Careers in ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

EMPLOYMENT & INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Employment in Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies majors find meaningful employment--with consulting firms, planning offices, non-governmental organizations, corporate environmental affairs divisions, government regulatory agencies, and educational institutions. You should explore potential opportunities through discussions with faculty and current and former students, by reviewing materials in the Environmental Studies office, by visiting Temple's Career Center, by searching the web (again, the links below are a fine place to start), and by generally staying alert for information and job leads.

One excellent source of information is The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century, by the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO). A copy of the guide is available for you to review in the Environmental Studies office, and you can order your own copy--at a special student rate--from ECO. ECO's web site is a very useful one, a good one to bookmark. Inspiration also can found in the form of a series of "profiles" of recent Environmental Studies and Science graduates who are working in the field. These profiles introduce the chapters in the text Environmental Science: A Global Concern (William P. Cunningham and Barbara Woodworth Saigo, McGraw-Hill). A copy of the book is available at the Environmental Studies office, and some of you use this text in the GUS C050 course "Environment and Society."

Watch the Environmental Studies listserv for events related to jobs and careers and, if at all possible, follow up on the leads provided and participate in the on-campus and off-campus events. You can review all messages to students by going to the listserv archives at:
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/tuenv-students.html
(You need not be a member of the listserv to access these messages)

Internships In Environmental Studies

Qualified students are encouraged to complete an internship in their area of interest. We can help you with setting up an internship. You should regard the internship as a serious undertaking; in other words, you are expected to work hard, be prompt and reliable, and generally represent Temple well. In return, your on-site internship supervisor should ensure that your responsibilities are meaningful and that you are not consigned to photocopying and pencil-sharpening duties. Procedures for evaluation and assignment of a grade will be included in the internship agreement that is required for any internship that bears academic credit. All of these details must be arranged with your faculty adviser and internship supervisor before your internship commences.

When thinking about an internship--and it doesn't hurt to start thinking early--discuss your interests with your advisor and other faculty. Look at the web sites that are linked below and spend some time following the additional links contained within them. Come to the Environmental Studies office to look through information that is kept on file. Watch for announcements on the Environmental Studies listserv. And be creative in doing your own search for internship opportunities. If, for example, you want to do an internship in another part of the United States or overseas, there are opportunities and there are ways to learn more about them.

Are there internships that pay? As you might expect, there are more unpaid than paid opportunities. The advantage with an unpaid internship is that you can have a greater say in setting the terms and tailoring the experience to serve your needs. And bear in mind that some internships, while not carrying a stipend, will cover the costs of travel, supplies, etc. This is something you will want to discuss up-front, when you are arranging the internship. And there are some very good internships that provide stipends. The Environmental Protection Agency's NNEMS program is a good source for paying internships. Watch for the annual NNEMS announcement in December or January--and act quickly, as the application period is rather short.

Some internships listings are posted on the student listserv. You can view archived messages at:

http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/tuenv-students.html
(You need not be a member of the listserv to access these messages)