INTERNSHIP
(ENVI 498/MARS 498)







PURPOSE/SCOPE

1. To gain practical work experience in your field of study
2. To apply classroom knowledge to actual work situations
3. To help focus your career goals
4. To establish contacts with professionals outside the University
 
 

EXAMPLES


PRIVATE COMPANIES SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
- Environmental consulting firms - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service
- Environmental law firms - Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute
- Service firms - Center for the Reproduction of Endangered Species (CRES), SD Zoo
- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR)
K-12 EDUCATION - Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)
- University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
- Sea Camp - San Diego State University (SDSU)
- Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum - School for Field Studies (SFS)
- Aquatic Adventures Science Education Foundation - EarthWatch Institute
- K-12 School - Leon Raymond Hubbard Jr. Marine Fish Hatchery, Carlsbad
  - Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
 
MUSEUMS AND PARKS NONPROFIT, POLITICAL, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
 
- City of San Diego, Park and Recreation Department - I Love a Clean San Diego
- Torrey Pines State Reserve - San Diego CoastKeeper
- County of San Diego, Department of Parks and Recreation - Surfrider Foundation
- Tecolote Canyon Natural Park & Nature Center - The Green Restaurant Association
- National Park Service - Friends of Famosa Slough
- San Diego Natural History Museum - San Diego Stream Team
- Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum - Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation
- Pacific Estuarine Research Lab - Tijuana Estuary - Student Conservation Association
- SeaWorld - Congressional Offices

REQUIREMENTS

1. Work at an internship site for a minimum of 45 hours per unit of credit.  You will need to have a work site supervisor who is willing to monitor your progress, verify your work hours and complete the final evaluation form.  Your work time needs to be documented and approved by your supervisor and should be handed in by the end of the semester.  In addition to your hours on site you should expect to spend an additional 5-6 hours per unit of credit each semester completing assignments for your internship class.

2. Turn in a filled out, signed INTERNSHIP AGREEMENT FORM before the end of the second full week of the semester.

3. Maintain a journal following guidelines outlined below.  At least six entries are expected per unit of credit.

4. Write two biographies (3-4 pages each) based on personal interviews with professional mentors from your internship site.

5. Visit Career Services and write a resumé and cover letter for a future job and/or internship.

6. Attend scheduled group meetings and individual meetings with the instructor.  During meetings we will discuss journal entries, resumés and cover letters, research conference presentations and other issues.

7. Have your internship supervisor turn in an evaluation of you and your internship.

8. Present the results of your internship at the USD Creative Collaborations Conference in April.

All materials are due by the last day of class each semester.
 

JOURNAL GUIDELINES

    You should complete at least six journal entries for each unit of credit you take.  A journal entry is not just an account of the work you completed in a particular time period.  Each entry should be a written reflection that focuses on some aspect of your internship experience and includes some analysis of that aspect.  You may compose your entries on a computer or by hand, but each entry should involve at least 20-30 minutes of focused writing on a particular theme.  Journal entries should be completed DURING the course of your internship, not at the very end.  The following questions are designed to help you select topics about which to write.  Some topics may require additional research by you to find out about various aspects of the organization for which you are working.

A. Am I a good fit to this job/career?

B. How does my job fit into the organization as a whole? C. Interpersonal Relationships

 

This page and all content copyright 2004-2008 by Ron Kaufmann and Sarah Gray
All rights reserved
Last modified 5 May 2008 by Ron Kaufmann