The Silicon Valley Program is currently suspended by Pomona College. Interested students may contact the IDPO for more information and to discuss alternatives.

The Silicon Valley Program (SVP) provides emerging innovators and entrepreneurs from the Claremont Colleges with an off-campus study semester that integrates high-impact internship experience, related coursework, and professional development and networking opportunities in Silicon Valley.

Program staff will work with you to fine-tune your resume, enhance your LinkedIn profile, and apply proven search strategies to secure a full-time semester internship in a company that speaks to your talents, passions, and professional aspirations. Interns have worked in start-ups, established companies, and non-profit organizations, learning what it takes to be successful in a wide range of functions.

Academic program:
Students enroll in two core seminar courses (1 Pomona credit each), a structured independent study course (1 Pomona credit), and an internship through Claremont McKenna College. Pomona College does not award credit for the internship, and students earn a total of three Pomona College credits for successful completion of the program.

Grades earned in the program will be calculated into the Pomona College GPA.

There is no CR/NC option on this program.

Living Arrangements:
Students will live in program-provided apartments in the mid-Peninsula area with other participants. They are two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartments housing up to four students in each apartment.

Number of Students:
The program enrolls a maximum of 15 students from the undergraduate Claremont Colleges.

Host Institution:
Claremont McKenna College

Eligibility:
Prerequisites:

• All students must have completed ECON 050 CM Principles of Economics or an equivalent course.
• Students interested in taking the level two Economics electives (Econ 165 and Econ 198) must have completed Econ 101 Intermediate Microeconomics at CMC or the equivalent at Pitzer (Econ 105 Microeconomic Theory), Pomona (Econ 102 Microeconomic Theory) or Scripps (Econ 101 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory).
• Students interested in taking Econ 128 Data Science, an independent study track grounded in Econometrics and Computer Science, should take Econ 125 Econometrics at CMC or a comparable course at Pitzer, Pomona, or Scripps (Econ 125 PZ, Econ 125 SC, Econ 107 PO, Econ 167 PO) and an introductory CS course. Like all SVP independent studies other than Econ 98/198, Econ 128 is offered conditional on faculty availability.

Program Contact:
Interested students should reach out to the program’s Associate Director, Nereida Moussa at nmoussa@cmc.edu or svp@cmc.edu.

Cost
Pomona College Tuition + Room and Board

Pomona College covers standard room (double room) and board. If a student selects single room accommodation that includes a supplemental fee, the supplemental housing fee will be billed to the student.

Students receiving financial aid may also be eligible for financial assistance with the following costs, if needed:

• a travel allowance, which is a contribution towards the cost of round-trip flight, train, or bus transportation from the student's home city to the program site. 
• a local transportation allowance if specified by the program as necessary for commuting for class and academic purposes. 

Other estimated costs