Global Career Accelerator links student experience with global brands
SU’s recent partnership with Podium Education provides students with hands-on experience with “leading” companies across the world, such as OpenAI and Netflix. The Global Accelerator program promises students a “variety” of career paths. Avery Magee | Photo Editor
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Syracuse University’s recent partnership with Podium Education promises a crucial difference from a typical internship — an opportunity to work at “leading” companies such as OpenAI, Netflix and Spotify.
In an April 10 campus-wide email, Julie Hasenwinkel, associate provost for academic programs, announced the Global Career Accelerator, which uses technology pioneered by Podium Education to match students with hands-on working experience.
The virtual program previously partnered with a number of universities, including Harvard University and the University of Michigan.
“Students get to collaborate weekly in teams of peers from over 90 other universities,” Hasenwinkel said. “They work on actual business challenges that companies bring to the table, things like market research, brand positioning, operational analysis, and communications strategy.”
The accelerator will be offered for the summer 2026 term, running from May 18 to August 7, and will cost the equivalent of three credits of SU tuition. Students hoping to participate in the program must enroll in UGR 270. Hasenwinkel said students will receive three credits for completing the course.
The classes alternate between live virtual sessions – dubbed “LiveLabs” – and pre-recorded video lessons. LiveLabs sessions last an hour and a half and occur once a week, with dedicated drop-in hours to further assist students.
Companies range in industry, from big tech to consumer goods, Hasenwinkel said. Students will select a track and have the opportunity to work on real-world projects with companies like L’Oréal, Intel, Wells Fargo, Crocs, Netflix, OpenAI, Charity Water and the Grammy Awards.
Chris Parrish, co-founder and president of Podium Education, said with a declining entry-level job market for college graduates, experience with brands further strengthens a student’s resume.
“It’s never been more important for students to gain early-career experience during their college degree, and our partnership will ensure every Syracuse student has the chance to do just that,” Parrish said.
While the program is powered by Podium Education’s tech, SU holds full authority on when students receive credit, and applications are open to students from any major or college.
Zoey Grimes | Design Editor
“The program is open to students across all majors and has no prerequisites, so the goal is for it to complement a wide variety of academic paths rather than serving only one corner of campus,” Hasenwinkel said.
Tommy Powell, assistant provost for academic programs, said the GCA allows students to participate more than a regular, “observational” internship.
Although the program uses a third-party partnership, the accelerator was formed with involvement from SU’s Center for Student Excellence.
“Working alongside students from peer institutions adds a layer of professional networking and perspective that a traditional internship setting rarely offers,” Powell said.
Powell said Podium Education’s years of work “building and maintaining live employer partnerships” is why the accelerator program was never considered internally at SU.
“This is not an outsourcing of our educational mission,” Hasenwinkel said. “It is an extension of it, done thoughtfully and with our students’ outcomes at the center.”
The program offers five tracks to choose from: Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, Web Development, Coding for Data and Career Rotation. Each one features unique partnerships, such as learning social media with OpenAI or web analytics with The Grammys.
Some tracks include learning about how the partnered businesses operate. Students on the digital marketing track will learn about e-commerce with Shopify, while those on the web development track will learn more about building AI chatbots with L’Oréal.
All tracks are led by experts in their respective fields, such as Rita Cidre, a former marketing director at Zillow, Robert Alvarez, a former data scientist at Intel and Matthew Small, a senior software engineer at Google.
“The Accelerator is the ideal opportunity for students interested in exploring different industries and building their resumes as part of an elective course,” Parrish said.
The program will be offered to its first cohort of students in summer 2026.
