Internship & ILC Process

An internship or an independent learning contract is a valuable part of your Master of Environmental Studies degree. Manage the process effectively to get the best results.

You may earn up to 8 credits toward your degree in any combination of internship or independent learning contract work. Internships may be paid or unpaid.

  • 10 hours per week will count for 2 credits.
  • 20 or more hours per week will count for 4 credits. (This is the maximum amount allowed per quarter.)

Internships

Every quarter that you have an internship, you must have a separate contract with different learning objectives, even if you stay with the same organization.

  • Find an organization

    If you haven't already made a connection, there are many options for good MES internships.

    You may also want to talk to your faculty or think about connections you’ve made in the community.

    The person you work with at an organization will be your field supervisor.

  • Plan your contract and find a sponsor

    Plan What You Want to Learn

    Together with your field supervisor, you’ll come up with a contract to describe the work you’ll be doing and how it connects to your graduate degree.

    Find a Faculty Sponsor

    At the same time, you’ll need to identify a faculty sponsor from the MES core faculty.

  • Register your contract

    Login to My Evergreen, click on "Individual Learning Contracts", select a term and create a new contract. You will be guided through the process and then the contract will need to be electronically approved by the field supervisor, faculty sponsor and Director. Student approval is the final step and then you will be automatically registered.  You do not need to create a CRN or otherwise go through the normal online registration. All approvals must be completed by the fifth day of the quarter to avoid late registration fees.

  • Complete additional paperwork

    • Site agreement (Non-governmental organizations only. See if your organization has already submitted a site agreement)
    • Field supervisor approval (can be electronic)
    • Student waiver (print and sign, then submit to MES director)

    See the MES handbook for details. When you set up your contract, you’ll also be told what additional forms you need to complete.

Independent Learning Contracts (ILCs)

Occasionally, students develop their own curriculum with faculty to pursue independent research. To complete an ILC, you will need to work with a core faculty member to craft your learning objectives and guide your work. See the MES handbook for more information.