Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

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Table of Contents

Tours

1. Campus Tour

   Get a sense for what life is like as a student in Monterey and the campus you'll call home.

   Stops

   1. Pierce Street Promenade and Mural

      Pierce Street serves as the main street for Middlebury Institute's campus, located in the historic heart of downtown Monterey, just a short walk from the wharf. The Pierce Street Promenade is anchored by a  mural entitled “Advancing Peace Together” that celebrates the area’s indigenous people, beautiful natural landscape and reputation as the “Language Capitol of the World.” Our students translated the word “Peace” into their native languages, appearing around the border. More than 50 students and community volunteers helped paint.

      This is where our community welcomes new students at the start of each semester, gathers for large community events and holds our celebration party for graduates after spring commencement.

   2. McCone Student Support Center

      The McCone Building is students’ one-stop shop to access the wide range of resources and supports available to them.  Want to start a club? Looking for housing? Need financial guidance or counseling? All of the offices students need can be found on the ground floor of McCone, which is also home to Admissions and Enrollment.

       

      The upstairs is home to our career advisors, who help students develop a focused career plan from their first week on campus, hone their resumes, secure a practicum or internship and negotiate job offers. This is also where international students can meet with an advisor for support with immigration and visa processes. Alumni have life-long access to career advising support.

   3. Irvine Auditorium

      The Institute’s largest event space hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, including the annual Fall Forum which exposes interpretation students to all the scenarios they are likely to face at a conference. Many high-profile guests come to campus for lectures and talks throughout the year with our students interpreting from the professional-level interpretation booths.

   4. MG100 Classroom

      This auditorium-style classroom is popular for many of our larger classes. Middlebury Institute professors foster a lively, participatory atmosphere with plenty of discussions and collaboration.

      One of the unique aspects of our curriculum is that students across all of our programs have the opportunity to learn in language, taking policy courses in their language of study like Green Business in China (in Chinese), Sustainable Development in Latin America (in Spanish), Public Health Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa (in French), and Human Security and Development in the Arabic World (Arabic).411

   5. Library

      Our library has more than 100,000 books catered to the Institute's graduate programs, with one-third in languages other than English. Students can also access an extensive list of online subscriptions from the New York Times to the Economist and the inter-library loan program. Skilled librarians are available to help on the ground floor and there are printers available. The top floor provides a quiet space to study. Take a moment to contribute to a community puzzle or check out board games and DVDs.

       

      Keep an eye out for our library ambassador, George, who can be found monkeying around in a different spot every week.

   6. Our Green Thumb Garden

      This student-led organic community garden is the most peaceful spot on campus, whether pop over to have a picnic, roll up your sleeves for some weeding or just take a nap in a hammock. Students can sign up for a garden plot where they can grow flowers, fruits and vegetables.

   7. Holland Center and Patio

      Holland Center is our student lounge, providing collaborative study space and a spot for club meetings or casual gatherings. There is a large shaded patio in front where social events are held and there are also  a cozy back patio and ping-pong tables. Looking for a place to cook with friends? There is a full kitchen available to all students. In fact, student services also has equipment you can check out – baking sheets, BBQ equipment, outdoor sports gear and even a karaoke machine.

   8. Samson Center: Dining, Reading Room and Patio

      The Samson Center is a convenient central gathering place that is open into the evening and on weekends.

       

       The main building is home to the campus cafe, a great spot to grab a coffee or tea, heat up a quick lunch, and catch up with friends. Across the patio, there's quiet reading room with a conference room space, as well as a printer.

       

      The Samson Center was constructed incorporating many green building principles designed to maximize its energy, water, and waste efficiency and was one of the first buildings of its kind in the Monterey area. In 2023, the Institute installed solar panels across the roofs of most buildings on campus that now generate 60% of the total campus electricity.

   9. Munras Residence Hall

      The residence hall at 787 Munras Avenue provides comfortable living with shared spaces for cooking, collaborating, and socializing with fellow students. The recently renovated building offers fully-furnished housing for up to 88 people with options for single, double and triple rooms. The residence hall is just a 10 minute walk from campus and is a particularly convenient option for students who might need housing for just one semester as they prepare to do their practicum abroad.

   10. Experiential Learning in Monterey and Beyond

       A central part of the Institute’s mission is to provide students with experiential, hands-on learning. Faculty take advantage of our location in Monterey to take environmental policy students on excursions related to sustainable agriculture and marine resources management where they hear directly from working professionals and leaders in the field. Students across multiple programs put their skills to work in internships and practica with local community organizations and government agencies, including the City of Monterey, right next door.

        

       The Institute also offers experiential learning courses to places like Colombia and the Balkans over January and spring break. Many students choose to do their practicum or internships in different countries. Funding is available to cover costs for unpaid or minimally paid opportunities, as well as conferences.

   11. Downtown Monterey - Alvarado Street

       Just two blocks from campus is vibrant Alvarado Street -- Monterey's historic downtown. Grab a coffee and a pastry, dine at award-winning gastropubs and ethnic restaurants, browse boutique shops and enjoy thriving entertainment venues. The street is closed to cars every Tuesday afternoon for the Old Monterey Farmers Market and, in January, locals fill the street for a huge New Year's Eve celebration.

        

       The fully-equipped Monterey Sports Center with classes, a pool and ping pong tables is just a short walk from campus and offers student discounts along with many other local businesses.

   12. Wharf and Coastal Bike Path

       Monterey is a very walkable community and many students bike to campus. Walk 10 minutes from campus and you can see seals and sea otters frolicking in the Bay along the beautiful coastline. The world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must-see during your time here.

