Internships

An internship is any career related work experience of limited duration in which an individual takes on responsibilities in a professional setting, such as a non-profit organization, a government office, or a for-profit business. Some internship programs are formally structured, while others are not, but a successful internship will be one where the student receives training in a given field and mentorship from a supervisor. Positions may or may not be paid and here in ES there is the option to also receive academic credit (ENV S 192).

Internships are one of the most common and beneficial experiential opportunities available to undergraduate students. Often a professional internship can bridge the difficult transition between completion of an undergraduate education and the environmental job market.

Internships allow an undergraduate to:

• Relate theory to practice--to apply what you have learned in the classroom to the “real” world
• Integrate academic preparation with professional challenges
• Try out a specific career area and work environment
• Explore and make decisions about future career options
• Obtain a full and realistic view of workplace culture and expectations
• Find a mentor and build professional networks in a selected career field of interest
• Learn and improve communication skills such as: teamwork, interpersonal skills, networking and presentation skills
• Gain experience in job-seeking skills such as resume and cover letter preparation and interviewing
• Develop self-confidence, values, assertiveness, and decision-making abilities

Internship positions may be obtained year-round. They can be either part-time or full-time, or paid or unpaid, and all are eligible for academic credit (which is optional). Both Environmental Studies and Hydrologic Sciences students consistently comment that their field and internship experiences enhanced and complemented their college education. Combined with appropriate course work, internships provide a stepping stone to a number of careers in environmentally related fields, and can even lead to a job offer!

Not only does an internship provide hands-on experience that can make you competitive in the job market, but the Environmental Studies Internship Program (ESIP) offers the opportunity to do so while earning academic units which can fulfill major requirements. Please visit the next few sections below to learn more about the ESIP and how to earn units for your internship by enrolling in ENV S 192.

Internships can be hard work, but well worth it, as these comments from former interns demonstrate:

“...this internship was extremely enlightening and eye-opening. My attitude has changed and I can present myself in a much more professional manner. The internship experience is an opportunity no ES Major should pass up!” - intern with the SB County Dept. Resource Management

“Internships are extremely valuable because they let one know if it’s the right field for them or not. It stops the mistake of going into a career with blinders on.” - intern with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  

The Environmental Studies Internship Program is open to current UCSB students who have obtained at least sophomore status, are declared Environmental Studies or Hydrologic Sciences major, and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75.  A waiver petition is available for those students under 2.75 as well as non-Environmental Studies majors to participate in ENV S 192 if their home department does not offer internship credit (check with your home department first). Both waiver forms can be found under the “Steps to Enroll in ENV S 192” section below.

Although the ES Internship Coordinator and Academic Advisors are available to help facilitate a student with identifying possible internship opportunities, students are ultimately responsible for applying for and securing an internship. Once an internship is obtained, students have the option to pursue academic credit through ENV 192 and work under the direction of the ES Internship Coordinator.

Students may earn ENV S 192 credit during any academic quarter, including Summer Sessions; but need to make sure they secure the internship and enroll in the class by the designated UCSB add deadline (normally the end of the third week of a quarter).

Unfortunately, retroactive credit for internships already completed can't be given. 

To learn more about the number of units one can earn and how to officially enroll in ENV S 192 please visit the next two sections below.

HOW TO DETERMINE # OF UNITS:

ENV S 192 is a variable unit course, awarding upper-division academic credit on a Pass/No Pass format. It is one of two ES courses that can be taken P/NP and apply towards major requirements. The units vary according to the number of total internship hours fulfilled by the student during a given quarter. For every 30 hours completed, one unit is given. Unfortunately, half units are not available so interns should try to schedule their internships in thirty hour increments to maximize their units earned. Students may enroll in the class multiple quarters with the same or different agencies and receive up to a total of 12 units. However, no more than four total ENV S 192 units may apply towards ES or Hydro major requirements. For ES B.S. majors, ENV S 192 credit is only applicable to Area B-2. Any additional units earned are upper-division units that may apply towards one's total number of UCSB units needed to graduate.

The number of hours worked per week/quarter are determined by the student and their agency supervisor before the start of the internship. Most internships during the academic year are part-time and range from 3 to 15-20 hours per week.  Full-time internships over the summer are possible. ENV S 192 is offered every quarter as well as during Summer Sessions A (weeks 1-6), B (weeks 7-12) and C (weeks 1-10).

Students who secure an internship and wish to earn credit will need to complete an ENV S 192 Internship Proposal &Learning Agreement Form (available for download in the "Steps to Enroll in ENV S 192" section below). On this form, one will include their agreed upon total number of hours they expect to work over the quarter. 

