Career Accelerators

zaraberrioso-i-23

What are Career Accelerators?

Career Accelerators help you figure out where you’re headed and start building the experience to get there.

smartsolvetour-27

Through guided experiences focused on a specific industry, you will connect what you are learning in class to real career opportunities with support from employers, faculty, alumni and other students. You will explore career paths, work on projects, visit companies, meet professionals and build confidence over time so you are more prepared for internships, co-ops and future careers.

Whether you are just getting started or already thinking about internships, co-ops or future jobs, Career Accelerators give you step-by-step opportunities to connect your interests, major and skills to real career possibilities.

Open to students from all majors, you can start as early as your first year or join at any point along the way.

How does it work?

Each Career Accelerator focuses on a specific field and is designed to build your experience over time. Instead of doing something once and moving on, you keep building on what you learn each semester.

As a student in a career accelerator, you’ll begin with career exploration and introductory experiences, then continue growing your skills, expanding your network and preparing for future opportunities. 

Experiences may include:

Opportunities to meet and learn from employers, alumni, and professionals who can help you understand the field

Visiting companies and seeing what different careers actually look like

Working on projects connected to real-world challenges

The chance to meet and collaborate with students from different majors

Building confidence talking about your skills, interests and goals

Preparing for internships, co-ops, and future career opportunities

Each experience builds on the last, helping you move from career exploration to career readiness.

Why participate?

You do not need to have your future fully figured out before getting involved.

Career Accelerators are designed to help you explore, ask questions and discover where your interests and skills may lead. Through each experience, you will learn more about possible career paths, build professional connections and gain confidence as you prepare for what comes next.

Each experience builds on the last. You start by exploring, then grow your skills, expand your network and become more prepared for your future career.
Construction Management Madison Kudzia Madison G Kudzia, Construction Management Internship 2024

Connected to your academic experience

Career Accelerators are designed to complement what you are already learning at BGSU.

Faculty and campus partners help connect Accelerator experiences to coursework, academic programs and applied learning opportunities. That means you can gain career experience while continuing to build a strong academic foundation through

  • Applied projects
  • Team-based learning
  • Career conversations
  • Experiences connected to your field of study
Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Center Tour Honda visit 2006

Built with industry partners

Career Accelerators are built with Industry partners and organizations that want to connect with students early.

These partners:

  • Help shape projects and experiences
  • Work directly with students and faculty
  • Share what skills are needed for careers
  • Build connections with future talent

Instead of just meeting employers once, you’ll have multiple opportunities to connect with them over time.

Explore our Career Accelerators

The Advanced Manufacturing Career Accelerator is the first Career Accelerator at BGSU, connecting students across majors with opportunities to explore careers, build industry connections and gain experience beyond the classroom.

These programs are open to students from all majors.

Advanced Manufacturing Accelerator

Get involved

Interested in joining a Career Accelerator?

Updated: 08/24/2026 06:00PM