Praxis Funding
Approximately 400 undergraduate students per year receive Praxis stipends to work at unpaid internships in the United States and abroad in such fields as health care, government, education, communications, research, social welfare, technology, law, science and the arts.
Internships are an increasingly important element of education for students wishing to advance to graduate school or professional positions. Because many students cannot afford to forgo earnings, the Praxis program assures that all students can pursue unpaid internship opportunities that expand their education.
Praxis Guidelines & Regulations
Praxis Information for Employers
Facts for Host Organizations
About Praxis
Smith College’s internship funding program, Praxis: The Liberal Arts at Work pays stipends to undergraduate Smith students who work at qualified, unpaid internships related to their career and/or academic interests.
The Praxis internship funding program is mutually beneficial: to the employer who gets a capable Smith student to contribute to their organization's projects and goals; and to the Smith student who gains experience and insight into a career field.
Since the beginning of the program, supervisors have been impressed with the caliber of Smith student interns, praising them for their competence, motivation, flexibility and adaptability, and for their skills in such areas as communication, writing, researching, analyzing, problem solving, presentation and technology.
If you have any questions about Praxis, please call the Lazarus Center for Career Development at 413-585-2582, or email praxis@smith.edu.
Qualifying for a Praxis Stipend
Interterm 2024 stipends:
U.S.-based internships (or internships in one's home country): $1500
Internships abroad (non-U.S. and not in one's home country): $2000
Summer 2024 stipends:
U.S.-based internships (or internships in one's home country): $3500
Internships abroad (non-U.S. and not in one's home country): $4500
Note: Remote internships are not eligible for international internship stipend.
To qualify for a Praxis stipend, a undergraduate Smith student's confirmed internship must:
- offer a minimum of 220 hours/5.5 weeks (summer), 100 hours/3 weeks (Interterm/January Break)
- take place during Smith's summer or Interterm/January break. Praxis may not fund academic-term internships.
- offer work assignments that are needed by the workplace and that help the student meet learning objectives
- allow significant career exploration and learning opportunities
- be supervised by a staff member with relevant expertise in the field, and who meets with the intern at least once a week
- be unpaid. If you have other interns who are paid in your department, division or unit, the internship would not be eligible for Praxis funding.
Important Dates
Deadline for students to apply for Praxis funding:
Interterm Praxis: December 8, 2023
Summer Praxis: To be announced
The student's application requires a Supervisor Confirmation Form, which confirms internship offer and describes duties and supervision. This form will be collected via direct link, sent to Supervisor upon student's submission of application.
At the end of the internship, supervisors must submit a Verification of Internship Completion, confirming completion of internship, confirming hours worked, and commenting on intern’s work performance.
Organizations requesting a Smith sign-off on liability waivers, assumption of risk forms or a memo of understanding must contact the Five College Risk Management Office.