Fellowships and Gap Year
Many organizations in the U.S. and abroad offer short-term work opportunities for new and recent grads, experienced alumni, and undergrads. These programs range from a few months to two years and go by many names: fellowship, internship, apprenticeship, assistantship or term of service. Graduating students sometimes call them gap-year programs, or short-term experiences they pursue before starting graduate/professional school or another job.
Fellowships may involve
- Work experience
- Career training
- Graduate study
- Research
Programs cover a variety of issues, including (but not limited to)
- Education
- Entrepreneurship
- The environment
- Health care
- Human rights
- Peace and security
- Public policy
Opportunities often provide a stipend or salary, health benefits and student loan assistance. Carefully review all requirements, benefits and any costs before you apply.
Resources for Finding Fellowships, Service Programs, and Gap-Year Opportunities
- Handshake: Search by position type for Fellowships and Post-Grad Internships
- Tufts Scholar Development Office — Scholarship & Fellowship Database: Listings of fellowships and scholarships for undergrad and graduate students, some of which require a Tufts application before the final submission to an organization
- AmeriCorps: Search the AmeriCorps portal for more than 80,000 paid, 12-month opportunities throughout the United States, with a wide variety of impact areas such as social justice, education, environmental stewardship and anti-poverty
- Career Communities: Our Career Communities feature the Career Center’s recommended sites for researching careers and finding jobs; visit each Community’s subgroups (the blue navigation bar) for our favorite links
- Idealist.org: Jobs, volunteer opportunities, and organizations in the nonprofit sector. Consider well-known fellowships for domestic and international programs, some of which are open to undergrads
- Interstride: An interactive career platform that enhances the career exploration and job search process for international students, as well as those who are interested in working abroad
- Nationally Coveted Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards: Listings organized by interest area, affinity group, and educational level
- Research Guides@Tufts: Resources specific to each major, including industry websites, job search resources, and more
- CoolWorks: Seasonal jobs and outdoor/environmentally-focused positions with camps, national parks and resorts
- Working Abroad: International Fellowships: A list of international fellows across the globe to explore and apply to
