Biology Internships

If you are thinking about an internship, first read the information below. Next, discuss your plan with your adviser or the head of the Biology Department. Further resources to help with internships are Internship and Career Services.

Catalog Description

BI490. Internship in Biological Sciences: A course offering the student supervised work/research experience in a setting pertinent to the major area of study but outside the department. Permission of the department head is required. (3)

Purpose

An internship is an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned in Biology classes within a workplace/professional setting. Like any other class, the internship has an educational purpose as well, involving observation, learning, reflection, analysis, and assessment.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an internship, a student should have 18 credit hours of Biology courses and a GPA of at least 2.5 overall. In exceptional circumstances, the department head may override these requirements.

Requirements

  • The internship must provide an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills learned in Biology classes within a workplace/professional setting. The student must keep a written journal describing such activities.
  • To accomplish its educational purpose, the internship must allow an opportunity for the student to learn. Such learning can be accomplished by having the student conduct one or more independent projects. The student must prepare a written report of such independent projects and make an oral presentation to the department based on the report.
  • A Biology faculty member must supervise the internship, assess the performance of the intern, and assign the grade based on the written work presented and the assessment of the on-site supervisor.
  • There must be an on-site supervisor who agrees to guide the student in completing the goals of the internship. The on-site supervisor will provide an assessment of the student’s performance to the faculty supervisor.
  • The internship must require a minimum of nine hours of work per week, not including the academic component.
  • The internship may be paid or unpaid.