Student Opportunities

Hands-on learning is at the core of all our majors.

In any major or minor in the history, philosophy, and political science department, you’ll have numerous opportunities to apply what you’re learning, conduct research, and gain experience. It’s all part of how we equip you with skills that transfer to any career.

And you’ll be able to get involved right away. Bethel’s size and vibrant community present opportunities for you to get involved from your first day on campus. 

Study around the world

Since most of our majors require a relatively small number of credits, you’ll have many options for studying abroad over a full semester, January session, spring break, or the summer. For example, our professors co-lead a travel course on medieval art, history, and religion that’s taught in Morocco, Spain, and France. You can also spend January overseas with a Bethel or third-party program.

• International study. You’ll have the chance to study for a semester at a university in another country. Recent students have studied in Chile, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Lithuania.
• Washington, D.C. You can also spend a semester in Washington, D.C., with the American Studies Program. This Christian Council on Colleges and Universities program gives you the chance to live near the U.S. Capitol and complete an internship while continuing your classroom studies.

Internships

You’ll apply what you’ve learned through great internships. Here are just a few examples:

• White Bear Lake Area Historical Society. Through a Bethel partnership, you can pursue at the White Bear Lake Historical Society. Multiple paid positions are available each fall, spring, and summer. Though open to all majors, these positions are especially valuable if you plan to explore a career in public history or gain experience working for a nonprofit.
• Minnesota Historical Society. If you’re interested in history or social studies education, many past students have interned for the Minnesota Historical Society in a variety of positions—exhibit development, teacher relations, publishing, fundraising, and more.
• Minnesota State Legislature. If you’re interested in political science, you can take advantage of internship programs with the state legislature.
• Law firms. If you’re interested in a law career or our Minor in Pre-Law, several students have interned with law firms as they prepare for law school. 

Student clubs

You can participate in an award-winning Model United Nations team, which explores international issues and competes against teams from around the country every November in a tournament in Chicago. The student-led Pre-Law Society also frequently brings alumni and law school representatives to campus. And if you’re interested in political science, you can take part in our chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha—a national honors society. Explore more clubs and organizations.

On-campus work

You can work for the department as a teaching assistant, where you’ll work closely with faculty in a valuable opportunity for mentorship. Each of our professors works with one or two undergraduate teaching assistants, who are paid to help faculty with grading, tutoring, research, and other responsibilities. TA jobs are also available in general education courses like Christianity and Western Culture, Humanities, and Inquiry Seminar. Some students have worked on digitization projects in the Bethel University Library, and others work in Bethel's History Center archives.

Research

You’ll have the chance to conduct research with professors through programs like Edgren Scholars and summer research projects. And you can conduct your own original research in local or digital archives for your

• Senior Seminar. Many seniors conduct their own research as part of our Applied Humanities Seminar course.
• Edgren Scholars. You’ll be able to join our students and professors who have received Edgren Scholarships, which fund student-faculty summer research teams.

Pietas Honors Program

Bethel’s Pietas Honors Program is open to students from any major, forming a cross-disciplinary community of learners who challenge and inspire each other throughout their time together at Bethel. The core program consists of four honors courses that also fulfill general education requirements. (Students receive free textbooks in those courses.) The program also hosts special events throughout the year and offers opportunities for collaborative research projects and service leadership.