Gap Year Options

If you are considering a gap year after graduating, the Career Center has curated a list of options to explore, including service corp, fellowship, volunteer, international, teach abroad, and job/internship opportunities.

  • Service Corp/Volunteer

    Fellowships and service programs provide training to serve in a specific capacity, typically requiring a minimum commitment of 1-2 years, and include modest compensation to cover living costs.

    AmeriCorps State and National

    Serving with an AmeriCorps State and National program puts you in an environment that propels your personal development, opens diverse career paths, and promotes lifelong civic engagement. Select from hundreds of service opportunities that allow you to put your passion into action. (9-12 months)

    AmeriCorps VISTA

    Through capacity-building activities such as fundraising, grant writing, research, and volunteer recruitment, AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program serve in an office setting and gain experience and leadership skills. This opportunity prepares members for a life of public, private, or nonprofit service. (1 year)

    AmeriCorps NCCC

    AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time service program that covers lodging and travel expenses, allowing young adults to serve on a team and impact communities across the country while gaining valuable leadership skills. (10 months)

    Green Corps

    Green Corps is the country’s most respected training program for environmental organizers, with over 400 of their graduates at work today on the most urgent environmental issues of our time. If you are passionate about the environment and ready to learn and practice the craft of organizing, their yearlong program is the best place to start. (1 year)

    Public Allies

    When you join Public Allies, you join a national network of emerging leaders dedicated to creating a future by and for everyone. You will learn, grow, and lead in diverse and challenging environments to address real issues in your community. (10 months)

    Health/Research

    Center for Disease Control Fellowship Programs

    Whether on a career track or deciding which career you want, CDC has many diverse fellowships, internships, training, and volunteer opportunities for students and professionals. Many of these opportunities provide invaluable experience and potentially offer clear-cut paths to exciting careers with CDC. (1-2 years)

    Health Corps

    HealthCorps is a national non-profit organization committed to saving lives by addressing health inequities in at-risk communities through educational leadership, programming, and service learning. (1-2 years)

    National Institutes of Health Programs

    The NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education (OITE) is a division of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR), Office of the Director (OD). Their mission is to enhance the training experience of students and fellows on all NIH campuses. They work closely with the Training Offices in the NIH Institutes and Centers to help trainees in the Intramural Research Program (IRP) develop scientific and professional skills that will enable them to become leaders in the biomedical research community. (8 weeks-2 years)

    Public Service/Government

    Capital Fellows Program

    The Capital Fellows Programs are nationally recognized public policy fellowships that offer unique experiences in policy-making and development in each branch of government. Capital Fellows are placed at some of the highest levels of California state government and assist state legislators, senior-level executive staff, and court administrators with a broad range of public policy issues and projects and are typically given assignments with a significant amount of responsibility and challenges. (10-11 months)

    City Hall Fellows

    City Hall Fellows works nationally to attract, grow, and retain a talented workforce to engage in the work of cities. They are a non-partisan, non-profit organization that believes local government is the most rewarding place to grow your career and positively impact communities. (1 year)

    Congressional Hunger Center

    The Congressional Hunger Center invests in developing emerging leaders in the movement to end hunger in the United States and worldwide. They strive to engage leaders, especially leaders who have experienced hunger and poverty and leaders of color, in bridging the gap between field and policy, community and Congress, and theory and practice. (11 month-2 years)

    CORO Fellows in Public Affairs

    The Coro Fellows Program develops emerging leaders to work and lead across different sectors by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and networks to accelerate positive change. The Coro Fellows Program develops emerging leaders to work and lead across different sectors by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and networks to accelerate positive change. (9 months)

    Teaching/Education

    City Year

    City Year AmeriCorps members serve as student success coaches, supporting students’ development, growth, and success in systemically under-resourced schools while cultivating skills to be leaders in their communities and careers. (11 months)

    Match Education

    Match offers a one-year AmeriCorps tutoring program where members serve as full-time tutors and mentors at their middle (grade 6-8) or high school (grade 9-12) campus. Recent college graduates from universities across the country commit a year of service to close the achievement gap in Boston, one student at a time. (1 year)

