Internships
Geography Internship Coordinator: Scott Wade (236-A Brewster Building; 252 328-6029; wades@ecu.edu)
The Internship in Geography allows geography majors to apply their geography skills in a professional work environment, providing them a competitive edge on the job market. Students must complete 180 hours of work with a sponsoring agency to receive three (3) credit hours, or 60 hours of work per credit hour. Three internship credit hours are required for the BS degree in Geography and are optional for the other degree programs in the Department.
Before seeking an internship, students should meet with the Geography Internship Coordinator to discuss placement opportunities, course requirements, the internship contract, and professional conduct. In addition, it is helpful for the student to begin exploring internship opportunities two semesters prior to placement since many of the most exciting internships require that applications and references be submitted by a deadline. For example, summer internships with the State of North Carolina Internship Program and the National geospatial Intelligence Agency both have deadlines in the prior Fall academic semester.
Internship placement opportunities abound, and students are encouraged to seek placement with an agency that can accommodate their interests. While internship opportunities exist year-round, summer internships should be explored since there is a greater range of summer placement opportunities and students are usually more flexible with regard to summer travel and living arrangements. Examples of past sponsoring agencies include:
- American Association of Geographers Internship Program
- City and county government GIS or planning departments
- Federal government agencies (e.g., National Geospatial Intelligence Agency; National Park Service)
- GIS software companies (e.g., ESRI)
- Hispanic Access Foundation’s Mano Project internships with National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife, and others.
- International non-profit organizations
- Local and regional non-profit agencies (e.g., Sound Rivers, Love a Sea Turtle; Z-Smith Reynolds)
- National Geographic Society
- Private engineering and GIS consulting firms (e.g., McKim and Creed)
- Regional councils of government (e.g., Mid-East Commission, Triangle J COG)
- Research with ECU professors
- State of North Carolina Internship Program (students can find agencies and locations that match their degree and interests)
- Student Conservation Association
- Sustainability offices and agencies (e.g. ECU Sustainability Office)
- Television station weather forecasting divisions
Students are encouraged to research and contact potential sponsoring agencies on their own If students have trouble finding an internship sponsor, they can seek help with placement from the Internship Coordinator. Either way, the internship must be approved by the Internship Coordinator and the Department Chair before the student begins internship work.
Internship Photo Gallery
Search for opportunities
- Check out links to companies and organizations above
- Check your student email regularly
- Follow us on social media (links above)
- Research opportunities on Handshake