There are many reasons to seek an internship to complement your formal studies. Internships provide valuable professional development experience. Student interns can improve their skills, gain work experience, network with professionals in their chosen field, and learn about different sectors and organizational cultures. A significant portion of successful internships lead to full-time job offers.
Active Internship Funding Opportunities for SEAS Students offered unpaid internships:
Marshall Weinberg & Career Services Unpaid Internships (Deadline Annually in March - use link for date)
Eunice Burns Fund for Water Policy Education (Deadline Annually in March - use link for date)
Charney Family Fund for Environmental Education (Deadline Annually in March - use link for date)
Explore many other additional Funding sources and scholarships:
https://seas.umich.edu/student-services/financial-aid/funding
Common SEAS-PITE Internship sites below. Please access SEAS Career Link for rolling postings for summer and in-semester internships.
- Alaska Conservation Foundation Internship Program
- Asian Development Bank
- The Carter Center Internship Program
- Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
- Conservancy of Southwest Florida
- Department of Energy
- DOW Chemical
- Ducks Unlimited
- Earthwatch Institute Internships
- Environmental Defense Fund Internships
- Environmental Defense Fund - Climate Corps (10-12 week summer fellowships)
- Federal Diversity Internship Initiative
- ICF International
- Meijer
- Michigan Tech Research Institute filed/research internships
- National Park Service Academy
- National Wildlife Federation
- The Nature Conservancy GLOBE Internship Program (35 paid internships)
- NSF International
- ORISE Internships and Fellowships
- Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)
- Sierra Club Internships (San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC placements available)
- Smithgroup
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's (SERC) Internship Program
- The Student Conservation Association (SCA)
- U of M Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum Internships
- UNEP New York Office
- USFWS Directorate Fellows
- The White House Internship Program - application window has closed
- World Bank
- World Resources Institute
- World Wildlife Fund
- World Resource Institute (WRI)
What students are saying about internship opportunities…
- “Talk with your supervisor before you start. Prepare in advance; you will impress your host if you can hit the ground running.”
- “Remember that some employers are willing and able to tweak internship job descriptions for the right candidate. So, if the job isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, talk with the employer about possibly adjusting the responsibilities.”
- “The U-M semester ends earlier than most universities, so U-M students are able to start early. This can give you an advantage in the selection process.”
- “Make sure you understand what is expected of you. If you don’t, the experience could be disappointing for you and your employer.”
- “Ask in advance whether you will have to bring your own laptop and/or supplies.”
- “Set up a weekly meeting with your supervisor. This will ensure that you have time to ask questions and get feedback, plus it gives you an opportunity to build a nice relationship with a key professional contact.”
If you are interested in an internship overseas, contact the International Institute.
Click here to find internship funding opportunities in the SEAS financial aid database.
For general questions please email us at [email protected].