Internship Opportunities

The Washington D.C. metropolitan area is the site of one of the world's largest concentrations of biomedical and biotechnology research. Our students benefit from our geographic location by gaining the opportunity to participate in research internships at federal research centers, research hospitals, and biotechnology firms. Students in the chemical and biological sciences also have the unique opportunity to work under the guidance of U.S. Food and Drug Administration scientists through the JIFSAN internship program.

This website contains many resources for helping students find internships. Listings of currently available internships are sent out via the CMNS Undergraduate News Listserv, and posted on the CMNS Job and Internship Opportunities page.

Some internships offer a stipend or hourly wage, while others are unpaid. In some cases, if the internship has a strong academic component, it is possible to earn academic credit for an internship experience.

Finding an Internship

Finding the perfect internship requires a combination of luck, determination, and ingenuity. It's best to use a variety of strategies. 

Keep your eyes open:

• Subscribe to CMNS Undergrad News

• Consult with Peer Mentors in 1317 Symons Hall

• Visit the University Career Center (3rd floor, Hornbake Library)

• Check out the bulletin boards in academic buildings

Network:

• Create your own personal network of friends, professors, teaching assistants, and academic/career advisors. Many openings are never advertised widely because they are quickly filled by word of mouth.

• Be sure to visit campus career fairs (see the Career Center's website for dates of upcoming fairs)

Search online:

• University Career Center: provides career counseling, maintains resources on career planning and job hunting, sponsors information sessions and workshops, and assists with internship, part-time and full-time job placement.

• Careers 4 Terps: 24-hour access to job and internship listings, resume referral, on-campus interviewing, and updates on employer events.

• CMNS Job and Internship opportunities: a listing of recent internship and job opportunities

• JIFSAN internship program: research internships in a variety of areas (e.g., animal health, analytical chemistry, immunology, microbiology, risk assessment, and toxicology) sponsored by the University of Maryland, College Park and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

• National Park Service internship program: a collaboration between the University of Maryland, College Park and the NPS that allows students to gain experience in science education and communication.

• Other regions of the U.S.: Try the internship websites of colleges and universities in other regions and explore The University Career Center's listing of reciprocal arrangements with other colleges that allows you to search for opportunities across the country.

• International Internships: GoAbroad.com and StudyAbroad.com have comprehensive listings of programs and resources. The Career Center can also help you find these kinds of opportunities.

Tips for locating specific types of opportunities

On-campus research

• The Research Opportunities on Campus website has links to a variety of on-campus research resources and suggestions for locating a mentor.

• Keep an eye out for flyers posted in hallways too...

Off-campus research

• Check out the JIFSAN internship program, a collaboration between our campus and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

• The National Institutes of Health sponsors many research internship programs. See the NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education website for more details.

• Search for National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer internships.

Clinical/Health Care

• Become a Campus Health Center Peer Educator.

• The Health Professions Advising Office lists a wide variety of extracurricular experiences in the health professions, including clinical opportunities, summer programs, volunteer opportunities, and international internships.

• The Leadership and Community Service Learning Office lets you search online for opportunities in many fields, including health care.

Non-profit Organizations and Community Service

• Leadership and Community Service Learning Office has gathered a large number of resources to assist students, faculty, and staff in finding service opportunities. These resources can be found on their website or by visiting Suite 1110 in Stamp Student Union.

• Search for volunteer and internship opportunities in the U.S. and abroad on the Idealist website.