Furman has a number of programs that connect students and recent graduates with faculty, alumni, friends of Furman, and community members. These interactions provide support, guidance, and real-world perspectives to encourage reflection. Students learn from the experience of others and are encouraged to reflect on their own skills, values, and purpose while determining where their personal and professional path.
For Current Students
Informational Interviews
You can learn a lot by talking to someone about their experiences, no matter where you are in your career development process. An informational interview is a purposeful conversation with a professional in a field of interest. It is an effective way to research careers, gain insight into specific industries, and gather advice from individuals already in the working world. The purpose of an informational interview is not to find job openings, although sometimes it may lead to additional opportunities or network connections.
This program will connect you with Furman alumni and friends of Furman from the community. They understand the value of a Furman education and are uniquely positioned to help you understand and articulate that value.
Learn more about how to conduct an Informational Interview.
Request a connection with a professional for an informational interview.
Undergraduate Research
In our nationally awarded undergraduate research program, you will engage in research with a faculty to co-create new knowledge in a disciplinary field. Faculty members act as mentors to guide and challenge the students throughout the research process.
Learn more about undergraduate research.
Internships
Over seventy percent of Furman students complete an internship during their time at Furman. Internships offer an opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship with an employer and helps students develop professional skills in a real-world setting.
Study Away
Study Away provides students with an opportunity to engage critically with global cultures while developing transferable professional and personal skills. Mentors such a faculty, peers, and host families are present throughout study away experiences. For more information, please visit the Rinker Center for Study Away and International Education.
Hearst Fellows
The Hearst Fellows program, funded by a grant from the Hearst Foundation, provides extra support to underrepresented students so that they have full access to the Furman Advantage. Hearst fellows have a dedicated faculty mentor who they meet with regularly as a group and individually throughout the fellows’ four years at Furman.
Learn more about the Hearst Fellowship.
Washington Experience
During spring semester, Furman students from all disciplines travel to Washington, D.C. where they have the opportunity to build on their knowledge and understanding of politics and its relationship to their own field of study by immersing them in the life and culture of Washington, DC, and the real world of politics through an internship in the nation’s capital. Students are also matched with a local Furman alumni mentor who meets with them periodically throughout their stay to gain real-world insight into life in our nation’s capital.
Learn more about the Washington Experience.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Boot Camp
During the summer, students from all disciplines can participate in a three-week intensive Boot Camp where they learn the foundations of business and fundamentals of driving innovation. During the three weeks, students are assigned a business mentor to assist them with their goals and questions throughout the program. Students also attend networking events with industry-leading professionals.
For Seniors and Recent Graduates
Alumni Connections
The Alumni Connections program pairs seniors and recent graduates with professionals who can answer questions about career and industry trends, applying for graduate school, the job search process, work-life balance, personal experiences, and transitioning to life outside of Furman. Participants may choose to engage in a one-time interaction or you may choose to develop a continuing relationship. (Note: This is not a program to seek employment).