Notable programs
Schools Abroad (16 programs in 13 countries)
Junior-year-abroad programs in Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Russia, Spain, the UK, and Uruguay. Students live with host families, take all coursework in the local language at partner universities, and operate under language pledges that mirror the summer program. The infrastructure is unmatched among US LACs at this depth and scale, and the resident directors are typically Middlebury alumni or faculty providing continuity between home campus and abroad experience.
Language Schools (intensive summer immersion in 12 languages)
Eight-week summer programs in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and English (for non-native speakers). Students sign the Language Pledge — a contract to speak only the target language for the entire summer including in dorms, dining halls, and informal settings — with violations triggering dismissal. Produces fluency outcomes classroom-only language instruction does not match. Open to undergraduates, graduate students, language professionals, and external participants.
Davis United World College Scholars Program
Funded by Shelby Davis, this program provides massive aid to UWC graduates entering Middlebury and roughly 100 other US partner institutions. Middlebury hosts one of the largest Davis Scholar populations of any participating school, producing an unusually international student body for a rural Vermont LAC. The 2024 expansion of the Davis aid pool reflects ongoing institutional commitment to the international access mission.
BA Economics
Academically oriented department with strong placement into PhD economics programs, finance, consulting, and policy work. Curriculum spans micro, macro, econometrics, and applied policy, with faculty research aligning with international development, environmental economics, and labor economics. Senior thesis option but not universally required.
BA Environmental Studies (Franklin Environmental Center)
Interdisciplinary major drawing on biology, chemistry, geology, economics, political science, and humanities. Anchored by the Franklin Environmental Center with research grants, faculty seminars, and field-station access at the Bread Loaf Mountain campus. The 2024 climate change initiatives and expanded Mountain Biology lab strengthened the field-science pathway. Strong placement into environmental NGOs, federal and state environmental agencies, environmental law, and PhD ecology and environmental science programs.
BA International Relations (Rohatyn Center for International Affairs)
Joint major across political science, economics, and history with strong language requirement (proficiency through advanced level required). Anchored by the Rohatyn Center with research grants, faculty seminars, and integration with the Schools Abroad infrastructure. Strong placement into State Department, intelligence community fellowships, foreign policy think tanks, international NGOs, and international business. The language requirement is a meaningful filter — IR majors graduate with a language credential beyond what most peer programs require.
Bread Loaf School of English (summer graduate program)
Six-week summer master's program in literature with locations in Vermont (the original Bread Loaf campus), New Mexico (Santa Fe), and the UK (Oxford). Brings literature faculty from Yale, Harvard, Oxford, and other research universities to Middlebury for graduate seminars. Among the most prestigious humanities summer programs in the country, with particular strength among secondary school English teachers pursuing master's credentials.
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