Internships provide students in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources with practical experiences in their area of study and introduce them to the professional world they will encounter after graduation. Many employers seek interns through Warnell and choose to interview students here at the school each semester.
Looking for an Internship?
Can you see yourself combing the beach for sea turtle nests, walking through the forest inventorying timber resources, or trekking through the wilderness with a group of campers? These are just a few examples of how Warnell students are spending their summers.
Internship opportunities are posted on the Warnell Job Board.
Course Credit
Depending on the nature of the internship experience, students will enroll in one of the following internship courses: Community Forestry and Arboriculture Internship (COFA 3900); Fisheries Internship (FISH 3900); Forestry Internship (FORS 3900); Geospatial Information Science Internship (GISC 3900); Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Internship (PRTM 3900); Water and Soil Internship (WASR 3900); or Wildlife Internship (WILD 3900).
Students must have their internship approved and receive permission to enroll in the course BEFORE starting their work experience. Internships will only be approved if they represent a professional natural resources experience appropriate to the area of study, and the student is supervised by and receives mentoring from a natural resources’ professional. Most internship courses occur during fall semester and are completed immediately after the summer internship.
Steps to Pursuing Internship Credit
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You must first obtain approval for your internship! To do so, please fill out the Internship Application Form (click on wording to access application). *Please note, unpaid internships with for-profit organizations are illegal and will not be approved. Unpaid internships for non-profit organizations cannot be taken for credit but might be acceptable for completion of the experiential learning requirement. When applying, please choose 0 credit hours when prompted for ‘Credit Hours Seeking.’
- Once your application form is submitted, you will be contacted as to whether your internship was approved or not.
- If your application IS approved, Jenny Yearwood will contact you with a Memorandum of Understanding that MUST BE SIGNED by your employer and returned to Ms. Yearwood before your internship begins.
- If your application is NOT approved, you will be contacted to provide more information about your internship site.
- All paperwork is due on the following dates…
- Internship completed in Fall Semester- August 1 (1 credit hour only)
- Internship completed in Spring Semester- January 1 (1 credit hour only)
- Internship completed over Summer- May 1 (1-3 credit hours)
- No internship is approved for course credit hours unless an internship application form is submitted, approved, and a MOU is on file.
Specific Requirements for Internship Courses
Fisheries Internship (FISH 3900)
- Open to students completing paid or unpaid aquatic sciences-related experiences over the summer
- Students will receive 1 credit hour for every 100 work hours completed, and can earn up to 3 credit hours for working 300 hours
- Earning internship credit of at least 2 hours will meet the Professional Experience requirement in the Aquatic Sciences curriculum
Forestry Internship (FORS 3900)
- Open to students working PAID full-time forestry-related internships for a minimum of 8 weeks (40 full-time working days) over the summer
- Unpaid full time federal or state agency internships may also qualify
- Students will earn 3 credit hours for working at least 8 weeks
Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management (PRTM 3900)
- Open to students completing paid or unpaid natural resources recreation and tourism-related experiences over the summer
- Students will receive 1 credit hour for every 100 work hours completed, and can earn up to 3 credit hours for working 300 hours
Water and Soil Internship (WASR 3900)
- Open to students completing paid or unpaid water and/or soil-related experiences over the summer
- Students will receive 1 credit hour for every 100 work hours completed, and can earn up to 3 credit hours for working 300 hours
Wildlife Internship (WILD 3900)
- Open to students completing paid or unpaid wildlife-related experiences over the summer
- Students will receive 1 credit hour for every 100 work hours completed, and can earn up to 3 credit hours for working 300 hours
- Earning internship credit of at least 2 hours will meet the Professional Experience requirement in the Wildlife Sciences curriculum