The Experiential PhD at Northeastern University
A new frontier in graduate education
Our programs leading to the research doctorate offer students challenging assignments inside our many partner organizations in industry, government, academia, and the nonprofit sector. Northeastern is one of the only universities in the world to offer all PhD students experiential learning opportunities outside of their primary research group. Placements are flexible and customizable, tailored to the interests of students and partners.
Our students discover opportunity.
Northeastern’s distinctive approach pushes students beyond their campus comfort zone. Immersive experiences inform— and transform—students’ research trajectory while expanding their networks and helping them chart a path to careers in and beyond academia. Experiential PhD opportunities across all Northeastern PhD programs include internships, fellowships, practicums, LEADERs and special initiative programs that:
> Challenge students to solve problems in the context of society’s needs and limited resources, shaping the questions they raise through their own dissertation research.
> Equip students with professional skills, creativity, and cultural agility, serving graduates for lifetime as they translate discoveries into practical solutions.
> Expand each student’s professional network by pairing students with an industry mentor and exposing them to newpeers and potential collaborators.
Our institutional partners ignite innovation.
By engaging our talented PhD students—through an internship, corporate fellowship, embedded-employee fellowship, research-based partnership such as LEADERs, or another customized option—each partner gains:
> An opportunity to build a pipeline for recruiting exceptional graduates.
> Access to university facilities and senior faculty expertise.
> A deeper engagement in rapidly evolving elds of research.
> Opportunities for senior leadership to mentor and co-publish with students, and to serve on their dissertation committees.
> Opportunities to partner with an R1 research universityknown for its robust collaborations with academia, govern-ment, and industry worldwide.