Internships for BSE, Geography, GIS & Urban Studies Majors

We encourage all majors from our department to complete an internship after junior year or during senior year. Internships give you a real-world opportunity to contribute to the success of a business or organization while gaining hands-on experience to enhance your formal education. It can also help you build your professional network and secure a job after graduation.

Finding an Internship

Here is a list of some of our favorite resources for locating internships:

Internship Scholarships

If you are doing an unpaid internship, you should consider applying for the CLA Undergraduate Internship Scholarship.

Earning Credit for Your Internship

Contact your advisor to learn how to get major credit during your internship.

Internship Opportunities for BSE and Geography & GIS students

  • Click on one of the above links to explore internship opportunities across a range of interests, skills, and organizations.
  • Geography and BSE majors are encouraged to pursue paid and unpaid internship opportunities, and many of our students complete one or more internships, but these programs do not allow major credit for internships (Urban Studies does require an internship).
  • Geography, BSE, and GIS students may often register for internship credits in URBS 3986, the Urban Studies Internship Seminar (2cr). See the following description and contact pent0006@umn.edu for more information. This course and other UMTC internship courses will count towards your 120 minimum credits and many minor programs.

Urban Studies Major Requirements

Urban studies majors are required to complete one internship experience of at least 140 hours. The internship requirement is intended to help you become familiar with the challenges and opportunities of the working world. The internship experience requires 140 hours of work over the semester or an 8-week summer session at a particular agency, organization, or company in either the private business sector, the public service sector, or in a non-profit organization or foundation. Internships may be paid or unpaid. Internships should be completed towards the end of your Urban Studies coursework.

Schedule an appointment with the urban studies advisor, Paula Pentel, to talk about your plans and to register your internship experience with CLA, and then register for the Internship Seminar UrbS 3896—to be taken concurrently with your experience. 

Urban Studies alumni have pursued a variety of internships in a wide range of organizations and agencies.  Students are encouraged to pursue internship experiences in areas that match their interests and may provide an ongoing or future source of employment. As in the past, we would like to maintain a reasonable amount of flexibility for those students with special opportunities. As such, arrangements can be made for students who wish to complete internships in other US or foreign cities.

The listing above may be helpful for finding an internship. Additionally, pay attention to the emails from urbs-undergrad. That's where many internships from local agencies will be sent. The University Career Services can help you with resume and cover letter writing. Additionally;  students completing unpaid internships may apply for a competitive CLA Undergraduate Internship Scholarship.