Real-World Learning
At Franklin & Marshall, learning happens by doing. You’ll step beyond the classroom and into labs, studios, museums, local businesses, natural habitats, and communities around the world. Across every discipline, you'll move from theory to purpose-driven action, graduating not only with knowledge, but with the hands-on experience that prepares you to lead now — not later.
Student Research
At F&M, you’ll work and learn side-by-side with faculty to test your ideas — not just read or talk about them. We prioritize the transformative power of hands-on learning to enhance your professional development experiences, including opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research. In fact, the 2025 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education ranked F&M among leading national institutions that prioritize research activity. F&M is also the nation’s #11 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Research (Wall Street Journal-College Pulse). With a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, we provide unparalleled access to leading faculty experts, creating a dynamic environment marked by creative collisions in every corner of campus.
At F&M, you could:
- Leverage a unique combination of field research and AI to gauge Chesapeake Bay Watershed quality
- Conduct original research into historic portraiture
- Engage in cutting-edge computer science research in extended reality
Internships
Gain experience now and a competitive advantage later. Internships allow you to explore careers of interest and build your portfolio while shaping and inspiring your path after graduation. Our Center for Career and Professional Development will help you discover and secure these positions, guiding you through the internship search, application, and interview processes, and facilitating connections with F&M alumni, parents and friends of the College for potential opportunities. Your advisers can also direct you to generous donor funding that can help offset the financial burden of an unpaid or underpaid summer experience. You can even submit an application to earn academic credit for your internship experience.
At F&M, you could:
- Gain hands-on experience in law by interning for the President Judge of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas
- Dive into your zeal for classical archaeology by interning at the Near Eastern Collections, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
- Unleash your potential and follow your calling to work with animals by interning for an organization dedicated to training working dogs
Off-Campus Study
Travel the globe to become a well-rounded scholar and person. Studying off campus gives you extraordinary opportunities to encounter, engage with, and understand perspectives around the world, strengthening your ability to live and work in our global society. Off-campus study experiences aren’t simply time away from campus; they’re meaningfully woven into your entire academic journey at F&M.
At F&M, you could:
- Research diverse marine life in Turks and Caicos
- Explore Danish and Scandinavian design philosophies in Copenhagen
- Explore 5,000-year-old settlements, stone circles, and ancient ritual sites in Scotland
Franklin & Marshall Fellows
Join a network of motivated students who turn ideas into real-world impact. Through the F&M Leadership Fellows program, you’ll dive straight into leadership, innovation, and problem-solving alongside a community that shares your drive.
At F&M, you could:
- Participate in original, action-oriented research in local watersheds, with the goal of improving stream and groundwater quality and aquatic ecosystem health
- Gain knowledge of literary and cultural activism on both F&M’s campus and in Lancaster
while exploring the craft of creative writing and growing as a writer
- Develop a "builder's mindset" — learning to identify problems, create solutions, and lead with resilience
- Hone the skills you need to innovate in the public sphere and effect positive change as a future leader
Community-Based Learning
F&M’s Ware Institute for Civic Engagement empowers you to turn passion into purpose-driven action. You'll embark on innovative and collaborative experiences that address real-world challenges, build connections with neighbors who share a vision for positive change, and develop essential skills in leadership and communication.
At F&M, you could:
- Mentor local middle and high school students in academics and athletics
- Earn a stipend while spending eight weeks immersed in local public service
- Help collect, sort, and redistribute thousands of usable household items and food to local Lancaster nonprofits during campus move-out
Experience Lancaster
Our home city of Lancaster is not only an active urban hub, but also an integral educational partner. Experience Lancaster, a program distinct to F&M, curates and connects you with opportunities to engage in internships, service, research, and more so you can make an impact in your own backyard.
At F&M, you could:
- Preserve American history by interning as a research assistant and archivist at Lancaster’s Historic Rock Ford
- Turn a passion for mathematics into meaningful solutions for the Power Packs Project, a nonprofit combating food insecurity in Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties
- Plan a record-breaking Lancaster Pride festival
Fellowships & Post-Graduate Awards
Fellowships offer often-funded experiential learning opportunities such as advanced study, research, internships, service, travel, and more. At F&M, you’ll find expert guidance and support in discovering and applying for fellowships.
At F&M, you could:
- Move to Japan for a Princeton in Asia (PiA) fellowship at a brewery to learn all aspects of the sake brewing and production process
- Begin your career in global diplomacy through the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program
- Explore the education field and make a meaningful impact in students' lives with Teach for America
Grants & Funding
We’re committed to advancing the scholarly and creative pursuits of our faculty and students. Internal funding is available through the Office of the Provost. Sponsored Research, College Advancement, and the Fellowship Office assist with funding from federal, state, and non-profit organizations.
Learn moreDiplomats Beyond the Classroom
November 12, 2026
New Fellowship Prepares Students for Responsible AI Leadership
Knowing how to use artificial intelligence (AI) is one skill. Knowing how organizations and society can do so with good judgement is another thing. A new fellowship at Franklin & Marshall College’s Mehlman Leadership and Performance Institute will help students develop that judgment while gaining professional experience.
November 11, 2026
From Getting Back on Track to Giving Back: Josh Brown ’28
For Josh Brown ’28, repeated trips to his hometown sports medicine physician gave him more than a path back to competition. They gave him a path toward his future. Now a biology major at F&M, Brown is working toward becoming a physician assistant (PA). “I wanted to be able to make that same difference in people’s lives,” Brown said.
November 9, 2026
From Lancaster Streams to Canadian Lakes: Stephanie Sexton ’27 Puts Science into Action
When she arrived at F&M, Stephanie Sexton ’27 knew she wanted to study environmental science and engage in hands-on fieldwork. This summer, she turned that ambition into action, helping drive cutting-edge initiatives in F&M’s backyard while contributing to a multi-year research project abroad.