Environmental science internships can be found at universities, consulting firms, and regulatory offices, offering work experience in research, business, or policy. Internships are available for science, business, and law students, with opportunities for sample collection, policy writing, and networking. Paid internships are rare, but valuable for career development.
Internships in environmental sciences can be quite diverse in nature. Paid and unpaid internships can be found at universities, consulting firms, and local or regional regulatory offices. These internships can provide environmental science work experience on a research, business or policy platform.
Students study environmental sciences as part of the curriculum at various university degrees. Most colleges offer an environmental component in their scientific, business, and legal disciplines. The types of environmental science internships available in each discipline are diverse.
In the field of science and research, internships offered by universities and research organizations can attract biologists and geologists. Natural resource specialists and agriculture students may also be interested in gaining valuable work experience through an environmental science internship. A research-based internship will involve sample collection in the field and sample analysis in the laboratory. Environmental science internships for science majors can be offered in any geographic area, but the best options may be located near a conservation area or polluted waterway.
For business-minded environmentalists, some internships can be found working with a local consulting agency. An environmental science specialist interested in the administrative or advisory aspects of the discipline can take on the role of an office assistant to learn the ropes. For someone who might be interested in starting an environmental science consulting agency after graduation, this is a great way to start networking and planning for success.
A popular type of environmental science internship falls under the law and policy category. Assignments may involve writing and reviewing policies, regulations and case studies of relevant environmental issues. In most parts of the world, the local or regional government agency responsible for protecting the environment hires interns for temporary positions that are usually long-term and paid. Graduate level students are targeted for these types of internships due to the long-term nature of the opportunity. There is a high probability that a graduate internship will lead to a permanent position upon student completion.
Many organizations that offer internships in environmental science are also not-for-profit companies. A substantial part of their work efforts are related to education and research. As a result, students interested in working with non-profit companies in the education or research sectors are encouraged to apply for internships.
Internships are generally thought of as voluntary work. Paid internships are hard to come by unless the position is intended for a graduate-level candidate. The benefits of completing an environmental science summer internship during an undergraduate career include hands-on training and technical experience. These benefits can have a positive effect on a student’s career development and networking ability.
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