    NYC Teaching Fellows

    The NYC Teaching Fellows program is one of the country’s largest and most selective alternative teacher preparation programs. As a Fellow, you will train in NYC classrooms, working one-on-one with experienced coaches to get the feedback you need to become a talented teacher, ready to make a profound difference for NYC’s students. (8 weeks-3 years)

    Teach for America

    Teach For America recruits outstanding and diverse leaders to become TFA “corps members.” Corps members commit to teaching for two years in a low-income community, where they are employed by local schools. They confront both the challenges and joys of expanding opportunities for kids. (2 years)

    Faith-Based

    AVODAH Jewish Service Corps

    Spend a year in the Jewish Service Corps working at a leading anti-poverty nonprofit in Chicago, New Orleans, New York, or Washington, DC. Their Corps Members live and learn together in a supportive, pluralistic community at the crossroads of justice and Jewish life. (1 year)

    Catholic Volunteer Network

    Catholic Volunteer Network is a membership organization of over 180 faith-based volunteer programs. Their members offer full-time service opportunities ranging from one week to one year or more, both here in the United States and more than 100 countries worldwide. They invite Christian full-time national and international volunteer and mission programs to become members of their network. (1 week-2+ years)

    Jesuit Volunteer Corps

    Jesuit Volunteers serve people in need across 37 communities in five countries. Over 176 service agencies at the front lines of social justice rely on JVs to fulfill their missions. As a JV, you will be part of an international network of young leaders fighting for a more just and hopeful world together. (1-2 years)

    Lutheran Volunteer Corps

    LVC is a community of faith that unites people to work for peace and justice. They pursue their mission by placing volunteers in full-time service positions at social-justice organizations for a year or semester. (15 weeks-1year)

    Vincentian Mission Corps

    Vincentian Mission Corps Volunteers dedicate ten-and-a-half months to living in the community and serving others in California or St. Louis. Volunteers serve in various areas, including education, healthcare, social work, and social services. (10.5 months)

  • International Opportunities

    Amigos de las Américas

    Amigos de las Américas inspires leaders through authentic service and immersion experiences. AMIGOS Gap Programs for high school graduates provide immersion and leadership experiences in Latin America. Students will live with a host family and complete an internship with a local organization where they will develop, support, and implement a sustainable service project. (3-36 weeks)

    Global Health Corps

    Global Health Corps places fellows within high-impact health organizations and Ministries of Health in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia to fill critical roles, from supply chain and data analysis to program implementation, policy, and advocacy. Working in co-fellow pairs, fellows learn and contribute in these roles. (13 months)

    Global Routes

    The Global Routes Independent Track (GRIT) is tailored to each participant’s individual goals and interests. GRIT Gap experiences are best for intrepid, motivated, and engaged explorers, ages 18+ at the time of travel, who seek a more independent experience over a group-based program but also want expert support along the way to plan and navigate their Gap experience.

    Global Service Corps

    Global Service Corps (GSC) has provided challenging and life-changing service-learning volunteer work, internship, and student experiences in seven countries since 1993. GSC offers students the opportunity to combine academic work, cultural immersion, and internship experiences with Cambodian NGOs and other community development professionals. GSC will work with your college program or advisor to provide service-learning programs for credit. (2 weeks-6 months)

    Peace Corps 

    The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. Each program has different time commitments and requirements, but all offer the opportunity to serve abroad and make the most of your world with projects ranging from education to business development. (2 years)

    Projects Abroad

    Projects Abroad is the world’s largest provider of international volunteering, internships, and meaningful travel experiences. As champions of Responsible Travel, all their volunteer projects work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students can participate in volunteering projects, structured internships, ethical consumerism trips, or authentic adventures with the support of Projects Abroad staff. (1-8 weeks)

    United Nations Volunteers

    The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. They work with partners to integrate qualified, highly motivated, and well-supported UN Volunteers into development programming and promote volunteerism’s value and global recognition. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and reports to the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board. (3-12 months)

    Volunteers for Peace

    Volunteers for Peace is a Vermont-based nonprofit offering meaningful, cross-cultural, affordable volunteer opportunities and sustainable, community-led projects. You can search by country or project type to find your best fit. (1 week-2 years)

    World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

    Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a worldwide movement to link visitors with organic farmers, promote cultural and educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of ecological farming and sustainability practices. As a WWOOFer, you will participate in the daily life of your host, help on the farm, learn about sustainability, experience a new culture and meet new people, and receive free room and board during your stay. (2 weeks-6 months)

