# Experiential Learning Guidelines: For HMS and HILS Students Experiential learning (EL) is a broad category representing opportunities such as volunteering, shadowing, externships, internships and intern-to-hire roles that our graduate students may pursue. The Office for Graduate Education (OGE) at Harvard Medical School (HMS), through [the Career Navigator Team](/meet-student-development-team-aka-%E2%80%9C-navigator-team%E2%80%9D), provides support for HMS master’s and HILS doctoral students pursuing EL opportunities. Students interested in pursuing a sanctioned experiential learning opportunity need to consider a number of factors. These include their academic standing, advisor/program approval, funding source, and employment eligibility relevant to the employment site. A student wishing to register and complete a sanctioned EL opportunity has to complete the following steps: **RECOMMENDED MORE THAN 3 MONTHS BEFORE THE START OF YOUR EL OPPORTUNITY: **STEP 1: Consider and determine whether and when an experiential learning (EL) opportunity is right for you.** If you have questions about the relevance of experiential learning to your career exploration and interests or for the process of finding and applying for these opportunities, please schedule an appointment with your career advisor. ***HMS master’s students:*** Use **[Career Launchpad](https://www.pin1.harvard.edu/cas/login?service=https://hms-harvard-csm.symplicity.com/sso/students/login)** to schedule appointment ***HILS doctoral students:*** Use **[Crimson Careers](https://harvard-csm.symplicity.com/students/?signin_tab=0&signin_tab=0)** to schedule appointments **STEP 2: Search, apply and secure an EL opportunity.** Students can use a variety of channels to search for EL opportunities, including any channels they have individually established. These channels include a range of **[general job search sites](/job-search-sites)** listed on Career Navigator. ***All HMS master’s and HILS doctoral students*** can also **[log in to Career Launchpad](https://www.pin1.harvard.edu/cas/login?service=https://hms-harvard-csm.symplicity.com/sso/students/login)** and click on the Jobs tab to search for EL opportunities across a variety of sectors and functions. ***Note:*** A student who has secured an EL opportunity should (and needs to) receive an official offer letter from the employer. The student should also comply with the employers’ requirements for signing offer letters. You will be asked to upload a copy of the signed offer letter in Step 5 (below). **RECOMMENDED 3 MONTHS BEFORE** THE START OF YOUR EL OPPORTUNITY: **STEP 3: Download, complete and gather relevant signatures on your appropriate EL academic paper-based approval form.** All students who are completing an EL opportunity must get academic approval. This approval is program-specific, even if some common forms are available. Depending on your program, the approval signature may be from an academic advisor, a principal investigator (PI), a Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) chair, and/or your program manager. Please use your appropriate form: ***HMS master’s students:*** Access your form and instructions **from this OGE website** ***HILS doctoral students:*** Access your program-specific form and instructions: **[Biological Sciences in Public Health (BPH)](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/biological-sciences/phd-program-in-biological-sciences-in-public-health-internship-guidelines/)**, **[Biophysics](https://biophysics.fas.harvard.edu/internships-during-phd)**, Chemistry and Chemical Biology (TBD), Chemical Biology (Coming soon!), **[Division of Medical Sciences (DMS)](https://dms.hms.harvard.edu/internships)**, Molecules, Cells and Organisms (MCO) (TBD), Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) (TBD), Systems, Synthetic and Quantitative Biology (SSQBio) (Coming soon!) Once you have completed and gathered relevant signatures, you should scan/save a copy of this signed form which you will upload in Step 4 (below). **Step 4: Notify OGE of your interest in pursuing experiential learning, and review important policies, by completing the EL Application on Career Launchpad.** [**Log in to Career Launchpa**d](https://www.pin1.harvard.edu/cas/login?service=https://hms-harvard-csm.symplicity.com/sso/students/login) and navigate to “My Experiential Learning” to start this process. **Step 4A:** Upload a signed, scanned copy of your appropriate EL academic paper-based approval form. **Step 4B:** Acknowledge requirements for concurrent course registration. **Step 4C:** Acknowledge Conflicts of Interest (COI) considerations for part-time internships only. **Step 4D:** ***\[For international students only\]*** Acknowledge Harvard International Office and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) information. Search, apply and secure an EL opportunity (if you have not done so already). Search, apply and secure an EL opportunity (if you have not done so already). **RECOMMENDED 1 MONTH BEFORE** THE START OF YOUR EL OPPORTUNITY: **Step 5: Notify the Office for Graduate Education (OGE) of your upcoming EL experience site, contacts and goals.