If for any reason one is not going to be able to complete all their scheduled hours (or they end up working extra hours), they should contact the ES Internship Coordinator by no later than three weeks before the end of the quarter. Because this is a variable unit course, adjustments can be made to the total number of units to be awarded. But this change can only be done if discussed with the Internship Coordinator before the end of the quarter.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

There are six requirements a student must complete to pass ENV S 192:

1. Keep a Self-reflective Experiential Journal:  Through the course of the internship the student must keep a journal in which they record their actions, reflections, successes, and any issues regarding their internship. Journal entries must be made once per week and not “filled in'' at the last minute at the end of the quarter (it’s easy to tell). Journals can be done in a variety of formats, including handwritten journals, but electronically is preferred as students will need to submit them to the ES Internship Coordinator.  We expect at least a couple paragraphs per week outlining what you did that week, how it was different from previous weeks, how it impacted your overall internship experience, and how it may have assisted you with determining your short and long-term career goals. More info about how to keep a journal will be provided in the Internship Handbook you will receive when you officially enroll ENV S 192. Your completed journal must be turned in at the end of the quarter by the set due date.
    
2. Attend the Mid-Quarter Seminar and Complete the Mid-Quarter Question Set: A short self-reflective question set is located in the ESIP Handbook given to all enrolled students at the start of the quarter. It must be completed just before and brought to the mandatory mid-quarter seminar (date provided on each quarter's ENV S 192 course syllabus).
   A group meeting/seminar of all interns and the ESIP Coordinator is held at the end of the 5th or beginning of the 6th week of each quarter.  All ENV S 192 students are required to attend this meeting to discuss the progress of their internship.  The date and time of this meeting will be provided on the course syllabus. NOTE: There is no mandatory mid-quarter seminar required during summer sessions, but students still must turn in their question set.
    
3. Intern Evaluation: A performance evaluation will be emailed to the intern's supervisor one to two weeks before the end of the quarter. The agency supervisor is asked to complete the evaluation and review it with the intern.  Both are required to sign it and the intern will collect and return the Intern Evaluation to the Internship Coordinator by the due date.
    
4. Agency Evaluation: Completed by the student intern, this is an evaluation of your sponsoring agency, supervisor, and your internship experience. Your constructive input is important and used by the agency supervisor as well as the ESIP Coordinator to advise future students about internship opportunities. The evaluation can be found in the ESIP Handbook and will be turned in by the set due date at the end of the quarter. 
    
5. Complete the End-of-Quarter Question Set: There is no written final or meeting for this class. However, all ENV S 192 students are asked to complete a final short self-reflective question set at the end of the quarter.  It will be included within the ESIP Handbook and must be turned in along with your two evaluations and journal by the end-of-quarter due date.
    
6. Complete Internship Hours: Complete all work hours agreed upon with the agency and as indicated on your Internship Proposal Form. If one is unable to complete the number of contracted hours they MUST notify the Intern Coordinator at least three weeks before the end of the quarter so that the number of units to be awarded can be adjusted accordingly. Verification of completed hours will be required from your agency supervisor on the Intern Evaluation Form.

A ENV S 192 syllabus is provided at the beginning of each academic quarter by the Internship Coordinator. It will list all deadlines, the time, date, and room of the mid-quarter seminar, and the when and how the final assignments are to be submitted. The current ENV S 192 syllabus should be available for download at the top right corner of this website.

To officially enroll in ENV S 192, please visit the "Steps to Enroll in ENV S 192" below.

1. Do you qualify for ESIP? 

• I have minimum sophomore standing?    Y___   N___
  If No, you can always do an internship for the experience only.
• I have a 2.7 overall GPA?     Y___   N___ 
  • If the answer is no, use this Petition to Waive the GPA requirement
• I am an ES or Hydro Major?    Y ___   N ____
  • If the answer is no, use this Petition to Waive the Major requirement 

2. Attend an ESIP Info Session: Students interested in pursuing any environmental  internship, especially through the ESIP,  should attend one of the ESIP info sessions hosted by the Internship Coordinator during the second week of every quarter. If a student isn’t able to make one of the in-person info sessions, they can watch a recording of an info session posted on this webpage found in the top right corner under “Current Quarter Information.”

3. Prepare a Resume & Cover Letter: For most prospective interns, a major part of the application process will include a resume and cover letter. In preparation for this step, students are strongly encouraged to prepare a master resume and cover letter prior to starting the search for an internship. UCSB Career Services has some great resources on resumes and cover letters that can be found on their website.

4. Find & Secure an Internship: Once your resume and cover letter are ready you are in a great position to start your internship search. The resources listed in the next section below under "Find an Internship"offer some great places to start your search. The ES Internship Coordinator and Academic Advising team is available to assist students with identifying their area(s) of interest and finding potential agencies to pursue. But it's ultimately up to each student to research internship opportunities, submit the appropriate application material, and secure the internship.

Note: the timeline for securing an internship varies a lot depending on the agency/company you are looking to work for! Some students have secured internships within 24 hours  while for others, it can take months of searching and completing the application process. Thus, it’s best to start your search a couple months out from when you hope to have an internship. Additionally, for full-time and summer opportunities (especially with government agencies or large organizations), it may be in your best interest to start searching six months or more as the application process and possible background checks could be lengthy for highly competitive positions. 

