Summer Institutes

Drexel Environmental Science Leadership Academy

Drexel's week-long Environmental Science Leadership Academy is one part adventure travel, one part leadership training, and two parts environmental science field experience. Students will habitat-hop from seaside to salt marsh to maritime forest all along the New Jersey coastline, gaining hands-on experience in a range of research areas, including beach, marsh, and Pine Barren ecology; botany; and paleontology. The "tour guides" on this adventure will be all-star Drexel professors from the Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science and expert scientists from the nation's oldest natural history museum, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Students will gain a broad understanding of what it means to be an environmental scientist and what it takes to be a leader in the field.

Camp Business – A Competitive and Fun Introduction to Business

This enriching one-week residential summer program is designed to give rising high school juniors and seniors an intensive introduction to collegiate business education — and show them business can be both fun and exciting! Students work closely with outstanding LeBow College of Business faculty and staff to examine the disciplines of accounting, marketing, finance, and management, and learn the core concepts of business including leadership, professional image, etiquette, team building, and strategy.

Summer Economics Institute – Exploring the Real Deal Behind Markets and Policy

Economics is everywhere — from the impact of the financial crisis on the global economy to the pricing decisions related to the morning cup of coffee at Starbucks to the success of social networking sites such as Facebook. The LeBow College of Business Summer Economics Institute introduces rising high school juniors and seniors to a world of discovery where they will see the underlying connections across varied phenomena. Students will experience how firms maximize profits by participating in a simulation where they compete with others in running a company and in making decisions that lead to increased profitability.

ASM International Materials Camp^SM (Philadelphia Liberty Bell Chapter of ASM)

Run by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering, this week-long commuter academic camp features highly interactive, lab-based, and hands-on activities to introduce students to materials science and engineering. Industry tours and a group project enhance the experience.

MSE Summer Institute

The Drexel University Materials Science & Engineering Summer Institute will give aspiring scientists and engineers the chance to learn about how atomic elements arrange themselves to form the materials that are all around us. Furthermore, the Summer Institute will emphasize how variables in the processing of materials determine physical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Through hands-on science and engineering activities in the College of Engineering facilities, students will gain an understanding of how materials impact the fields of energy, biotechnology, and electronics. The learning environment includes work in a computer classroom, a materials science laboratory, and the Centralized Research Facility, which includes advanced microscopy equipment. The week will culminate with presentations in which students will discuss their results from group projects.

Drexel University Computing Academy (DUCA)

Sponsored by Drexel's iSchool, College of Information Science and Technology, as well as the College of Engineering and the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, DUCA is a five-week, residential summer learning program at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Through DUCA, students share an authentic college experience, exploring information technology, business, digital arts and media, and computer science through interactive classes, group projects, and labs while living in a residence hall, eating at the University's dining facilities, exploring Philadelphia, and making new friends. If you've ever wondered how a Google search really works, about the ins and outs of computer software and hardware, and what goes on behind the scenes of game design — DUCA is for you.

Students who successfully complete DUCA and subsequently enroll at Drexel University will receive a $3,000 renewable scholarship.

Mock Trial Experience

An intensive, five-day program to introduce high-ability students to mock trial and trial advocacy. Students will begin by learning the basics of trial procedure, courtroom decorum, and the rules of evidence and objections. They will be coached throughout the week by local attorneys and coaches and members of the nationally competitive Drexel University Undergraduate Mock Trial team. Students will then divide into teams and work on writing direct and cross examinations, as well as opening and closing remarks. Students will practice their roles throughout the week. Parents and loved ones are invited to attend the final trials and award ceremony on Friday afternoon. Students will also receive an overview of the college admission and financial aid processes, as well as Drexel's accelerated BA/BS/JD program and the Earle Mack School of Law. This program will help students develop skills applicable beyond the field of law, such as public speaking, creating an effective themed presentation, construction of logical arguments, asking the right questions, and teamwork.

