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 200+ 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. Many undergraduates report their internships to be an invaluable part of their degree experience and career preparation.

We encourage students to get creative and plan ahead for internships that work with your unique career goals and schedule. We've designed our internship program to be flexible and adaptive to the unique career interests and needs of each student; even part-time and remote opportunities may be approved. To understand the requirements and start preparing for your internships, please 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. To request internship approval, 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 (200+ Hours & FW 410) 

An intensive internship involves completing a 200+ 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. Internships may span several terms, but all should be approved in advance; students will generally take the FW 410 course in the same term that they complete the total required hours. The intensive internship is intended to be completed in the latter half of your degree after you've taken FW209, 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 and financial support!

Are you entering this degree with previous FWCS work experience? If in the two years before starting the FWCS degree, you completed a 200+ 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 just 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. Please see the FAQ section in the FWCS Internships Guide (linked above) to read more on Ecampus student internships.

 

Steps to Complete Your FWCS Internship

  1. Prepare to apply: Around the time that you've completed your Biology and Chemistry series, your advisor will guide you to register for FW 209 Career Skills in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, a required course that will teach you the skills needed to search for, apply to, and attain internships and jobs, including resume and cover letter writing, networking, and interviewing. But even
     before you take FW 209, you can prepare for internships by reviewing the FWCS Careers Page,  Build your network with your state's chapter of TWS or AFS. Get involved in clubs like the Fisheries & Wildlife Club and apply for OSU research programs aimed at new students like those mentioned in the Exploratory section above. Start making a plan of when and where you would like to intern. 
  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 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 or Exploratory 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. Don’t forget about the Intensive Internship Evaluation Form, which your supervisor will need to fill out and submit to you or the Internship Coordinator between Week 8 and Week 10 of the quarter.

  

Financial Support

Financial assistance is available to students participating in low-paying, volunteer, and/or international intensive internships, or whom are presenting their research at a conference. Students are encouraged to apply for:

  • the FWCS Travel and Internship Awards to support their intensive internship or travel to present their research at a conference.
  • the E.R. Jackman Internship Support Award from the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS); apply in October for a winter term internship, in January for spring term, and in April for summer and fall term.
  • Students attending a conference may apply for the CAS Undergraduate Professional Development Award, a 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.

  

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

Are you entering the degree and have recently completed a FWCS internship or job? Generally, past experiences cannot count for internship requirements, but, if you have over 2 years of full-time recent experience in the FWCS field, email the Internship Coordinator to explain your background and career goals, and attach your updated resume with full details on all FWCS-related positions.

Are you completing a second FWCS internship? You may be able to take FW 310/410 a second time and apply these additional credits to your Specialization. Please review the FWCS Advising Guide and webpage and contact the Internship Coordinator in advance.

Have you completed your internships and are engaging in research with an OSU faculty member? You have the option to enroll in FW 401 Research Credit and apply these credits to your Specialization. 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 (Ecampus or Corvallis), they will contact our course scheduler at fw.scheduling@oregonstate.edu 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's role is to guide students through the process of choosing and approving appropriate career development opportunities to meet their goals, including internships, conferences, and networking, to teach FW 209 Career Skills in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, and to oversee the internship courses. It is the student's role to find and apply for internships, communicate with their supervisors, communicate with the Internship Coordinator for pre-approval and completing course requirements.