Internship opportunities get students into the field, developing new skills and learning how to connect academics to potential careers. The Department of Geography offers the opportunity to undertake internships off-campus in a variety of fields to prepare students for exciting career opportunities in social services, resource conservation, mapping and more.
To undertake an internship, students, often in consultation with a faculty mentor*, identify a sponsoring organization and supervisor within that organization. The student, supervisor, and faculty mentor agree to a program of work and complete the department’s internship agreement form (Word). Students are expected to complete 40 hours of work over the semester for each academic credit earned (typical 3-credit internships are 120 hours over the 15 week semester or summer period). Internships completed during the academic year can earn credit as Geog 191: Internship. The College of Arts & Sciences also offers the option to complete summer internships and earn credit as AS 190B. Considering one of these internship options? Speak to your advisor and check out the excellent internship resources for all students in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Previous Geography students have interned at Northern Cartographic, Population Media Center, US Senate offices, Burlington Housing Authority, Vermont Public Radio, The Nature Conservancy, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, and National Weather Service, to name a few.
Lauren Maus ‘21 is a double major in geography and anthropology and she used both disciplinary lenses for her summer internship with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Her principle role was updating websites for parks located in the state’s Southern Valley District. She traveled to each park to take photos, update website data and conduct on-site interviews with managers. “The internship combined aspects of physical geography, which I love, with a park service setting, where I was able to interact with visitors,” she said. “It’s given me the opportunity to enhance my interviewing skills as well as writing, photography, and knowledge of how a park is run.” It all fits into her ambition of becoming a journalist for National Geographic or a ranger for the national park system. “In a male dominated field it is sometimes difficult to find a foothold, but the Massachusetts state internship program provides a very welcoming and respect-oriented environment.” (This photo shows Maus on a past trip to Mt. Chimborazo in Ecuador).