Mini-Med Summer Camp^®

The Mini-Med Summer Camp is a three-week program that provides an opportunity to experience what it's like to be in medical school and beyond. Each morning begins with a lecture presented by a Drexel University College of Medicine faculty member. The remainder of the day is spent shadowing attending physicians, residents, and medical students in the operating room or physicians' clinical practice. You will come away from this program with a true sense of the daily life of a physician as well as a strong insight into what it will take to achieve your goals.

Discovering Architecture

For two intensive weeks, live on campus and experience what it's like to study architecture in college. You'll attend classes taught by Drexel faculty members from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design in studios and computer labs used by Drexel architecture students. You'll go on field trips to significant architectural sites, hear lectures by distinguished speakers, and, working closely with an instructor, you'll try your hand at architectural design.

Discovering Interior Design

This is a two-week residential program designed to expose talented and motivated high school students to a range of career possibilities in the field of interior design. You'll attend classes taught by Drexel faculty members from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design in studios and computer labs used by Drexel interior design students. You'll go on field trips to significant sites, hear lectures by distinguished speakers, and, working closely with an instructor, you'll try your hand at designing a retail store and present your work to a professional jury.

Exploring Design and Merchandising and Fashion

For two exciting weeks, come live on our campus and explore, "hands-on," the fields of fashion design and design and merchandising. You will attend classes taught by Drexel faculty from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design in the studios and labs used by our very own design students. In studios you will spend valuable time sketching and designing products, projects, and more. Field trips will give you an insider's look at top retailers, designer boutiques, and yes, even upscale merchants to discover where fashion and merchandising meet. You will even get to create the beginnings of your own personal design portfolio that can play an important role in applying to college.

Music Industry Summer Program

Our summer program is designed to introduce you to the music industry as a whole — through a one-week intensive workshop of audio technology and business. The courses offered are based upon the degree curriculum and are taught by Drexel's faculty of industry professionals from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. Through the classroom, hands-on studio experience in our recording lab facilities, performance opportunities, lectures, and guest speakers, you will gain valuable insight into, and practical knowledge of, this dynamic field. You'll get an insider's view into the most current issues in the music industry.

Behavioral Health Careers Summer Academy – Explorations in Mental Health Careers

This Summer Institutes program explores career opportunities for students with an expressed interest in the helping professions, including counseling, social work, psychology, and psychiatry. Designed by Drexel's Behavioral Health Counseling Department in the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the Behavioral Health Careers Summer Academy provides students with the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the mental health and addictions treatment fields by participating in hands-on learning experiences. The five-day program includes: site visits to treatment agencies, guest speakers, interactive workshops, and the utilization of the College of Nursing and Health Professions' state-of-the-art counseling simulation lab.

The Explorations in Mental Health Careers Summer Academy offers three session options, so students may apply for the week that best fits their schedules.

Health Services Administration Summer Academy

This Summer Institutes program provides students with the opportunity to learn about careers within the rapidly growing field of healthcare administration. Offered by the Health Administration Department of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the program allows students to develop a better understanding of the world of healthcare management and the career potential it holds. The five-day schedule includes: interactive presentation by working healthcare administrators, faculty, and alumni; participation in simulation activities focused on understanding the vital role administrative leaders play in today's burgeoning healthcare system; and a behind-the-scenes exploration of community health facilities and the Hahnemann Medical Center and clinics.

Biomedical Engineering Summer Research Experience

The School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems offers a four-week lab rotation program that allows high school students to gain an understanding of biomedical engineering as a discipline and profession. Participants will learn laboratory and research skills related to lifesaving solutions alongside graduate and postgraduate mentors. During the first week, students will shadow in biomedical engineering labs and learn basic lab skills and safety from our staff. They will also tour Drexel's campus and the University City Science Center, attend a class, and participate in a civic engagement activity related to health and lifesaving solutions. In weeks two through four, the participants will begin lab rotations through the following three biomedical engineering labs: Nanotechnology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Biomaterials and Skin.