Maryville College Works logoAt Maryville College, the way you’ll prepare for a career is unlike anywhere else. Not only do we have an entire office dedicated to career readiness, it’s also integrated seamlessly into your curriculum through a program called Maryville College Works. While you’re developing critical thinking, problem solving, and communications skills in all your classes, you’ll also be putting those skills to work defining specific career goals and gaining the type of experience you can put on a resume. 

First, you’ll assess what you’re good at and what you’re interested in, and use that to explore a career path and develop your own career plan. Then, you’ll plan and participate in a Significant Practical Experience like an internship, volunteer opportunity, or research project, at one of our local partner organizations. Finally, you’ll work with faculty to understand exactly how your experience connects with your future career, and how to communicate that in a job or grad school interview.

And because your Maryville College Works experience is self-directed, you’ll not only have the background employers and grad schools are looking for, you’ll have the independence and expertise to navigate the job market — and your career — long after graduation.

 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS OF MARYVILLE COLLEGE WORKS
  
REQUIREMENT APPROXIMATE YEAR
Take an interest and skills assessment  1
Complete a foundational resume  1
Attend a first-year career fair  1
Complete career development plan  2
Attend a second-year career fair  2
Request a significant practical experience (SPE) in Handshake  2-3
Complete your SPE  3-4
Complete a final SPE assessment  3-4
Attend a Senior Information Session  4
Create a senior reflective professional piece  4

 

Goals & Outcomesclick or touch to open

The goal of this program is to deliver a transformative educational experience for our students. The aim is to demonstrate the vibrancy and value of the liberal arts for the 21st century.  While reaffirming our traditional emphasis on critical thinking skills and disciplinary expertise, the Maryville College Works program pairs core academic values with significant practical experiences.

This carefully-designed, integrated program builds bridges between the classroom and the work place. Through significant practical experiences, our students will understand how applicable and marketable their disciplinary and core skills are in the workforce.

Equally important, their employers will realize the value of a liberal arts education,  one that trains students to think critically and  independently, to apply research skills to problem solving, and to communicate clearly and effectively.  Building bridges between the classroom and the workplace has the very real potential of transforming what it means to be a student and a professor at a liberal arts college.

Learning Outcomes
  1. STUDENTS will acquire the knowledge to complete a personal vocation, career preparation and implementation plan.
  2. STUDENTS will participate in a significant, practical experience
  3. STUDENTS will articulate how 1) their educational experience and 2) their significant, practical experience applies to their professional opportunities.

 



Important Resourcesclick or touch to open

  • A Career Center that keeps students up to date with new professional trends and that offers individual advising, resume critiques, and workshops on vocational topics

  • Regular, one-on-one meetings with an advisor who is a faculty member in the student’s major or in a related field.

  • A Center for International Education offering opportunities and scholarships for international study and work that last from three weeks to an entire semester.
  • Multiple online resources providing experiences and information such as: interview practice, personalized assessments, career descriptions and statistics, and job searches.

  • A vibrant athletics program, including varsity and intramural sports that help build skills desired by employers.

  • Multiple leadership positions available through 50 clubs and organizations on campus.



Getting an Internshipclick or touch to open

How do I go about getting an internship?

Students work one-on-one with a faculty member in their division to identify their professional goals and obtain their chosen internship. Because of the College’s location in Blount County and proximity to Knoxville, Tenn., and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, students have been able to intern or work with employers such as Blount Memorial Hospital, Clayton Homes, the Knoxville Museum of Art, the National Park Service, Newell Rubbermaid and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Employers value the College’s academic rigor and often seek out MC students for placements. In some cases, working in a research lab, studying abroad or creating original works of art may be the best exposure students have to a future profession.