Internships

Why Should You Look For an Internship?

Internships provide an opportunity for students in the Environmental Studies program to get real hands-on experience working in a field they are passionate about - and get class credit for doing it! There is no better way to find out if a certain career path is for you than to try it out. Internships are often the beginning of successful careers for students as well. In the 1998-99 Recruitment Trends Survey completed by Michigan State University Collegiate Employment Research Institute, employers were asked what they wanted to see when they evaluated college candidates for employment. Employers gave highest importance to work-related experiences such as internships, summer work and co-ops (from CAM Report, 2/99).

Environmental Studies Internship Program Guidelines

Majors in the Environmental Studies Program are eligible to enroll in EVRN 490 and receive academic credit for an internship experience. The credits earned in EVRN 490 can be used to satisfy Junior/Senior elective requirements for the major. Especially for an unpaid internship, enrolling in EVRN 490 also provides a documentation and a formal structure that can make the experience more valuable to you. EVRN 490 is graded Credit/No Credit.

For more information about the program click on the following form:

Environmental Studies Internship Guidelines

**Please note: There has been a change in the amount of work hours required per credit earned. It is now a minimum of 40 hours of work for each credit. See the new guidelines to find out more!

What Past Participants Have to Say

"Overall I feel that my continued involvement with CEP has been one of the most rewarding and educational experiences of my whole life. Not only have I learned first hand what kinds of things I can do with a degree in Environmental Studies, but I feel responsibility and first hand involvement in some of the major occurrences set to take place here in the near future in regards to renewable energies and the state of Kansas. Aside from what I learned in consideration to my course of study, some other things I gained from this experience were very useful lessons on working in a professional environment. " (Read entire report here)

-- 2008 Internship Program Participant with the Climate and Energy Project at the Land Insitute in Salina, KS

"St. Patrick's Day 2007, the first day of my internship for the City of Lawrence's Waste Reduction and Recycling division, and what is the task at hand? It was to ride down Mass Street in a mixed-paper recycling truck in the parade. I would have to say that this was the best first day at a new job ever...I have learned many things during my internship and subsequent employment with the city...I feel like this job has been a great learning experience, and that I am constantly given the opportunity to learn something new. For example, after our Christmas party last week, I learned that I am the worst bowler in our division!" (Read entire report here)

-- 2008 Internship Program Participant with City of Lawrence Public Works in Lawrence, KS

"From my supervisors, I learned how to live within the green lifestyle comfortably. We maintained this lifestyle by using composting toilets, wood-burning stoves, travelling with vegetable oil as fuel and eating localy grown fruits and vegetables. Because I assisted in giving Plymoth State University students information, I learned how to educate others on environmental issues and communicate better in a more formal setting... After spending time in the wilderness by yourself, it makes you appreciate things that you would normally not notice. It gave me a feeling of awareness tha the world is made up of much more than just human beings. I realized that I must share certain natural resources with not only other people, but animals and wildlife as well."

-- 2008 Internship Program Participant with Squam Lakes Association in Holderness, NH

Internships with the Environmental Studies Program

Internship opportunities will be posted on this page as we receive word of them. For further internship opportunities, try visiting any links to the right column to get details on current openings.

Additionally, Environmental Studies majors can receive academic credit for internships by enrolling in EVRN 490, an independent study course specifically for internships.

The following forms are needed for enrollment in EVRN 490:

• Internship Program Application Form
• Sample Application Responses

Contact Anna Archer, Internship Coordinator, to get the process started, at a8archer@ku.edu. Please read through the Environmental Studies Internship Program Guidelines carefully. Complete the Internship Program Application Form and return to the EVRN Office, 252 Snow Hall.

Learn where other KU Environmental Studies students have interned.

NEW: Is your internship with a non-profit organization? If it is, you can also apply to begin your KU Service Learning Certification. Service Learning is a credit-bearing, educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflects on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. (Plus, you get to put in on your resumé!) Find more information at the Service Learning website.