1. Internships

Internships

Internship Requirements for FWCS Undergraduates

   

Overview of Internship Requirements

Two internship courses are required to graduate with a degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences (FWCS): a 25-hour Exploratory Internship with an accompanying 1-credit class of FW 310, and a 150-hour Intensive Internship with a 3-credit class of FW 410. These requirements prepare our undergraduates for their careers and are a unique part of our program, and most students report their internships to be an invaluable part of their degree and career preparation.

Our students have completed their internship requirements through a wide variety of professional experiences within the fisheries, wildlife, and conservation science fields. Whether paid or volunteer, full-time for a season or part-time for many months, in-person or remote, with position title "Intern" or otherwise...any professional experience that advances you towards your career goals, is related to the FWCS field, and meets the minimum hour requirements, may be approved to count towards the internship requirements. Our internship program is flexible and adaptive so that it can help launch all our students, with their diverse range of career interests and life circumstances, towards their unique career goals. To understand the requirements and start preparing for your internships, please continue to read this page in detail.

PLEASE NOTE that all internships must be approved in advance by the FWCS Internship Coordinator to count as a degree requirement. The courses are meant to be taken DURING the internship experience; usually, in the term that the student completes the required hours.To request internship approval, please email the Internship Coordinator in advance of starting your internship with details on the position, including the organization & position title, start/end dates, total hours you will complete, and how it relates to your career goals.

Read on to learn more about internships, and don't miss the helpful downloadable materials:

 

Types of Internships

 

Exploratory Internship (25+ Hours & FW 310)

An exploratory internship involves completing a professional experience of at least 25 hours of learning time in a fish, wildlife, or conservation setting, while completing the associated 1-credit canvas course of FW310 Exploratory Internship. Students may fulfill this requirement by attending a multi-day professional conference, or by participating in 25 hours of FWCS-relevant work or skills-training.

Conferences

About half of FWCS students will complete their exploratory internship by attending a multi-day conference. Students can do so by contacting the Internship Coordinator for approval of their conference plan, registering with the conference organization (and paying any associated fees), registering for the FW 310 course, and then attending the conference and completing the canvas assignments. Before the conference, we encourage students to pair up with a FWCS graduate student attending the same conference via the FW Undergraduate Mentorship Program. 

Our Department is deeply involved with The Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society. Attending a state chapter meeting of TWS or AFS offers incredible networking and career opportunities; we encourage students to search for your state or regional TWS Chapter or AFS Chapter and find details on their annual meeting and workshops. If you live in Oregon, we encourage you to join us and attend the Annual Meetings of the Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society or the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, which occur in February each year! Review the FWCS Conference Guide (link at top of page) to learn about other popular conference and their upcoming dates.

Other Exploratory Internships:

Other students will complete their exploratory internship by doing 25-hours of work or skills-training within the FWCS field, such as volunteering or job shadowing. Some examples include: conducting remote research with graduate students in the FW Undergraduate Mentorship Program, assisting OSU faculty through the URSA Engage or the CAS Beginning Undergraduate Research Support Program, training in the University Legislative Scholars program, volunteering with a local conservation organization or wildlife rehabilitation center, completing ride-alongs with law enforcement officers, participating in a series of trainings or workshops (even virtual), and assisting a local biologist with field work. 

   

Intensive Internship (150+ Hours & FW 410) 

An intensive internship involves completing a 150+ hour professional experience with a fisheries, wildlife, or conservation organization that is relevant to your unique career interests, and completing the associated 3-credit canvas course of FW 410 Intensive Internship. The goal of the intensive internship is to help you gain the professional network, experiences and technical skills to be a more competitive applicant for the jobs you seek after graduation! 

While many students complete their intensive internship by participating in a full-time, seasonal position, many others complete part-time, longer-term, and even fully remote internships, sometimes with multiple employers or supervisors. Students should have advance approval for their internship plan and timeline, and will generally take the FW 410 course in the term that they complete their 150 hours. The intensive internship is intended to be completed in the latter half of your degree after you've taken FW 209, but may be completed earlier if an opportunity arises. We encourage students to get creative and propose the intensive internship that will be the best for your unique career goals and situation.

