Overview
The Environmental Studies Internship program offers ENVS majors the opportunity to apply skills and knowledge they possess and to gain new skills and knowledge through practical experience working in a professional-level capacity for an organization, government agency, research lab, planning group, an advocacy organization, or other groups that solve problems and develop policies. The training gained and the contacts made become an invaluable asset in obtaining later employment. Non-credit internships are also possible but are not coordinated through ENVS. A list of non-credit internship organizations can be found on the Not for Credit page here.
Eligibility and Application Process
All Environmental Studies majors are eligible. Students are encouraged to complete an Internship Interest Form to inventory their interests, skills, and goals.
Students will need to fill out an Internship Agreement Form with their Sponsor/Employer and submit it for approval before enrollment. More information can be found on the Student page here.
Deadlines
Students are encouraged to seek internships early. The internship may be added to your schedule at any time up to the add/drop deadline each semester. However, many internship postings are filled quickly.
Work Requirements and Course Credit
Generally, intern positions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Some internship positions might require that you have completed certain courses or are at a particular academic level (sophomore, junior, etc.), which will be described in the internship posting.
Available positions are listed on the Postings page here. Students may also locate their own Host Organization.
A student participating in an Internship is under the direction of the host organization, but also must fulfill requirements set by the Faculty Sponsor. The minimum time required to earn 3-course credits is 120 hours, which normally is 8 hours per week for the 15-week Fall or Spring semester or 12 hours per week during the 10-week summer semester. Students may receive 1 or 2 credits for their internships, in which case they must work 40 hours per credit hour. Students should arrange their anticipated schedules with their hosts and specify them on the Internship Agreement Form.
Students may receive up to 6 credits for internships during their undergraduate careers, but only 3 units of course credit will count toward major hours; the other 3 credits count as upper-division elective hours. A maximum of 3 credit hours can be earned working the same internship. The student's grade in the internship course is heavily influenced by the host supervisor's evaluation of the student's performance and activities. The faculty sponsor makes the final determination of the grade.