Making the Most out of Summer at Bethel

There are many ways students can use summers to help in their college career. From fulfilling another course to working side-by-side with faculty, students should always be thinking about how to make the most of the non-traditional school months.

Summer school

Classes are always in session here at Bethel. During the summers, there are three available terms: a first-half, second-half, and full-summer term. Courses available during summer terms include many general education required courses, introductory courses that are great for incoming students, and a number of major-specific courses. Classes are available in a variety of delivery methods: face-to-face, fully online, and a combination of the two. Summer courses are offered at a reduced tuition rate and therefore do not have the same financial aid coverage.

One highly-recommended set of courses for summer is American Sign Language. ASL101 and ASL102S are extremely popular during the fall and spring semesters, often requiring a waiting list. Both can be finished during the summer, with a smaller class size. Using the summers to fulfill the internship credit requirement for various majors is also a great use of the summer months.

Summer registration begins at the same time as registration for fall semester, April 12, 2016. Information about summer school procedures, courses, housing, and more is available on the Summer School site.

Edgren Scholars Program and other summer research

Along with coursework at Bethel, the summers are busy with faculty and students participating in research both on- and off-campus. One outlet for research is through the Edgren Scholarship, named after Bethel’s founder, John Alexis Edgren. This highly competitive scholarship funds research projects for faculty and students to work collaboratively. Each spring, projects are chosen to receive funding through the summer months.

In our sciences, several current National Science Foundation grants provide funding for students to be involved in cutting-edge research. Other external partnerships from corporate organizations call on Bethel’s faculty and students to solve problems or develop products for their businesses that will benefit their work in medical devices. Some of these organizations hire Bethel students as industry interns, which means the students gain experience working in a company’s lab. Other projects are done in Bethel labs, overseen by Bethel faculty.

A special highlight for summer research students is the research lunches. All students and faculty involved in research over the summer are invited to gather each week to present the progress of their work to each other. This gives students further practice in presenting the research to an audience outside of the field.

Other opportunities

While the sciences host a majority of the summer researchers, the arts and humanities also have varying opportunities for deeper study and collaboration with faculty. In addition, the theatre department puts on a musical each summer, offering new experiences for students on stage and behind the scenes. Summers present many opportunities for students to enhance their studies through completion of another course or two, or gaining hands-on experience in their discipline.