Internships

Build skills + gain experience with a Biology internship

Do you want to work at a pharmaceutical company? Are you interested in the environment and sustainability? Do you want to shadow a health professional? Does putting together exhibits at a science museum spark your interest? If so, participating in an undergraduate Biology internship is an excellent way to expand your knowledge outside the classroom and to gain career-oriented experience.

Biology internships (BIOL-X473) are offered every semester and over the summer. For every 50 hours you work, you can earn 1 credit. If you are shadowing someone, you can receive no more than 1 credit. If you combine shadowing and interning, the total limit is 3 credits. Note that these guidelines were revised Summer 2018, so please check with an advisor if you have questions.

You must be a Biology, Microbiology, or Biotechnology major and have at least a sophomore standing.

For more information, please contact Whitney Schlegel, internship program supervisor, at biointrn@iu.edu.

Internships lead to jobs

Internships not only provide additional experience to make you more employable, they can also give you a foot in the door. Ask IU Biology graduate Sam Couch.

Read Sam’s story

Internship opportunities

Check out a list of suggested local internships and other miscellaneous opportunities.

View the list

Follow these steps to participate in a Biology internship

The Biology undergraduate advising office staff and the Walter Center for Career Achievement are good resources to help you get started.

Contact an advisor Visit the Walter Center website

You will need to meet with the internship program supervisor, Whitney Schlegel, to discuss your objectives and goals for the internship, determine the best number of working hours, and discuss outcomes from the experience.

Contact the program supervisor

Sign up for BIOL-X473 through the Walter Center for Career Achievement. Step-by-step instructions for the application can be found in the Walter Center’s guidelines to earning internship credits. It can take 1-2 weeks to process the application, so please don’t wait until the day before!

Registration dates:

Spring semester: from November 5 to February 1
Summer semester: from March 5 to June 1
Fall semester: from July 2 to October 1

Walter Center guide to earning internship credits

The program supervisor will meet with you during the semester to make sure you are getting the most out of your internship experience. You will meet at midsemester to reassess goals and modify plans if necessary and then again at semester's end to see whether your goals were met and determine what you learned from the experience. You will be asked to answer 1 to 3 short-answer questions at both the mid- and end-semester meetings.

If you shadowed someone, that person will be required to write a brief description (1 to 2 paragraphs) about your participation during the internship and email it to the program supervisor.