The Philadelphia Center
The Philadelphia Center (TPC) is a 16-week off-campus undergraduate program in Philadelphia that is based on a model of experiential education.
TPC was founded in 1967 under the auspices of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (G.L.C.A.). Since then, over 7,500 students from 90 colleges and 50 countries have attended the program. Participants in TPC earn academic credit while interning 32 hours a week, taking seminars, and living independently in an urban setting. TPC is managed by Albion College, in Albion, Michigan.
TPC students spend their first two weeks in orientation, which includes an introduction to the city and a guided housing search. The TPC orientation period also contains an introduction to the Placement Process; students search TPC's database for potential internship placements and are required to go on at least three interviews.
TPC Participants live independently with other students in apartments or houses they choose during the orientation period. TPC Staff help students investigate living arrangements, communicate with property owners, understand what to look for in an apartment, and review and sign a lease.
Once a student is housed and placed in an internship, they work four days a week (32 hours) and attend their City Seminar on one day. Students of all majors get an opportunity to explore urban issues and define their own personal and professional goals through hands-on experience. The multidisciplinary focus of TPC combines internship opportunities, academic seminars, and urban living experiences in order to help undergraduate students make decisions about life after graduation.
The TPC Mission Statement states it "puts into practice the liberal arts mission by integrating multidisciplinary seminars, comprehensive advising, and substantial internship opportunities in the context of an urban environment. This approach engages participants in critical investigations of their own abilities, objectives, and values and directs them to do meaningful, productive, and transformative work, fostering a desire for lifelong learning and helping students discover their personal and professional direction in life."