       The paved waterfront Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail stretches 18 miles, from Castroville in the north to Pacific Grove in the south. There are also many hiking trails in the surrounding area and opportunities to kayak or surf. The famous 17-mile-drive through Pebble Beach can also be biked from downtown Monterey. Big Sur is just an hour’s drive and there are many places to walk through the unique redwood trees of northern California and Monterey’s cypress forest.

   13. Morse Building

       Most classes are held in the Morse building. The intimate classrooms reflect our low student-to-teacher ratio and the interactive, discussion-based format of classes. 

        

       The flags flying outside Morse are updated each semester to reflect the different nationalities of current students on campus. About 40% of students are international, usually hailing from 30-40 different countries. 80% of the student body has lived/worked abroad. The Institute hosts a flag ceremony at the beginning of each term where a representative from each incoming nation carries their flag in the procession, then shares a fun fact or point of pride about their home country.

   14. Digital Learning Space and Recording Studios

       Institute students get free access to a wide range of digital tools, including the full Adobe and Microsoft suites and computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools like Trados Studio, MemoQ, and Phrase to start building familiarity with the tools they will need in their future careers. DLC provides cutting-edge technology and expert advice to help students advance in their learning, whether they are recording and editing a podcast or publishing a portfolio website. The Institute also has a fully- equipped recording studio for making podcasts, videos or doing live media appearances.

   15. The Graduate Writing Center and Simoneau House

       The Graduate Writing Center provides customize tutoring to give students useful, immediate takeaways for their writing and tools and suggestions to help them continue to improve their academic and professional skills independently.

        

       Simoneau House is one of eight historic buildings on the campus, whose unique feel was created through the purchase and renovation of many existing properties. This building was home to a popular Monterey restaurant in the latter part of the 19th century that was frequented by the author Robert Louis Stevenson, who remained in correspondence with the owner, Jules Simoneau, throughout his life. The building was acquired by the Institute in 1974 and is currently used as a classroom with breakout rooms.

        

   16. META Lab

       Our Mixed-Methods Evaluation, Training and Analysis (META) Lab helps students build critical data analysis skills that are in high demand across multiple fields. The team, which includes student workers, offers trainings and one-to-one coaching in applications including Excel, R, Dedoose, Tableau and more.

   17. Simultaneous Interpretation Labs

       Interpretation courses are held in one of the four simultaneous interpretation labs (Simulabs), which have professional-level booths and equipment. Practice is critical to mastering interpretation and our labs give students hands-on experience. The labs can be reserved by students for practice.
       
       

   18. Casa Fuente: Student Store, Office Services and Business Offices

       Show your pride with merchandise from the gift shop. This central building is a convenient place to pop in for tech support, which is available both in-person and via Zoom. Downstairs, you can find our prayer room, offering a quiet and private space for Muslim students. Our Veteran Student Club room can also be found downstairs, as well as the primary computer lab on campus and several of our simultaneous interpretation classrooms.

   19. Security Office

       The Institute has a very safe campus with the library and Samson Center staying open late several nights a week. The campus security office is located behind the Lara Soto Adobe, just south of the library and east of the Samson Student Center. A blue security phone on the west side of the building can be used to contact the security officer(s) on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

   20. Lara Soto Adobe

       The Lara Soto Adobe, constructed between 1842 and 1849, is the oldest building on campus and one of eight historic buildings. It was briefly home to John Steinbeck who lived there while he wrote The Pearl. The adobe was deeded to the Institute in 1976 and restored in 1987. For many years, it housed the Institute's Admissions Office, and its street address, 460 Pierce Street, remains the Institute's official mailing address. It currently houses the faculty/staff lounge. 

   21. Graduation

       Spring commencement is held on the lawn in front of Monterey City Hall and marks the joyous transition as students conclude their studies and embark on a new journey.

   22. Center for Nonproliferation Studies

       The Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) is one of several research centers based at the Institute. It is the largest nongovernmental organization in the United States devoted exclusively to research and training on nonproliferation issues. Students benefit from CNS by getting access to top experts who frequently come to campus to speak, as well as being able to work as research assistants.  Researchers at CNS are frequently called upon by the media to weigh in on important nonproliferation and security issues.

   23. The Center for the Blue Economy (CBE)

       How much is a sea otter worth to the local economy? How much do oceans contribute to the U.S. GDP? Answering questions like this drives policy changes needed to address climate change and adapt. The Center for the Blue Economy publishes research focused on the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth and provides students funded fellowship and research assistant positions as well as frequent opportunities to hear from leading experts in the field, many of whom are alumni.

   24. Center for Terrorism, Extremism and Counter-Terrorism (CTEC)

       CTEC is a mixed-methods research center whose experts draw on analytic tradecraft, data science, and linguistics to research extremism, trust and safety and transnational emerging threats. The center leverages experiential learning to train the next generation of intelligence and security researchers and analysts to respond to emerging threats. CTEC is integrated into the curriculum of several Middlebury Institute degree and certificate programs, giving students opportunities to gain real-world work experience as paid research assistants.

   25. Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies (MIRs)

       The Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies (MIRS) offers content-based programs for graduate students who are proficient in Russian, as well as funding, professional support, and educational opportunities. Students pursuing careers in diplomacy, translation and interpretation, conflict resolution, non-governmental organizations, and academia will find unique opportunities to engage directly with experts from the United States, Russia, and the post-Soviet states through various programs.

       MIRs offers a range of programs featuring leading intellectuals such as the Summer Symposium and the Trialogue Initiative, which brings together scholars from Russia, the U.S. and China.