Each semester is divided into three intensive blocks. Intensives are in-depth explorations of a subject area that last for one block.  The first intensive of each semester, Intensive I, allows for an exclusive focus on one area for three weeks. Intensives II and III generally focus on the subject for four mornings a week over 5-6 weeks, and will also engage students in longer site visits, fieldwork, hands-on projects, or other applicable ventures.  

This unique scheduling allows for the flexibility required by each subject area, granting time for intensive work in the field, longer form field studies off campus, deeper dives into the literature and project-based learning and more.  

Experiential Endeavors are a distinctive element of Sterling education in which academic content is integrated seamlessly with work-learning opportunities that allow students to immediately apply their learning in community projects. 

Students take up to one Experiential Endeavor per semester and it runs in the afternoons of Intensive II and III.

Each Experiential Endeavor contains 30-hours of work that contributes to a student’s Work Program contract.

Scaffolding seminars help students develop skills and fluency critical to navigating life, work, and continued study. Students progress through:
First Year Seminar
Career Planning Skills as a Sophomore
Capstone Year Workshop as a Junior
Professional Portfolio as a Senior

Elective scaffolding seminars dive into financial literacy, the art of reflection, yoga and wellness, and building quantitative skills.

Sterling College internships are rooted in experiential learning. Students are expected to be fully engaged with an internship supervisor in a work-learning environment (whether on- or off-campus) where they practice newly learned skills in a practical and “real-world” environment. Students are asked to fulfill academic work (i.e. reflective writing, progress reports, and project-based learning) that enhances the learning potential of the student’s work experience. Benefits for the student often include: improved social interaction skills, enhanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills, development of good work habits, exploration of professional ethics and values, increased awareness of career choices, enhanced awareness of the real-world contexts and social responsibility, opportunities for growth through interaction with people from diverse cultures, and additional opportunities that will enhance a resume.

Independent studies are available to students who have completed 45 credits by permission of the Dean of Academics. An independent study is a course developed by a student in concert with a full-time faculty member that draws on areas of faculty expertise or other support to complement existing courses. Independent studies provide students the opportunity to pursue areas of special interest in a structured, supervised format.

A Course Assistantship is an opportunity for students to continue to improve their competency in an area in which they already have some experience, perhaps having taken the class previously. A Course Assistant (CAT) may earn up to 3 credits for their additional learning, usually one credit less than the standard course. No particular class standing is required. The CAT student is involved in class mainly as a participant, with higher level learning objectives than the standard course. Pursuing a CAT is by application only.

Teaching Assistantships are an opportunity for advanced students who have proven their competency in an area to further extend their experience and develop leadership skills through contributing to the instruction, workload, and leadership responsibilities in a course. Teaching Assistants (TA) are typically Juniors or Seniors, and they may earn up to 4 credits for their work. Pursuing a TA is by application only.

The Senior Year Research Project (SYRP) is a capstone learning experience that culminates a student’s study in his or her major by pursuing a particular question in significant depth. SYRPs span two semesters and allow students to explore an area of interest that will complement their major, concentration area, and their personal strengths or identified areas for growth. Projects are expected to include a tangible product as well as a presentation. SYRPs projects are archived in Sterling’s Brown Library and become a permanent record of scholarship and resource for the future.