On May 23rd, 2024, the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program expressed our appreciation for our wonderful Externship mentors and corporate partners by inviting them to dinner at the Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick, New Jersey. PSM faculty and staff mingled with our Externship partners in the halls of the museum, surrounded by artwork from the exhibit The Body Implied: The Vanishing Figure in Soviet Art.
The Master of Business and Science (MBS) Externship Exchange Program offers students an interdisciplinary learning experience. Externships are open to all Rutgers students, and externs gain hands-on problem-solving experience in fields relating to the PSM concentrations and business, finance, and marketing areas. In teams, externs work remotely under the mentorship and guidance of a professor and external company mentor.
After a cocktail hour, the group sat down to dinner. Externship Senior Advisor Abbe Rosenthal, MA, PCC, LCOP, DYL Certified Coach started the night by explaining the origins and importance of the Externship Exchange. Rosenthal underscored the collective nature of the externship.
Externship Senior Advisor Lori Dars continued, emphasizing the impact Externships have on students. Students gain work experience they can apply in the workforce or as they find jobs, and they gain confidence in their own abilities. Externships also allow students to explore their own individual interests and strengths within a team.
Assistant Director Dr. Karen Bemis discussed the evolution of the Externship Exchange program. We’ve grown to serve 150 students on average each semester and partnered with over 120 organizations. Since the program’s inception, externs have completed over 200 projects.
Externship Operations Coordinator Suzanne Williams commented on how mentors have made a huge difference in the lives of students.
PSM Executive Director Dr. Deborah Silver described externships as a win-win situation. Students gain valuable work experience, mentorship, and skills to put on their resumes. Externship mentors learn how to teach students and benefit from student projects. As an educator, Dr. Silver realizes that experiential learning is critical for students.
After hearing from the Externship team, two Externship mentors spoke. They both had a very special connection to the PSM program—they are PSM alumni, having received the Master of Business and Science degree.
Courtney Harris, MBS’21, currently works for Colgate-Palmolive in personal care implementation and support. After serving as team lead on an externship for Colgate-Palmolive as a student, she entered their rotational research and development program before landing a full-time position. In a full-circle moment, she now mentors a team of externs completing projects for Colgate-Palmolive. Harris emphasized the transference of knowledge that takes place between students and mentors during Externships.
Matthew Brennan, MBS’17, shared his professional journey. He enrolled in the MBS degree with a concentration in Drug Discovery and Development. He later began working at Bentley Labs. Currently, Brennan serves as Director of Inventory Management. Brennan shared that Externships expose students to varied career paths. The interdisciplinary nature of the MBS degree prepares students for diverse career options, something which they can explore through our Externships.
To learn more about the MBS Externship Exchange Program, check out our blog posts about the CGI Externship team, the Kraus Farms Externship team, and the Colgate-Palmolive Externship teams. Visit our events page to register for an Externship informational webinar.