Intern Abroad! Students can complete an international intensive internship with an OSU GO program such as an IE3 international internship or field-based study abroad program. OSU GO hosts dozens of FWCS-focused internships across the globe; check out their programs (eg. this blog on a FWCS student's internship with the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia) and financial support! Note that IE3 program fee includes 12 credits of tuition, and as such, many of the programs are relatively affordable. Another great way to get abroad on a shorter time frame is with OSU GO's 1-4 week faculty-led programs; note that these grant OSU credit but generally do not not double-count as FWCS internship. Please note that OSU is unable to grant internship credit for international internships done outside of an OSU GO-approved program. Learn about international programs at the Go Abroad in FWCS webpage. 

Are you entering this degree with previous FWCS work experience? If in the two years before starting the FWCS degree, you completed a 150+ hour internship or job in the FWCS field, please review the form at the top of the page to see if your experience could fulfill the intensive internship requirement. Apply no later than 2 years after starting the FWCS degree.

Are you concerned about how you will fit in an intensive internship into your already busy schedule? Please know that every single student graduating from our degree program, including thousands of Ecampus students with life responsibilities like families and full-time jobs, has been able to complete the internship requirements. These students often find and complete intensive internships that are part time and longer-term, and even remote. Examples of these abound, including students who set up internships with local wildlife biologists for 5 hours per week over 6 months, or students who worked remotely with a FWCS faculty member to analyze data and write up research reports. 

 

Financial Support for Intensive Internships or Conference

Financial assistance is available to students participating in low-paying, volunteer, and/or international intensive internships, or whom are attending a conference. Students are encouraged to apply for:
  • Dale Weber Internship Support Award from the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS); Apply during weeks 3-6 of the term BEFORE you do the internship (e.g., to fund a summer internship, you'd apply in spring weeks 3-6)
  • Students attending a conference (even if not presenting) may apply for the CAS Undergraduate Professional Development Award, a $250 funding opportunity for College of Agricultural Sciences undergraduate students who want financial assistance to travel for a professional conference or for a field trip associated with a CAS course. 

 

Review of Steps to Complete Your FWCS Internships

  1. Prepare to apply: Start making a plan of when and where you would like to intern, and identify potential collaborators in your professional journey, such as employers, mentors, professionals to conduct an informational interview with, conference host organizations, etc. We encourage students to review the resources above and the FWCS Careers Page, look into their state chapter of TWS or AFS for conferences and events, and get involved with student opportunities like like the Fisheries & Wildlife Club at OSU and OSU research programs aimed at new students (see links in the Exploratory section above). Also, when you take FW 209 Career Skills in FWCS (usually around the time that you've completed your Biology and Chemistry series), you'll practice the skills needed to search for, apply to, and attain internships and jobs, including resume and cover letter writing, networking, and interviewing.
     
  2. Search for internships: Review the FWCS Opportunities emails sent by the Internship Coordinator, and our internal FWCS Jobs Database. Search other top job boards in our field including TAMU, Conservation Job Board, Oregon state jobs, and USAjobs.gov. If you wish to attend a conference for your exploratory internship, review the Conference List (linked at top) and explore conference websites to determine which is most interesting and feasible for you. 
  3. Apply for internship/job positions. Prepare your application materials using the FWCS Resume, Cover Letter and Interview Guides linked at the top of this page. 
  4. Email & Get Approved: When offered an internship/job in the FWCS field, email the FWCS Internship Coordinator immediately, providing the name of the organization, a link to the organization’s website, the position title, start/end dates, the total hours you will complete by the end of the position, and how this fits into your career goals. In this email you may include the completed Intensive Internship Training Agreement, which includes your supervisor's signature.
  5. Register for FW 310 or 410: Once approved, the Internship Coordinator will provide you the override to register for the course in the appropriate term.
  6. Review the Canvas Course: and the syllabus before starting your internship. Once registered, you will find all assignments in the canvas course, including the Training Agreement, which you'll need to review and sign with your supervisor before starting your internship.
  7. Consider Funding: If you’re doing a low-paying or volunteer position, read the section below to learn how you can apply for internship awards.
  8. Enjoy your Internships and complete all assignments in the canvas course.

