The Value of a Liberal Arts Education
Your Career Starts at Lewis & Clark
The value of a college education at Lewis & Clark means that you will graduate with a bachelor of arts degree that is grounded in critical thinking, written and verbal communication skills, teamwork, and problem solving—all of the essential qualifications you need to succeed in any career. Employers regularly state that Lewis & Clark interns and graduates stand out from the crowd in their career readiness. And for those of you who are ready to think about your education long term, we offer pathways to accelerated degrees through our 4-5-6 Commitment with our Graduate School of Education and Counseling and School of Law.
The Lewis & Clark alumni network is deep, strong, and established around the world. Their accomplishments showcase the wide variety of possibilities that are available after graduation. Our alumni use their bachelor’s degree as a stepping stone to advanced degrees, careers in ground-breaking industries, and service work through prestigious Fulbright grants and Peace Corps positions, all while staying connected to their alma mater and helping our students get their careers launched.
Zoë Maughan BA ’19More about ZoëLewis & Clark prepared me to think critically, engage meaningfully with my peers, and fostered my love of historical research which led me to my career path in Special Collections and Archives.
Bijou Macdonald BA ’21More about BijouIn all of the positions I have held post-graduation, I have used and depended on the problem solving and critical thinking skills I was able to hone at L&C.
Kade McCoy BA ’19More about KadeLewis & Clark gave me the tools to tackle in any scenario, the work you put in truly allows you to achieve any goal you set for yourself both personally and professionally.
Here are some organizations where our students have recently interned:
- Nike
- EDP Renewables
- New Seasons
- Jacobsen Salt Company
- Center for Social Dynamics
- MSI/Tetra Tech
- Senator Jeff Merkley’s Office
- Portland Art Museum
- Engine Vision Fund (publisher of Los Angeles Magazine)
- Aginsky Capital Group
- KBOO Community Radio
Jump Start Your Career With Internships
Our location in Portland, Oregon, provides countless professional opportunities—just one of the many reasons to go to college at Lewis & Clark. Internship sponsors and employers value the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that liberal arts students bring to the table. Multiple campus partners offer pathways to connect with opportunities, for example:
- The Career Center can help you find an internship for course credit during the academic year, and also manages two summer internship grants that offer funding for unpaid positions.
- The Bates Center Summer Sustainability Internship course matches students with local organizations based on similar interests and skills, while earning course credit.
Pairing hands-on experience and networking with high-caliber academic study and theory means our students are prepared to hit the ground running.
Learn to Lead
At Lewis & Clark, there are many different ways you can explore, develop, and grow your leadership skills—all through great hands-on learning opportunities that will help you stand out to employers and graduate schools.
Innovate as an Entrepreneur
The Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership will support your career success through classes, advising, networking, internships, resources, programming, and more. The center houses our entrepreneurial leadership and innovation minor, and offers plenty of opportunities for non-minors alike. The popular Lunch With a Leader series allows you to learn more about career paths and industry trends, and the annual Winterim entrepreneurial workshop is a week of learning, networking, and mentoring, which culminates in a pitch competition for over $10,000 in cash prizes. The Bates Center’s one-credit skills classes are designed to help you get value out of your ventures and activities.
Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership
Chart Your Own Path
Most of the programs offered by College Outdoors are run by student staff, all of whom started out as volunteers. Over time, they expanded their role with the program by making their way up the Leadership Trail. The program also offers a Wilderness Leadership course that satisfies one of the activity credits you need for graduation; weekly clinics that provide leadership and skills training; access to Wilderness First Responder training; and the opportunity to earn the College Outdoors Outdoor Leadership (COOL) certificate. You don’t need any previous outdoor experience to become a leader, since College Outdoors provides all of the gear and training you need.
Take a Journey Abroad
Lewis & Clark study-abroad programs are immersive experiences in unexpected places, often with one of your own faculty members as your leader. Our programs are either a semester or full year long, giving you time to live new experiences and perspectives rather than simply to observe them. In fact, 82 percent of surveyed alumni say that their overseas experience has contributed to their career. No matter your major—even the hard sciences—you will be encouraged to study overseas.
Practical Experience
Lewis & Clark’s 130+ student-run clubs and organizations give you leadership experience in the subject areas that you most care about. Bonus: if the organization you are passionate about doesn’t exist, you can always start your own! Our students have created change on campus while gaining real-world experience through clubs like Students Engaged in Eco-Defense (SEED), Pre-Health Professionals Club, Queer Student Union, and many more.
Take On Original Research
Lewis & Clark professors are experts in their fields who love to work with and learn from their students. Our professors will teach you much more than just facts and theory—they rely on their students to be collaborative researchers, providing an opportunity that’s rarely available to undergraduates at other schools. Our students are even frequent coauthors on peer-reviewed faculty publications and professional presentations. Faculty from a variety of disciplines hire students as researchers on grant-funded projects, and over the summer, Lewis & Clark offers students paid, hands-on research experiences that rival those of graduate-level institutions.
Gain Meaningful Experiences
Education doesn’t end when you step outside the classroom. Our Center for Social Change and Community Involvement offers a number of programs to prepare students to make an impact and engage with their community, both locally and globally, in order to bring about active citizenship and social change. The L&C LEADS program provides collaborative, action-oriented leadership development, and the Nielson Social Change Innovation Grant program funds student projects focused on transformative initiatives. Students who regularly participate in immersive service-learning experiences and leadership development opportunities are eligible to earn the IMPACT certificate, which is a tangible way to be recognized for understanding the value of civic leadership and continued learning.
Center for Social Change and Community Involvement
The Career Center Is Here to Help
The Lewis & Clark College Career Center is committed to setting you up for success while you explore your next steps after graduating and helping you translate your skills and experiences into a meaningful career and future. Through career advising, interview preparation, internship support, graduate school exploration, a resource library, and more, they are here to help you on whatever path you take. The center also has its own diplomat in residence, a direct connection and mentorship for students interested in careers in the foreign service or international relations. Support doesn’t stop once you graduate either. Alumni have unlimited access to Career Center services for the first three years after graduation, and ways to stay connected in the years to come.
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