5. Submit the ESIP Internship Proposal and Learning Agreement Form:  Once you have secured an internship, and you want to earn academic credit, you and your supervisor must fill out the ESIP Internship Proposal and Learning Agreement Form. On this form, you and your supervisor will outline the expectations you both have for the internship, the duties and responsibilities you will have as an intern, and the number of hours you will work. The total number of hours worked directly correlates to the number of units you will receive credit for in ENV S 192 (30 hours = 1 unit). Once the form has been completed and signed by your supervisor, email the Learning Agreement to the ES Internship Coordinator at zimmerman@es.ucsb.edu or  advising@es.ucsb.edu at which point they will send you an approval code for the class as well as the ESIP Handbook and course syllabus. 

To receive academic credit, a student must submit their completed Proposal form by no later than 24 hours before the quarter's add deadline (in Fall, Winter, and Spring, this is the end of Week 3; in Summer, this is the end of 2nd week of each session).

If necessary, student will also include their GPA and Non-Major waivers along with their signed internship proposal and learning agreement form.  If you have any questions about the above procedure email them to advising@es.ucsb.edu .

Download the necessary ESIP Forms:

• Internship Proposal and Learning Agreement Form
• Petition to Waive GPA Requirement
• Petition to Waive Major Requirement

Below are some of the most common ways that ES students find internships. Please keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many other ways to find an internship, but this is a great place to start!

1. UCSB's Handshake - Sponsored by UCSB Career Services this is UCSB's main internship and job board!  A lot of internships will be posted on Handshake, and quite a few are local. You can tailor your search based on specific keywords of environmental topics that you're most interested in getting experience working in. Handshake also provides a weekly round up of internships/job opportunities tailor-made for you!

2. ESMail - The Environmental Studies department's primary student email listserv goes out weekly and often contains local internship opportunities are posted throughout the school year to ESMail. There's not a ton of these, but still worth checking out when they pop up! 

3.  ES's Environmental Leadership Incubator (ELI) Job Listings webpage regularly updates with new local environmental job & internship opportunities available for undergraduate students and recent graduates.

4. UCSB hosts a lot of internships right on campus throughout Fall, Winter, and Spring that a lot of ES majors have participated in. Here's a list of them: 

• CCBER (Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration- they do eco-restoration work in UCSB's North Campus, restoring an old golf course to a natural estuarine ecosystem + restore campus Lagoon) 
• EHS - Environmental Health and Safety, they do environmental regulatory internships
• UCSB Sustainability - They host a broad range of internships on various projects, including their Carbon Neutrality Initiative, Global Food Initiative, Laboratory Research and Technical Staff, and PACES
• REEF - they are being stingier these days about internship credit, but a lot of students volunteer here. They work with aquatic organisms and students will run tours in their little aquarium.
• Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary - if you're interested in marine ecology
• Health & Wellness Intern - they do great work on food access/food security on campus
• Research opportunities with faculty outside environmental studies - you can get internship credit through ENV S 192 for faculty research, so long as it's with a faculty member not in the ES department if you're more interested in the Research route. You can look through the URAD database to search for faculty that are actively recruiting student researchers on their work. 

5.  Visit the ES Local Environmental Organizations Webpage.  Many have been part of the community for decades and have offered a variety of internship opportunities for students to gain experience. Peruse the organization webpages for job postings! Note: some organizations won’t publicly advertise their internships, so it can’t hurt to email the organization’s email introducing yourself and asking if there is any current internship availability in their organization. Even if they answer no, you can ask them to keep you in the loop once an internship does open up.

This website page also contains a list of Professional Environmental Organizations that often offer student membership and mentoring opportunities!

6. Use your Personal Network– One of the best ways to find an internship is by using your own personal network of friends, peers, acquaintances, family, etc.  Networking allows you to meet new people in your field, get your name out there, and learn more about a particular industry.  (Conducting Informational Interviews can be one of the best ways to grow your network - learn more here.) You never know when one of your contacts will have a lead on a great job or be able to introduce you to someone who can help further your career. 

Research shows that 70% of jobs are never published publicly, and up to 80% of jobs are filled through personal and professional connections. Networking can help you get your foot in the door with people already working in your desired field or company and help you find a mentor. If you know someone who works at a company you're interested in, they may be able to put in a good word for you or even help you get an interview. These connections can get you further than you think in searching for a job. It's not always what you know; it's who you know.

Attend industry events, connect with professionals on LinkedIn, and follow companies and leaders in your field on social media.   source

See the world bubble below of a number of organizations that previous ES students have interned at. 

UCSB Career Services (main page)
- Gain Experience: How to Build Experience Beyond Class
- Internship Resources  (Maximize Your Experience)
- Search for Internships (Handshake, Leading Internship Websites, etc.)
- Resume & Cover Letter Help
- Document Review (Feedback on Resumes & Cover Letters)
- Advising with a Career & Internship Counselor (scroll down page)

Articles:

• The Importance of Internships and the Invaluable Relationships They Bring
  by members of the Forbes Human Resources Council who help decipher what makes an internship so important for those starting in their field.
• Are Virtual (Remote) Internships the New Internship?  

  By working from your laptop remotely, you have access to companies all across the globe. Making the world truly at your fingertips.

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