The School of Biological Sciences' Internship Program
A Biology internship experience is any opportunity outside of Georgia Tech where students receive direct, hands-on experience that utilizes biology knowledge gained from coursework. These experiences can provide valuable job skills and a preview of the types of careers available to Biology majors upon graduation.
Securing an Internship Experience
Internships are available from many different sources including local government, academia, and industry groups. The School of Biological Sciences partners with the Atlanta Audubon Society, CDC, GT Environmental Health and Safety, GTRI Occupational Safety and Health Programs, Piedmont Hospital, and local biotechnology companies, among others to provide opportunities specifically for biology majors. Biology internship opportunities are posted in the Biology Majors Portal. In addition to internships on our portal, we encourage students to directly seek out internships advertised through specific organization websites. The following organizations all offer internships that are competitive and sought after: Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium, Fernbank Museum, Atlanta Botanical Garden, GBI Forensic Science. Students should contact those organizations directly to apply. Additional opportunities can be found in job search engines like Indeed.com and Handshake. Internship application deadlines and interviews often operate well ahead of course registration; planning ahead is essential.
Once a student has received a formal internship offer, please contact Alison Onstine. She will help determine which Internship course (Credit or Audit) is appropriate and arrange for a registration permit. Internships can be registered during Phase 1 or Phase 2. Please reach out at least a week prior to the start of the term, as some paperwork may be required. The sooner the better to insure time for the registration process.
Internship Courses in The School of Biological Sciences
Internship for Credit: BIOS 4695
- Unpaid
- Authentic job training in a biology-related field*
- Coursework assessments include a mid-term and final report
- Can be taken for a letter grade (Recommended) or pass/fail
- 1 credit hour = 3 internship hours per week or 45 hours across the semester.
- Students typically enroll in 1 to 3 credits
- Can be taken for credit multiple times
- Up to 6 credit hours of BIOS 4695 can be used as Biology breadth electives
- BIOS 4695 credits can be used as free electives
* To receive course credit for an internship experience, students must be involved in authentic, hands-on, job-related training in a biological or biologically related organization. These are positions directly related to career goals and leverage skill and knowledge gained through required coursework. Unfortunately, this does not include internships where the primary duties involve observing (shadowing) or performing administrative or managerial tasks.
Internship for Audit: BIOS 4694
- Paid or unpaid
- No coursework assessments required
- No academic credit will be granted
- No tuition will be charged
- All types of biology-related internships are accepted
- Internship will appear on the student’s transcript
- Can be taken for audit multiple times
- Audit hours can be used to establish full time student status for certain scholarships (check with financial aid case-by-case)
- The Career Center offers a separate internship audit course option for internships that are not biology-related.
Related Programs
Georgia Tech's Cooperative Education Program is a five-year academic program in which students alternate semesters as a full-time student with semesters of full-time work. In addition to providing experiences outside of academia, the Co-op program can provide the student with full-time research work within a Georgia Tech faculty member’s lab if the faculty member is agreeable. Biology majors participating in the Co-op program must plan course schedules very carefully, since courses required for a degree in Biology may not always be offered during the at-school semester. This will be more of a problem when the at-school semester occurs during the summer semester.
The Undergraduate Professional Internship (UPI) Program provides practical work experience in a professional setting, on-campus or off-campus, related to the student's field of study. Internships are a partnership among students, employers, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Internships are single-semester, paid, major-related work experiences designed to help students understand the "real world" applications of their academic studies. Opportunities are available during summer, fall, and spring semesters and require a commitment of full-time employment for a minimum of 18 weeks during the spring and fall semesters or 12 weeks during the summer semester. To contact the UPI office, email intern@dopp.gatech.edu.
