See our list of resources for students and alumni interested in Postgraduate Opportunities
Internship is a rather generic word and you will find it applied to many things. Not all of them may fit your idea of what an internship should be, so investigate these opportunities carefully. In general, an internship implies a short-term position that offers direct experience in a specific area. Internships can be paid or unpaid. They may be connected to an academic program or they may be completely independent from anything academic. Some internships require that a student be registered at a university in order to participate; however, many do not have this requirement. In other words, "internship" can be a term used for any short-term position, including volunteer work. So don't make any assumptions based on this label. Get all of the information you can before making a commitment.
In environmental fields, internships are commonly available for a summer or for a semester. Occasionally, longer terms are available. Many organizations offer internships and these groups may include government agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational facilities, and academic institutions. For example, Certificate students have found internships in the past with the International Crane Foundation, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The Nature Conservancy, and The Land Institute, to name just a few. The type of work varies, depending on the organization. Internship positions may involve work in scientific research, ecological restoration, agriculture, education, environmental stewardship, economics, statistics, policy analysis, environmental regulation, political science, advocacy, and law. The work may be very demanding or it may be very simple. Levels of work can vary considerably so, again, make sure you know what's being offered before you make a commitment.
Although some internships require academic involvement, others do not. It is not always necessary to complete an internship for academic credit. However, if you like this added dimension, it is possible to pursue this option by adding just a few more steps to the process. Some internship programs will offer you assistance in getting academic credit; others will leave that work to you. Either way, the time to think about this option is before you begin the internship. It's a fairly simple process but one which requires some advance planning.
Not all internships are educational experiences. Some short-term jobs are advertised as "internships" merely because they are limited-term or seasonal; but they are not actually educational learning experiences and it's not really appropriate to apply for academic credit for these positions. However, many internships are unique opportunities and they may offer you the chance to learn new skills, apply academic knowledge, or try out new approaches. If an experience like this is related to your program of study, then you may indeed want to turn it into academic credit. One way to do this is to register for one or more credits of "Independent Study" or "Directed Study" under an instructor with whom you have discussed this possibility and who is willing to work with you throughout the period of the internship. To be useful, this really needs to be done before starting the internship. If you would like to work with an instructor but don't know whom to contact or where to start, you may want to begin your search in our faculty directory where you can query on the research interests of our affiliated faculty members.
The Environmental Studies certificate Program does not include a formal internship component. However, if you would like to include an internship in your Certificate program, there are two ways to accomplish this:
There are many resources which can help you find just the right internship. Announcements about internships related to environmental studies are posted regularly on the bulletin boards in Science Hall, but another resource for finding an internship is the web.
The following links will give you some terrific starting points. Their inclusion here does not mean that they are the best ones or that their internships necessarily will be acceptable as substitutions for Certificate course work. But they certainly might be. So explore these trails a bit and see where they lead you...
The Nelson Institute has several graduate programs where you can continue your interdisciplinary environmental education. Learn more about our programs and funding your graduate education.
The Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies has compiled an extensive list of resources for students and alumni interested in exploring careers in environmental fields.