Engage.
Research.
Our professors are engaged in their discipline’s research whether that work is in a lab, in a book, or in the field. At Gustavus we believe in going where your heart and your head take you. As soon as you hit the campus, you can get involved. Explore your interests with our dedicated award-winning professors. Break down barriers. Discover the unexpected. We believe in collaboration and learning while doing. The act of learning can take so many forms.
Intern.
An important part of a liberal arts education is experiential learning. Learn rigorously in the classroom and then take that interest into an internship out in the real world. For-profits? Non-profits? Who are the people doing the work that manifests your interests out in the world? We want you to learn from them, too. Our extensive internship program at the Center for Career Development and our global alumni network run deep.
56% of students experience an internship.
Travel.
Gusties study the world around them and they study all over the world, too. In order to better understand service, leadership, and community, we believe students need to immerse themselves in diverse cultures and learn what it means to observe a place you might not understand. Our faculty-led field studies to India, Malaysia, and Sweden have been life-changing for students. Expand your horizons. Study the world.
The May Term focuses on courses that are innovative, experiential, and/or inter-disciplinary and can include international study away, internships, independent studies, and institutional exchanges.
Join Big Hill Farm! A student-run farm-to-table project that feeds Gustavus throughout the growing season. Gustavus ranks first in the state of Minnesota for food and scores high praise on the Best College Food in America list. We source from local farmers and continually strive to improve sustainability on campus.
Melanie Kistnasamy ‘22
Environmental Studies Major, Mauritius
From studying water quality in the 7 Mile Creek riverbed to translating digital games from English to Mauritian Kreol, Melanie Kistnasamy’s Gustavus education has helped connect her even more closely to her beloved home country of Mauritius. Her passion for the environment and interdisciplinary experiences are at the heart of her work as a future sustainability professional. “It is not just climate change. It’s our systems. We can be a part of the environment and not dominate it.”
MORE THAN 100 NOBEL LAUREATES HAVE VISITED GUSTAVUS
The internationally recognized Nobel Conference is held exclusively at Gustavus each year. Meet a Nobel Laureate; be a student ambassador; hear preeminent scientists, theologians, and ethicists speak on critical global topics related to science and society.