Since the Fall of 1976 the Environmental Studies Internship
Program has placed over 150 undergraduates in a multitude of
agencies throughout the New York metropolitan area. Internship
placements are designed primarily for graduating seniors and bridge
the gap between academic preparation and the real world workplace.
Over the decades this program has proven uniformly successful for
both students and employers and is generally recognized as one of
the strongest assets of our undergraduate program.
Students are accepted into the program through an application
process that reviews their interests and qualifications. Placements
are made to reflect their career goals and aspirations and are
individually designed and monitored. Students earn academic credit
for their work but at the option of the agency or company may be
placed on salary for the term they are employed as an intern. This
provision is often favorable to firms in the private sector whose
workers need to be covered by workman's compensation.
Two general types of internships are available over an academic
year. During the regular Fall and Spring semesters interns are
placed in a wide range of agencies on an individual basis. During
summers interns are organized into a single project group that
works collaboratively at a selected field site. Students become
involved in a variety of natural resource management, environmental
science and educational activities. These internships are open to
all undergraduates and give students the opportunity to gain
realistic work experiences before entering their senior year.
Although future employment cannot be guaranteed (through an
internship), many of the interns receive job offers from their
agency or from related agencies as a direct result of their
placement. Even if employment is not the immediate result of the
internship, each student becomes more aware of what environmental
work is all about and begins to build their "base of experience".
Employers are interested in skilled employees who have a realistic
perspective about environmental affairs. Undergraduate experiences,
paid or unpaid, are as important as academic courses and good
grades. The combination of training, experiences and formal
education makes St. John's students successful as they proceed with
their future careers.
For information about specific internship agencies and
opportunities please contact the Program Director , William Nieter.