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Internship Requirements

  1. UNO
  2. College of Arts and Sciences
  3. Environmental Science
  4. Student Opportunities
  5. Internship Requirements

A Head Start to Your Career

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/BIOL/GEOL/GEOG 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.

Academic Option Internship Info
Analytical Sciences contact Dr. Andrew Miller
Earth Sciences Option contact Dr. Harmon Maher or Dr. Bob Shuster
Geography and Planning Option contact Dr. Rex Cammack or Dr. Zac Suriano
Life Science Option contact Dr. John McCarty


BIOL/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 BIOL or ENVN 4800 for 3 credits.

  • Talk to your faculty advisor to receive permission to enroll in this course. Grades for the internship are S (pass), IP (in progress), or U (fail). 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.

An investment in your future

A staggering 95% of employers said candidate experience is a factor in hiring decisions, according to an annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Nearly half of surveyed employers wanted new-grad experience to come from internships or co-op programs.

Contact Us

  • Environmental Science Program
  • Director: Dr. John McCarty
  • Email: jmccarty@unomaha.edu
  • Phone: 402.554.2849

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