  

  

What If I Can't Find an Internship?

We encourage students to get creative and be proactive in their internship search. Many students, especially those with schedule or location constraints, will find their internship not by just looking for advertised positions, but by reaching out to organizations and professionals and starting a conversation about setting up an internship or volunteer opportunity. This is called sending an "Inquiry Email" (or phone call). For example, you can send an Inquiry Email to a local conservation organization or state wildlife biologist, in which you explain your interest in their work and availability for an internship, and ask if they would be open to discussing further.

Make a broad list of all potential employers in your area, which may include public lands at the city, county, state, or federal level, local non-profits such as watershed councils and wildlife rehabilitation centers, sustainability organizations, and environmental consulting companies. You can also research FWCS faculty who do research that interests you; perhaps they have graduate students who could use your help with remote data analysis or even field work. Start going through your list and individually send Inquiries to these organizations. 

Another great way to find internship opportunities in your area is to attend a state-level conference, such as a state chapter of The Wildlife Society or the American Fisheries Society, and meet professionals who may be hiring or who are open to developing an internship.

Remember, we want your internship to advance you towards your unique career goals, and so we encourage you to get creative, be proactive, and find opportunities that work well for your unique interests and situation! We encourage you to consider and apply for many, many potential options. Remember, if the opportunity meets our hour requirements, is generally within FWCS fields, and will advance you towards your career goals, it will likely be approved. So go forth, network, and apply!

  

Special Situations & FAQs

Are you entering the degree and have recently completed a 150+ hour FWCS internship or job within the past two years? Please download the 'Request to Force Complete' form at the top of the page.

I'm already doing a FWCS-relevant experience (job/internship/volunteering/conference) - can I count this as internship credit? Probably! Email the Internship Coordinator right away, with the details needed for internship approval (see the top of this page for details).

I'm gaining more than 150 hrs of experience at my upcoming FWCS-relevant job/internship. Can I count this for intensive AND exploratory? Likely not. The two internships should be novel and additive from each other, in that they provide the student a different employer network or skill. The courses are also meant to be taken in different terms. But, if you have questions or doubts, or if you're doing a separate project in an existing job/internship, please email the Internship Coordinator with details and we'll discuss. 

Are you completing a second FWCS internship, that is unique from the first? You may be able to take FW 310/410 a second time and apply these additional credits to your degree. Please review the FWCS Advising Guide and webpage and contact the Internship Coordinator in advance. Please note that to be approved, the second internship experience should be novel from the first, in that it gains you new skills and/or network (e.g., with a different employer, or with the same employer but a different position or project).

Can I acquire internship hours with multiple employers? Yes, you may accumulate internship hours with multiple organizations; this is more common for your intensive internship. The goal however is to have a holistic plan of your upcoming activities before you start them, and email the plan to the Internship Coordinator for approval. Note that there is great benefit in working all 150 hrs with the same organization, in order to build up a good professional reference and experience within one organization, but we also recognize that gaining a variety of experiences may be more beneficial for some students.

Can I find my own international internship and count this as my internship? Unfortunately, no, because OSU is unable to grant internship credit for international internships done outside of an OSU GO approved program. Please see the intensive section above for more details on OSU GO internships and shorter faculty-led programs.

Have you completed your internships and are still engaging in research with an OSU faculty member? You have the option to enroll in FW 401 Research for electives credit. Students should first review the FW 401 Research Syllabus, and then discuss with their faculty mentor the project expectations, workload and schedule. Once the student and mentor decide on the number of credits and campus, they will contact our course scheduler at [email protected] to request that a FW 401 section be created in the appropriate term. This should occur before the term starts. When it is visible in the Schedule of Classes, the class will be available for registration during the regular registration period and the student will receive an override to register.

  

  

FWCS Internship Coordinator

The Internship Coordinator provides resources and guidance for students during their professional development journey, including approving internships and providing overrides to enroll in the accompanying courses. It is the student's role to find and apply for internships, email the Internship Coordinator to request approval, communicate with their internship supervisors regarding expectations, and complete the course assignments. 

 

~ Our students excel in the fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences fields, and often, their internships are a launching pad.

We are so proud of what our students learn and accomplish on their internships! ~