Rochester Semester

What is the Rochester Semester?

The Rochester Semester is a study away program that will help you build career-ready skills and a professional network. You’ll live in Rochester, Minn, which is about an hour north of Decorah.

As part of the program, you’ll work at a semester-long internship that fits your interests. You’ll spend about 20 hours per week in your chosen career field gaining hands-on training in a real-world environment. You might work at:

• A medical research lab at the Mayo Clinic or other medical facility
• The human resources department at a local business
• The front desk of an arts nonprofit

You’ll also take Luther College courses, either virtually or in-person in Rochester.

Why Study in Rochester, Minn.?

Experience Life in a Dynamic, Beautiful City

Rochester is a dynamic city in southeastern Minnesota with great natural beauty. The city, which is the third-largest in Minnesota, is also a global medical destination. It is the birthplace of the Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned healthcare organization.

The city is in the midst of an economic development initiative. It has allocated $5 billion in private and public funds to add to the city’s infrastructure and amenities. Rochester’s downtown transformation includes:

• New private businesses
• An expansion of Mayo Clinic
• Creation of the Destination Medical Center (DMC)

Gain Academic Credit

Luther College is uniquely positioned to take advantage of Rochester’s growth. Our campus is only one hour south of the city. More than 1,000 Luther alumni live and work in the city, leading to better internship and career opportunities for you. By living in Rochester, you’ll experience the opportunities and challenges associated with a city’s rapid change. You will also fulfill the experiential learning component of Luther’s core curriculum.

What are the Benefits of the Rochester Semester?

Internships

The central feature of the Rochester Semester is the immersive internships. You’ll spend time every week working alongside professionals to build your skills. From the sciences to business and management to the humanities, you’ll find a place that will help you gain relevant experience.

Our extensive alumni network in Rochester means you’ll have unique access to interesting and crucial job fields. Your internship can even extend into a full-time position during an adjacent J-Term and/or summer session. You may even return to Rochester after you graduate to pursue your career.

Community

You’ll still be a part of the Luther community even while living in Rochester. You’ll live with fellow Luther students just a few minutes away from downtown Rochester, allowing you to socialize with fellow students. You’ll share public transportation tips, find new places to eat, and visit local museums together.

You’ll also be a part of Rochester’s growth. As you shop at stores and eat at restaurants, you’ll contribute to the local economy. You might find places to volunteer your time and serve the community. You may even consider living or working there in the future. In this program, you’ll have a taste of what it means to be a citizen of Rochester.

What Internships are Available at the Rochester Semester?

The Center for Global Learning will help identify internships connected to your future interests. You will spend about 20 hours per week at your internship. Your internship may be paid or unpaid, but you will receive academic credit.

Previous internships have included:

• Mayo Clinic (Biomedical research, biomedical informatics, finance and information technology)
• Gift of Life Transplant House
• The Rochester Diversity Council
• Destination Medical Center
• City of Rochester Sustainability

Other fields with internships include:

• Computer/data science
• Environmental studies
• Business, accounting, human resources, marketing, etc.
• Arts, museum studies, and historical societies
• Media/communications
• Social work
• Spiritual/religious services
• Government or nonprofit work

Living in Rochester

Housing

You will live in a building located minutes from downtown Rochester.

Transportation

Your housing location will be close to many internship locations. You will be able to walk or bike to locations in downtown Rochester such as Mayo Clinic and the Destination Medical Center. Rochester also has an extensive public bus system and car-share program, which makes it easy to get around the city.

Additional Information

Program Eligibility

You must have successfully completed a minimum of four semesters of study prior to the start of the program and 60 credits or more with a GPA of 2.5 or above. You should have completed coursework beyond what is introductory within your major and demonstrate a strong interest in an immersive internship experience. You must be in good academic and disciplinary standing.

Costs

You will pay the normal Luther semester tuition and fees, and a semester room fee for accommodations in Rochester. You are responsible for your own meal arrangements and costs, as well as transportation. Luther financial aid, federal and state aid, and outside scholarships may be applied to offset the cost of the program.

Application Details/Deadlines

Space in this program is limited. For more information or questions, write to us at global@luther.edu, and apply using Luther’s Via Portal.