part of the Environmental Problem Solving Course
Chelsea Shaul ’24 stands in front of the Faison Center classroom where she spent a January Term giving instruction to students with autism and related challenges.
Chelsea Shaul ’24 interned at the Faison Center, which provides a lifelong span of services to individuals with autism and related challenges. Her J-term internship let her explore her interest in developmental psychology.

experience in your field

Internships are a great way to connect your area of study to your future career by getting hands-on work experience. Every semester finds RMC students completing internships–for credit or pay, or sometimes both–at a wide range of workplaces. Some impressive examples include:

  • Deloitte
  • U.S. House of Representatives
  • NASA
  • Science Museum of Virginia
  • Genworth Financial
  • Maymont…and so many more!
internships

Randolph-Macon is a place to ask big questions and then seek out the answers. Conduct original research while getting one-on-one mentorship from faculty, then publish your findings in a journal or present them at a conference—opportunities typically reserved for grad students at other schools.

undergraduate research
RMC students take in a picturesque sunset during a study abroad trip to Sicily

learning abroad

Whether it’s a semester abroad or a January Term travel course, studying abroad is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture while getting up close to your course’s subject. RMC study abroad courses go all over the globe, from Belize to Paris, from Tunisia to Japan, and so many locations in between.

Study Abroad

j-Term is for learning What’s a J-Term?

(We’re so glad you asked!)
Professor Stephanie Coster working with Emily Allen ’24 and Anna Stribling ’24 on a biomonitoring project in a stream during a J-Term biology trip to Belize

Affectionately called “J-Term” on campus, January term is our 20-day mini-mester between fall and spring semester. This abbreviated (and optional) semester is the perfect size for students to immerse themselves in an experience. It’s a time when students commonly travel abroad, complete an internship, or take an intensive study course. And it’s included in your tuition!