** **[Log in to Career Launchpad](https://www.pin1.harvard.edu/cas/login?service=https://hms-harvard-csm.symplicity.com/sso/students/login)** to complete the form documenting where, when and with whom you will be working as part of this EL opportunity. This form will ask you to a. report on (I) the range of opportunities you explored, (II) how you identified this specific opportunity, (III) your academic advisor who will complete one of our EL evaluations, (IV) your EL employer and supervisor who will complete one of our EL evaluations, and, (V) the specific EL course you will complete concurrently. b. submit (I) a copy of your signed employment offer letter, (II) the applications materials, (III) a completed Conflict Of Interest (COI) agreement for part-time internships only, (IV) a partially completed Curricular Practical Training (CPT) application for international students only. **Step 5A:** Upload a final signed copy of your employment offer letter. **Step 5B:** Register for and report a concurrent EL course which will be linked to your student transcript. While this is expected of all students, this is essential for all F-1 international students who are pursuing CPT. Different graduate programs have different courses: **All HMS master’s students:** Register for INDP 850A/B. **HILS doctoral students:** Register for one of the following courses BPH 314 (BPH students only) or MEDSCI 325 QC (DMS students and Therapeutics Certificate students). MEDSCI 325 is open to students from all programs, and additionally GSAS students can petition for a 300- or 3000-level to count or credit as independent study. **Step 5C:** For all HMS master’s and HILS doctoral students on part-time experiential learning, review and sign a Conflicts of Interest (COI) agreement. **You can access this form here**. **Step 5D:** F-1 international students, download your appropriate CPT application from the HIO website. Full **[HIO F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) guidelines](https://www.hio.harvard.edu/curricular-practical-training-cpt)** are available with HarvardKey access: **HMS master’s students:** Access guidelines and forms here **HILS doctoral students:** Access guidelines and forms here All students who wish to submit a CPT application, will download and start their CPT application before submitting this form to OGE. An OGE representative will verify this position aligns your degree area, before approving and sending to HIO for submission to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. **Note:** All international students must have appropriate work authorization through CPT to pursue off-campus EL, including for unpaid opportunities such as those linked to credit-bearing courses. International students who are not F-1 students should consult HIO for more information on their process. **DURING** YOUR EL OPPORTUNITY: **Step 6: Complete an appropriate registered concurrent EL course, which will appear on your transcript.** **Step 7: Complete an evaluation of your EL experience on Career Launchpad – and encourage your academic advisor and site supervisor too!** Your academic advisor and site supervisor are individuals you specify while completing the EL placement record (above). **AFTER** YOUR EL OPPORTUNITY: **Step 8: Share your EL experience and story with your peers!** ## HMS Master's Students: EL Quick Guide Use **[Career Launchpad](https://hms-harvard-csm.symplicity.com/students/)** to identify and EL opportunity and to complete your EL application and EL placement record. Download, complete, sign and upload the **Academic EL Approval Form**. Register for the Internship Voyager (INDP 850A/B) Course. *For part-time internships*, download, complete and upload the **Conflicts of Interest (COI) agreement**. *For F-1 international students*, download, paritially complete and upload **the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) application**. ## HILS Doctotal Students: EL Quick Guide Use **[Career Launchpad](https://hms-harvard-csm.symplicity.com/students/)** to identify and EL opportunity and to complete your EL application and EL placement record. GSAS students can also **[Crimson Careers](https://harvard-csm.symplicity.com/students/?signin_tab=0&signin_tab=0)** and HSPH-based students may be able to use **Career Connect** to identify EL opportunities. Download, complete, sign and upload the **Academic EL Approval Form**. These are program-specific for **[Biological Sciences in Public Health (BPH)](https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/biological-sciences/phd-program-in-biological-sciences-in-public-health-internship-guidelines/)**, [Biophysics](https://biophysics.fas.harvard.edu/internships-during-phd)**, **Chemical Biology (TBD)**, [Division of Medical Sciences (DMS)](https://dms.hms.harvard.edu/internships)**, **etc.** Register for an appropriate internship course such as BPH 314, MEDSCI 325 or a petitioned 300- or 3000-level course. *For part-time internships*, download, complete and upload the **Conflicts of Interest (COI) agreement**. *For F-1 international students*, download, paritially complete and upload **the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) application**.