At Mercy University, students have opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. Through internships, co-ops, clinical rotations, service learning, volunteer work, and student teaching, Mercy ensures every student can gain hands-on experience in the field.
“Each major has its own industry standard,” says Sara Shepherd, director of employer relations at the school. “Our nursing students complete clinical rotations, while business students often do internships. We want students to graduate with multiple professional experiences, because those with relevant experience on their resumes are much more competitive for full-time roles after graduation.”
Beginning this year, Mercy has taken experiential learning a step further by making it a requirement for all students.
“Mercy knows how crucial experiential learning is to a student’s career trajectory,” says Lyn Leis, director of career education. “Students who complete internships tend to receive more job offers, earn higher salaries, and report greater job satisfaction.”
This new requirement underscores the university’s mission of preparing students with academic knowledge and the adaptability needed to excel in a rapidly changing job market.
Helping Students Find the Right Experience
Mercy’s career and professional development team supports students in finding the right work for them. They start with resumes and practice interviews before connecting them directly with employers.
“Our employer relations team builds partnerships with companies eager to hire Mercy students,” Shepherd says. “We also get referrals from faculty and staff, and thousands of employers post openings on our online job board, Handshake.”
Students also have the advantage of working one-on-one with career coaches who specialize by major. These coaches provide personalized support and even reach out to students biweekly with new opportunities tailored to their goals. The college also hosts workshops and job fairs throughout the year to educate students on their search and connect them with employers.
Beyond individual coaching, Mercy integrates career preparation directly into the curriculum. The university’s structured approach ensures students aren’t left to navigate career development alone. Instead, they receive continuous guidance from classroom lessons to employer introductions to help them transition smoothly into the workforce.
Earning Credit and Support
Students can earn up to nine academic credits for their internships or other experiential learning opportunities. Mercy also offers an internship grant for students completing unpaid, for-credit internships.
“The grant provides a stipend comparable to minimum wage for the semester,” says Joi Sampson, the assistant provost for academic engagement. “It helps cover expenses like travel and materials and, for many students, it makes completing their internships financially possible.”
Sampson says students must apply for the grant, as only a limited number are available each semester. Still, for many, this funding is transformative. It can mean the difference between taking an unpaid position that builds long-term career connections and having to turn it down for financial reasons.
“Many students have shared that without this support, they would not have been able to complete their internships,” Sampson says.
From the Classroom to a Career
Through Mercy’s emphasis on experiential learning, students develop both technical expertise and professional confidence.
“Professional skills are one of the greatest benefits of students completing internships and other work-based experiences,” Shepherd says. “Having work-related experience with an employer is not something that can be taught in the classroom. Students learn valuable skills such as communication, critical thinking, professionalism, and teamwork.”
In addition to these transferable skills, students learn the technical demands of their chosen industries, giving them a head start after graduation. Being able to work with a specific company or use a new technology allows students to be more competitive to land a quality full time role upon graduation, Shepherd adds.
This approach has already paid off for many Mercy students and alumni. One cybersecurity major who graduated in 2022 landed a cybersecurity internship at the New York Public Library after working with a career coach. That internship led to a full-time role as a cybersecurity analyst and, eventually, a promotion to cybersecurity engineer at the same organization.
Another student, a finance major and current junior, met representatives from Cintas Corporation at one of Mercy’s on-campus career fairs. After completing a management internship there, she was invited back the following summer to take on more finance-related projects, continuing to build her professional experience while still in school.
A senior majoring in public accounting also benefited from Mercy’s employer partnerships. After meeting recruiters from EY at an on-campus accounting night, she interned there twice, followed by additional internships at CohnReznick, CBRE, and a local CPA firm. She now has a full-time offer lined up once she graduates in 2026.
At its core, Mercy University’s commitment to work-based learning is about students gaining meaningful experience before graduation. By embedding experiential learning into every student’s journey, the university works to create a culture of readiness where graduates don’t just enter the workforce, but thrive in it.
Next Steps
To learn more about Mercy University and its work-based learning options, visit the school’s website.