After an academic calendar revision approved by the Bridgewater College Board of Trustees, the College began offering a three-week Interterm session during the 1971-1972 school year. Interterm ran from 1972 to 2017. According to an announcement in the Bridgewater Alumnus publication of April 1970, the upcoming academic schedule change would offer, "an opportunity for independent study courses, for tailor-made classes suited to the student's interests, trips off campus, and other intensive learning situations." The inaugural 1972 interterm offered sixty classes!

The wide variety of engaging courses were popular with students and faculty. Non-College community members also sometimes enjoyed Interterm travel. Archival photographs document older adults joining Dr. Emmert Bittinger's Archaeology of Mexico tour in the mid-1970s after gaining approval to audit classes.

Electives such as theatre, business, journalism, specialized athletics topics, family and consumer sciences, history, and filmmaking were offered on campus at Interterm. International travel to culturally and biologically rich sites was popular. Students also traveled locally and nationally, including inner city trips and for United Nations classes in New York, New York.

Bridgewater College began offering a three-week May Term for students' focused experimental learning and international travel in May 2018.

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