Internships
Internships are an excellent way to gain experience in your field and learn about yourself—what you enjoy doing. All students are highly encouraged to pursue at least one, and preferably two summer internships during their time at Virginia Tech. There is a large selection of (primarily) paid internships students can apply for. Some students may also pursue undergraduate research internships.
Students who complete internships often get more out of their classes and are better placed to pursue the career of their choice.
Q. What differentiates an internship from a summer job?
A. Employers generally commit to create opportunities for interns to experience various aspects of a job. For example, an intern may spend three weeks working in one aspect of a business or organization, and then rotate to another area.
Q. Are internships required?
A. No, internships are not currently required for any of our majors.
Q. How do I find an internship?
A. Look into online job and internship resources through the College of Natural Resources Career Services including their job and internship listings. Speak to your major advisor who may know of special internships for students in your field. Talk to other students, graduate students, club officers, and others who can tell you about their experiences. If you have a specific type of internship you are interested in, speak to your advisor or other faculty members and seek their advice.
Q. Are there other opportunities for field experience?
A. All of our majors give special emphasis to field skills. Many classes have laboratory sections devoted to hands-on skills. Students are well prepared to work in the “real world’ when they graduate and will have a broad array of field skills at their disposal. Forestry majors attend a four-week intensive Spring Camp to hone their skills. Natural Resource Recreation students receive extensive field experience in xxx in Outdoor Recreation Field Studies[link]. Other majors and options participate in extended field trips and short courses to gain additional field experience.