Get hands-on, in-person experience in the industries and areas you’ve always wondered about. Apply for the trek that matches your career interest whether they are Life Design Lab sponsored or academically sponsored. Students are only able to participate in one intersession course and career trek.

We encourage all students regardless of personal financial circumstance to apply for and participate in Intersession Treks. While there may be costs associated with the Career Trek aspect of the course including airfare (San Francisco) and some meals, we want to ensure that related cost don’t prohibit student engagement. There is funding available through Life Design Lab to support student cost.

Registration closes on November 13 at 1pm

For any questions or more information, reach out to Director of Employer Relations, Jess Harlee

LDL Sponsored Career Treks

Tech in San Francisco

Course (Hosted virtually): Jan 8-12; Career Trek: Jan 15-19

Cost: Ground transportation, lodging, and some meals are covered; students may be expected to pay for airfare, personal items, and some meals.

This course is an immersive experience that combines JHU’s Life Design Framework, in partnership with employers and alumni in Big Tech and Startups in the Bay Area to help students explore careers and build their network. Students will get curious and imagine possible lives through the lens of different career profiles in tech, (i.e software developers, information security analysts, computer programmers, web developers, and digital designers, etc). Through life design classwork, guest lectures from alumni and industry experts, ranging from fin-tech to med-tech, alumni networking opportunities, and experiential learning (site visits and networking sessions), students will work to develop and reflect on their own career motivations and possible career paths, and find their fit within the broader Bay Area tech ecosystem.

Application Requirements: 

• Sophomore-Senior Standing (seniors graduating May 2024 only, 12/23 grads are not eligible) Standing.  This course is not open to graduate students. 20 Total Students 
• Complete the short-answer questions and submit resume via Handshake application 
• WSE and KSAS students are eligible, but the following students are encouraged to apply: 
  • Computer Science or Electrical/Computer Engineering majors with an interest in Big Tech 
  • Those considering careers in the Bay Area post-graduation in technology and startup sectors 
  • Those considering a career in software development, software engineering, fin-tech, or med-tech

Entrepreneurship on the East Coast

Course (Hosted in person): Jan 8-12; Career Trek: Jan 16-19

Cost: Ground transportation, lodging, and some meals are covered; students will be expected to pay for personal items and some meals.

This Intersession course will empower students interested in exploring a career in cutting-edge innovation, building networks in the fields of technology and entrepreneurship. Through the lens of the DC, Baltimore, and NYC ecosystem, students will work to understand their own career and professional interests and motivations, prototype possible next steps for their ideas, and find their fit within the broader tech ecosystem. Students will engage in interactive life-design classwork, dialogue with guest alumni speakers and industry experts, and visit startup teams solving hard problems to build great businesses.  Through these steps, participants will apply critical thinking skills to ideate their roles throughout the tech ecosystem. From the curious to the committed, this opportunity is for those that want to think, discover, and create the world of tomorrow! 

Application Requirements 

• Sophomore-Senior Standing (seniors graduating May 2024 only, 12/23 grads are not eligible) This course is not open to graduate students. 20 total students. 
• Complete the short-answer questions and submit resume via Handshake application  
• WSE and KSAS students are eligible. Demonstrated interest in tech/entrepreneurship/start-ups is required. 

Biotech in the DMV

Course (hosted virtually): Jan 8-12; Career Trek: Jan 18-19

Cost: Ground transportation and some meals are covered; students will be expected to pay for personal items and some meals.

Participants will spend the first week of this course in a virtual boot camp working with Life Design Lab Educators and focusing on the Medical Devices and Biotech field. Using the Life Design approach, students will learn how to present themselves and their professional materials, as well as navigate and network within these fields. During the second week of the course, participants will have the opportunity to go deeper in these skills and go on-site visits with local Medical Device and Biotech companies.

Application Requirements: Undergraduate students from all majors and school years are eligible to apply. Must have an interest in biotech and medical devices.

Robotics in Pittsburgh – More Information TBA

Orientation (Hosted virtually): Jan 2-5; Career Trek: Jan 9-12

Cost: Ground transportation, lodging, and some meals are covered; students will be expected to pay for personal items and some meals.

This immersive experience combines JHU’s Life Design Framework, in partnership with the ecosystem of 100+ robotics companies and employers in Pittsburgh and the regional area. The trek specializes in serving students interested Robotics career paths and offers points of exploration in the field. Student participants will develop key skills while building professional networks.

Application Requirements: Master’s students in the LCSR Robotics Program — 20 total students 

Academic Sponsored Treks

Financial Literacy in NYC

Course (Hosted in person): Jan 2-12; Career Trek: Jan 16-19

Cost: Ground transportation, lodging, and some meals are covered; students will be expected to pay for personal items and some meals.

The Seminar in Financial Literacy/Wall Street Trek is a three-week program designed to introduce Hopkins undergraduates to the financial services industry. The goal is to provide an introduction to a variety of topics in finance, with a practical focus on exposing the students to employment options in the industry. The credit-bearing Seminar component will consist of two weeks of lectures (18 sessions), overseen by JHU’s Center for Financial Economics (CFE). After several foundational lectures are provided by CFE, the bulk of the remaining sessions will be delivered by distinguished Hopkins alumni, followed by a four-day trip to New York City during which we will visit various firms in the industry.  

By the end of the seminar, students should have developed an understanding of the structure and jargon of the financial services industry. Hence, they should be poised to profit from the firm visits and networking receptions that will take place on the trip to NYC.  

Application Requirements: First and second years interested in Finance careers, submit resume and unofficial transcripts on application

PR and Media in NYC

Course (Hosted in person): Jan 2-5; Career Trek: Jan 9-11

Cost: Ground transportation, lodging, and some meals are covered; students will be expected to pay for personal items and some meals.

Gain insight into trends and career opportunities in social/digital media, advertising, and PR through one week of in-class speakers and networking/career preparation followed by three days of in-person presentations and networking with alums and recruiters from firms like AMC Networks, LinkedIn, Harper-Collins, Google, FCB Health, and more. 

Application Requirements: Undergraduate students from all majors and years are welcome to apply.

International Studies in DC

Course and Career Trek (Hosted in person): Jan 17-19

Cost: Lodging and some meals are covered; students will be expected to pay for ground transportation, personal items and some meals.

Join us for a one-credit, three-day career survey in Washington, DC, designed to advance your thinking about how to pursue your own international affairs-related career. Students will learn about different types of international affairs careers, the skills to pursue them, and make site visits to leading international affairs institutions to learn firsthand from accomplished professionals at those institutions. Lodging and some meals will be provided.  

Application Requirements: International studies majors, second, third, and fourth years.