    International Teaching/Education

    Council on International Education

    Founded in 1947, CIEE’s mission is to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world through the most meaningful exchange programs available. Get a TEFL certification with CIEE’s 150-hour course, and/or choose from one of CIEE’s Teach Abroad Programs in Thailand, Spain, China, or South Korea. (3-12 months)

    Dave’s ESL Café

    Resource for ESL + EFL teachers and students from around the world. Includes job search resources, international job board, and advice. (1 year)

    English Program in Korea

    EPIK teachers assist teachers with English classes and/or jointly conduct extracurricular activities and English camps in Korea. (1 year)

    InterExchange

    InterExchange is a non-profit international exchange organization. They promote cross-cultural awareness and understanding through international work, teaching, and volunteer exchange programs. (1 week-1 year)

    Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET)

    The JET Program is a competitive employment opportunity that allows young professionals to live and work in cities, towns, and villages throughout Japan. Being a JET provides an opportunity to work and represent the United States as a cultural ambassador to Japan. Most participants serve as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and work in public and private schools throughout Japan, and others work as Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) as interpreters/translators. (1 year)

    Cultural Ambassadors – North American Language and Culture Assistants in Spain

    Partner with elementary and secondary schools in Spain to bolster language programs as language assistants (TAs) under the supervision and guidance of teachers in Spain. (7 months)

    Teach for China

    The Beautiful China Teaching Support Project recruits outstanding young talents. After training, they are sent to areas where educational resources are scarce and work as full-time teachers to engage in front-line basic education teaching. (2 years).  Please read the English language webpage to use your browser’s translation extension. Teach for China is part of the Teach for All Network, which consists of opportunities in 56 countries. 

    The TEFL Org

    TEFL Org (Teach English as a Foreign Language) offers jobs abroad and online. TEFL-certified teachers are in high demand worldwide, from Spain to South Korea, Mexico to Morocco, and everywhere. Teach in public and private language schools, and work with children and adults (beginners to advanced learners) – the opportunities for English teachers are diverse and plentiful! (1 year)

  • Internships and Jobs

    Work/Internships Abroad

    The following organizations have been curated to help you find short-term work abroad — typically for a fee.

    AIESEC

    AIESEC is a global platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential. It is a non-political, independent, not-for-profit organization run by students and recent graduates of institutions of higher education. Its members are interested in world issues, leadership, and management. Since it was founded in 1948, AIESEC has engaged and developed over 1,000,000 young people who have been through an AIESEC experience. Its alumni include business, NGO, and world leaders, including one Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Martti Ahtisaari of Finland.

    BUNAC

    Established in 1962, BUNAC is recognized as a specialist in overseas work, travel, and volunteer programs and has enabled over 500,000 people to explore the world and gain valuable life skills. Their programs run for as little as two weeks (up to two years), and have multiple options available to suit every budget and time frame. Participants can take part in a BUNAC program during a gap year, summer holidays, after graduation, as part of a university placement, or as a career break.

    Center on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)

    Since 1947, the nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization CIEE has been bringing the world together by building bridges of mutual understanding between different people, countries, and cultures. With CIEE’s internship programs, students can choose from various full-time and part-time internship abroad opportunities. With internships spanning a diversity of fields — from public policy to the arts and business administration to marketing — you can find the right fit for you.

    Additional Job & Internship Resources

    Work for Good

    Work for Good’s mission is to help purpose-driven organizations and talented professionals connect so that together you can do the best work possible. Use their search engine to find opportunities in non-profit organizations in various industries.

    Government Internships for Recent Graduates

    As a recent graduate, you may be eligible for federal internships and job opportunities through Pathways and other student programs.

    Internships.com

    Explore internship opportunities and tips to help land the internship you want.

    One Day One Job

    Find entry-level jobs and internships in their database of over 2,000 companies and non-profits, and discover career options you never knew existed.

    Idealist.org

    Idealist’s mission is to help build a world where everyone can lead-free and dignified lives by inviting people to imagine, connect, and act. Search their job, internship, and volunteer opportunities and narrow your search by issues and areas you want to get involved in.