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Linking Employment to Academic Development (LEAD) Programs offer students the opportunity to spend a semester engaged in internships in Greater Boston alongside academic coursework.Students can apply for one the the LEAD programs, or as an independent student interning in the Boston area. Participants in LEAD programs will receive a full semester’s worth of credits, (financial aid applies as if you were on the Amherst campus.) Students live in a beautiful dorm on the lovely Charles River Campus of UMass Amherst, take classes, and complete their internships over the course of the semester.
Site Visits are an integral part of some of the programs. Students get exposure to different kinds of companies and workplaces.
Here’s one cohort on a site visit to Boston Magazine. And here’s another cohort at TripAdvisor.
Current SBS in Boston cohort-based programs include:
Law, Policy & Justice (LPJ) LEAD spring semester
Sociology LEAD spring semester (launching spring 2026).
Quote from previous program participant: “Overall, I absolutely adored this experience! I have loved living at Charles River and working in Boston. I found my internship experience to be informative and incredibly beneficial for my future endeavors. It is all I had wanted and then some.”
SBS Alums – interested in offering an internship?
Hire a UMass SBS student and help them hone their professional skills, make vital connections in the industry, and gain real-world experience that will help them launch their careers!
- Students intern for a mutually agreed-upon number of hours/week. Paid internships are preferred.
- Interns are vetted and accepted to participate in our program prior to beginning your internship.
- Students receive professional development training prior to the start of their internship.
- Interns may live on the Charles River Campus of UMass Amherst as part of the program cohort, and participate in a professional development seminar one day a week.
If you would like to learn more and/or hire an intern at your organization for the spring semester , please contact Carol Sharick.
