Information for Internship Providers:
FOR THOSE OFFERING INTERNSHIPS:
Environmental and Sustainability Studies students may consider internships that meet the following:
- Initiated by student and highly autonomous
- Provide students with the opportunity to apply theoretical and empirically based ideas from coursework to a concrete, real-world setting
- Focus on a clearly-defined environmental project
- May be paid or unpaid
GENERAL INTERNSHIP GUIDELINES:
- All internship positions should have an identifiable internship title. Just as a professional position requires a job title, the same thing is required for an internship.
- Each internship position should also have a primary project title that includes a detailed description of the professional project for which the intern will be directly responsible. The Internship Work Plan provides an example of a detailed project description. Internships should help students to develop professional skills that could be listed on a resume. The student intern is responsible for developing and implementing the project.
- ENVST does not grant academic credit for internships that focus on basic tasks like database entry, digging holes, monitoring recycling/trash bins, building trails, harvesting produce etc. The project may require some of these activities but that should only be a small percentage of the time devoted to the internship project.
Expectations of Agency:
- Provide assistance to student intern in developing the Internship Work Plan
- Serve as a professional mentor and professional connection for student intern
- Provide professional experiences focusing on the environment and avoiding an overabundance of menial tasks
- Provide clear explanations of student’s duties and provide feedback
- Give clear indication of timeline for completion
- Maintain clear and open communication with student intern
- Assist student intern with troubleshooting
- Contact Environmental and Sustainability Studies if problems arise
EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENT INTERN:
- Find an environmentally-focused internship
- Follow PROCEDURES as listed in the Student Intern Information Center
- Develop a clearly defined Internship Work Plan with the agency
- Serve as the primary individual responsible for developing and implementing the project
- Satisfy agency expectations in a thorough and timely manner
- Behave in a professional manner
- Maintain clear and open communication with the agency and with Environmental and Sustainability Studies.
Expectations of Environmental and Sustainability Studies:
- Distribute internship announcements
- Assist student with assessing potential agencies to contact for an internship
- Provide coursework for student focused on professional development
- Address concerns raised by agency or student intern
TIME EXPECTATIONS:
In determining the number of hours a student should be interning at an agency, note that the University expects three hours of effort per week per credit hour for a total of 15 weeks.
- 1 credit hour = 3 hours effort (45 total hours)
- 2 credit hours = 6 hours effort (90 total hours)
- 3 credit hours = 9 hours effort (135 total hours)
Work can be done in fewer weeks provided the student completes the appropriate number of hours. For example, if a student is doing a 3 credit hour internship (9 hours of work per week over the course of the 15 week semester totaling 135 weeks for the semester), but the agency wants the student to complete the work in 10 weeks, then the student must work 13.5 hours per week.
IMPORTANT DATES:
While it may not be possible to coordinate your internship opportunities with the University schedule, timing internships with the semester system will provide you with better access to student interns. Students may consider either option.
Always check the University of Utah Academic Calendar for specific dates.
General Planning Calendar:
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Semester | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send Internship Announcement for Posting (4-6 weeks prior to semester beginning) | Early to Mid-July | Early to Mid-November | Mid-March to Early April |
| Select Student Intern & Develop Work Plan (1 week prior to semester beginning) | Mid-August | Mid-December | Early May |
| Internship Work Begins (see academic calendar for specific date) | End of August | Early January | Mid-May |
| Internship Work Concludes (see academic calendar for specific date) | Mid-December | Early May | Early August |
POSTING AN INTERNSHIP:
All internship postings are sent to students electronically. Please send your internship announcements to the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program in a timely manner (refer to the guidelines listed above) so that students can receive and respond to your internship request.
We do not maintain an online listing of internships due to staff limitations.
Successful announcements include the following:
- Description of agency and its mission
- Internship duties
- Required and desired qualifications
- Detailed application procedures
- Application deadline
Example Internship Announcement
DEVELOPING AN INTERN WORK PLAN:
For many students the internship is a first introduction into the professional sphere. As a result, it is important that the internship agency serve as a professional mentor for the student. One tool that can help the intern transition from the academic to the professional world is an Intern Work Plan. This serves both the student and the agency as needs and expectations are agreed upon and defined.
A successful work plan will include the following:
- Clearly defined goals of the internship
- Clearly defined deadlines for each goal
- Flexibility to assess intern progress and adjust accordingly
Example Intern Work Plan