Information for Employers

Looking for students trained and experienced in solving environmental problems? This is the place to start.

The University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) has one of the finest environmental graduate programs in the nation. Master’s students graduate with rigorous academic training and 15–18 months of hands-on, team-based experience working to solve environmental problems for real-world clients.

Some graduate students have additional qualifications. Between 30% and 40% of master’s students pursue dual degrees, earning a second master’s degree in fields such as business, engineering, public health, law, urban planning, and economics. Many students have several years of professional experience under their belts. A smaller number graduate with PhDs.

All SEAS graduate students are well prepared to move into the workforce, including our students from abroad. International students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) can work in the United States for up to 29 months after graduation. For details, see Hiring International Students below.

How to Engage with SEAS Graduate Students

Employers interested in hiring SEAS students have several options as they begin their search for new employees. Here are five ways to connect with qualified students and alumni:

  1. Register with eRecruiter, SEAS’s free online career service that links employers with SEAS graduate students and alumni. Registering with eRecruiter allows employers to (a) create an employer profile, (b) post job and internship opportunities for over 400 SEAS graduate students and over 1300 registered alumni, (c) search résumés and create customized résumé books using specific search criteria (e.g., French-speaking students seeking internships in SEAS’s sustainable systems track), (d) receive a free electronic copy of our résumé books, and (e) schedule a campus visit. For information on privacy concerns, visit eRecruiter Privacy Policy.
  2. Send us your job or internship postings by email. Postings go to SEAS-careers@umich.edu. Please specify whether the position is for graduates or undergraduates. For information on internships, see Recruiting an Intern below.
  3. Attend SEAS’s Annual Career Fair to recruit graduate students for environmental jobs and internships or acquaint students with your organization and future hiring needs. Contact us to become a corporate sponsor!
  4. Present a special information session about your organization to SEAS graduate students on our Ann Arbor campus. We’re happy to schedule a time for you to talk with our students about current work projects and career and internship opportunities. We can also help by collecting résumés in advance and scheduling on-site interviews. Contact us with your date preferences, as well as whether you want to present an information session only or for us to collect student résumés and schedule interviews, too.
  5. Request a copy of SEAS’ electronic résumé books. Contact us with “SEAS resumé book request” in the subject line and your name, job title, company name, email address, and full mailing address in the body of the email. Once we verify your information and approve you as an employer of interest to our graduate students, we will add you to our eRecruiter employer system and email you the résumé books free of charge.
  6.  Host/present a professional skills workship. Ensuring that our students have a competitive edge during their job search includes providing workshops on skills that employers like you are looking for. Do you have a skill that you would like to learn or a skill you would like to present to our students? Contact us for next steps.

Hiring International Students

International students with degrees in STEM fields can work in the United States for up to 29 months after graduation. SEAS students with a master of science degree and F-1 status are permitted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to have this Optional Practical Training period and work for employers that use the E-Verify system. SEAS students qualify to participate under the 03.0101 CIP code of the STEM-Designated Degree Program List.

Recruiting an Intern

  • SEAS is interested in partnering with you to create an annual internship program. Please contact SEAS-careers@umich.edu if this is something of interest to your organization.
  • If your NGO or government agency has a summer internship available, a student may request funding for the internship through SEAS. Funding may or may not be granted. Student applications for internship funding are due in January and March. Contact us to learn more.
  • SEAS’s career services office does not provide legal advice.We encourage employers with internship positions to consult their own advisors regarding compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), ownership of intellectual property, general liability issues, and other areas of concern.
  • SEAS makes decisions about granting academic credit for a student internship based on whether or not the internship experience will satisfy the school’s academic requirements. But the granting of academic credit does not absolve employers of their legal responsibilities under FLSA. Employers (not the university) are responsible for ensuring that interns are paid in compliance with FLSA.

Working with SEAS Students on a Master’s Project

As part of our academic program, teams of SEAS students do a master’s project that involves working with a representative or representatives of an existing organization or business (i.e., clients) to solve an environmental problem. Project ideas, which may be submitted by SEAS faculty, students, or clients, are due to seas-projects@umich.edu on December 1.  Read more about the expectations for master's project clients, here.  

Learn more about our degree programs