Internship Requirements

The Environmental Studies Program considers professional experience gained outside the classroom through internships, volunteer opportunities and jobs in the environmental field to be an integral part of education of future environmental leaders.

All majors are required to complete at least one formal internship (ENVN 4800). Students should meet with their advisor early in their career at UNO to ensure that they gain the maximum benefit from their internship experience.

Below, you'll find more information about internships in your academic option.

ENVN 4800 Internship in Environmental Studies for the Life Sciences Concentration

Hands-on experience outside the classroom is critical for your future success in Environmental Science. At a minimum, we require students to complete one formal internship prior to graduation.

Steps to completing an internship:

1. Find an internship.

• You are responsible for finding an internship placement. Your faculty advisor will help with suggested contacts and places to look for positions but ultimately it is your responsibility to find an internship. Leave yourself plenty of time to find a good placement. For summer internships, you should start the process during the fall semester. The minimum requirements for an internship are 125 hours of experience in an approved placement. Experience can be paid or volunteer. You can work on your internship during any semester. Some students put in a few hours a week over an entire semester while taking other courses, while others work at their internship full time (typically over a summer).

• See the Job Hints page for additional tips.

2. Make arrangements with your internship sponsor and get your advisors approval.

• You may want to use the "Internship Introduction Letter" to help answer your sponsor's questions about the internship program.

• You will need to fill out an "Internship Agreement" (or a similar agreement from your sponsor) and get the approval of your faculty advisor before starting your internship.

3. Enroll in ENVN 4800 for at least 1 credit (you may be eligible for up to 3 credits)

• Talk to your faculty advisor to receive permission to enroll in this course. Grades for the internship are CR (Credit), IP (in progress), or NC (No Credit). There are no scheduled meeting times for this course.

4. Complete your internship.

• • You will need to keep a daily log of your hours and duties performed. Once you have completed a minimum of 125 hours of service and have fulfilled your commitments to your internship sponsor you will need to turn in your work log and write a final report.

• • Your final report should consist of:

1. a description of the mission of the organization you worked with,
2. what your role within the organization was,
3. how this experience will help you in meeting your career goals, and
4. a description of the next steps you plan to take in your career. Aim for five to ten pages of text.

You will not receive a grade in ENVN 4800 until a satisfactory report is turned in.