Liberal Arts in New York City
St. Lawrence University students participating in the Liberal Arts in New York City Semester will have the opportunity to study and intern in one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world. Students will spend four full days a week in an internship experience throughout the semester while taking classes in nonprofit/arts management and a Director's course based on exploring New York City. (Internships are aligned with the students’ interests or intended fields.) Field trips, networking events/opportunities, and classes will round out the remainder of each week.
- Based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
- Fall or Spring semester
- Enrollment does not normally exceed 18 students per semester
- Pre-requisites: 3.0 GPA; open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors
- Must demonstrate an interest in growing professional, networking, and career skills
- Must meet with the Center for Career Excellence prior to application to review resume; requires interview after application submission
- Internships are not guaranteed. Students must secure internship with mentored support.
- Live in student residence hall
- Explore estimated additional costs for this program and others.
- Apply Early Decision for this Program: SLU students who submit their applications to this program in full before December 6th will have their $50 application fee waived and will receive an automatic $100 in additional financial aid.
Apply to the New York City program
Location Academics Internships Housing
Calendar Orientation Program Contacts
Location
A semester in New York City gives St. Lawrence students the opportunity to experience all that the Big Apple and Brooklyn have to offer. Students will have the opportunity to attend the plays and concerts, visit the museums and galleries, watch the games and parades for which the city is famous.
Academics
Students will spend four full days a week in an internship experience throughout the semester while taking classes in nonprofit/arts management and a Director's course based on exploring New York City. (Internships are aligned with the students’ interests or intended fields.) Field trips, networking events/opportunities, and classes will round out the remainder of each week.
Required Courses:
Director's Course: New York City: Crossroads of the Global Community: (1.5 units): New York is one of the world’s most multicultural cities as well as one of the capitals of international organization, notably as home to the United Nations and hundreds of other groups with goals ranging from trade and finance to human rights and democracy. In 2026-2027 the NYC program will explore these connected aspects of the city, and through coursework, field trips, and internships will enable students to experience New York as a hub for many forms of global interaction. The program will help students to consider their own goals for their lives and careers by experiencing the City through these overlapping lenses of multicultural polity and nexus of global politics and diplomacy. This course will examine the history and current reality of New York City as rich, complex intercultural community and the functions of the many organizations which operate in the City in service of global purposes. As they consider the past, present, and future of New York City through these lenses, students will reflect upon their own relationship to the communities of which they are members including the global community, and the paths they might take in their lives to contribute to those communities. By comprehending the City as a unique global multicultural polity, students will better understand the history and work of the global organizations that operate within it; and by learning about these organizations they will gain perspective on the global city in which they operate. Each of these elements is vital to an understanding contemporary New York City, but by considering the ways in which each has shaped and constituted the other, students will gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of intercultural community and nature of global citizenship.
- Internship preparation & Excel course (0.5 unit)
- Internship Placement (1 unit)
- Entrepreneurship and Business Management (PCA 304) (1 unit)
Internships
Students are expected to research organizations of interest and to develop a plan for obtaining an internship. Students will be given assistance with internship contacts, research techniques, resume reviews, interview workshops and individual mock interviews. Notifications of acceptance into the NYCS program are generally sent in mid-March for fall and spring semesters. Internship arrangements are finalized after these dates.
SLU has a diverse network of organizations interested in interviewing NYC Semester students for internships.
A list of past program internship sites can be found at this link: here
Housing
Students live in double room at the Bard Residence (https://nycresidence.bard.edu/) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which houses students and interns throughout the year. Students will be provided with a meal stipend to cover all meals while on the program. Cooking facilities are available for students Other amenities include laundry rooms located throughout the residence, study spaces, 24-hour security and free Wi-Fi.
From the Bard Website: "The “Burg,” as it is affectionately known, is a neighborhood just across the East River from Manhattan, and clocks in at around two square miles. Within that border, it offers an abundance of great food, culture, diversity, nightlife, history, architecture, and park space. The neighborhood is served by five subway lines and ferry service, which makes for easy access to all of New York. A 10 minute walk from the dorm takes you to the East River and the iconic sweeping view of the Manhattan skyline, a sight that has inspired generations.
The bounty of culture in Williamsburg cannot be overstated. The neighborhood has four independent bookstores, three cinemas, two comedy clubs, dozens of live music and performance venues, three contemporary art galleries, and one bone fide museum. Within a five-block radius of Bard NYC, there are more than 60 places to eat from 18 different nationalities. A short walk from campus is the beloved McCarren Park, a jewel of the neighborhood, and the largest park in North Brooklyn. The dormitory is also walking distance to several branches of the Brooklyn Public Library and two NYC recreation centers with gyms and an indoor pool. Williamsburg is perfectly suited for the best and brightest emerging young professionals, and truly offers something for all!"
Calendar
The Fall semester typically begins in early September and ends in mid-December. The Spring semester typically begins in early/mid-January and ends in late April/early May.
Fall 2025
Friday, August 22– Move-In Day & Orientation begins
Monday, Sept. 8 – Internships Begin
Wednesday-Sunday, Nov. 27-Dec 1– Thanksgiving Break
Thursday, Dec. 4 – Internships End
Friday, Dec. 5 – Last Day of Classes
Sunday, Dec. 7 – Move-Out
Spring 2026
Friday, Jan. 16- Move In
Monday, Jan. 26- Internships Begin
Wednesday-Sunday Feb. 25-March 1- Mid-semester Break
Thursday, April 30- Internships end
May 1- Last Day of Classes
May 5- Move-out
Orientation
Pre-departure: The CIIS office organizes in-depth orientation sessions on-campus prior to the student's participation in the program. This includes a program specific session(s) in which the students will learn more about the program, local culture, academic expectations, and any other important information. There is also an orientation session led by the CIIS office on culture shock, pre-departure preparation, as well as safety and security while abroad.
Program Contacts
If you are interested in learning more about the New York City program please contact one of the following people:
CIIS Office: Caitlin Hatz, Director of Off-Campus Programs - Questions about eligibility, program logistics, and other off-campus opportunities.
On-Site Contact: Penny Vlagopoulos- Questions about program academics.