Environmental Studies Internships

Impact Interns Program

In Environmental Studies, we understand that our students don’t just want to learn about environmental issues in class—they want to apply their knowledge and skills on the ground to make a positive impact.

Internships are one of the most effective ways to test-drive your career path, discover your professional strengths, and build a competitive resume for life after WashU. Through our Impact Internship Program, we match students with paid positions alongside our most valued local organizational partners to solve real-world environmental challenges. Operating year-round during the fall, spring, and summer terms, this program embeds students directly within St. Louis organizations, allowing them to engage with the environmental issues that affect people’s lives every day while supporting vital community-led work across the region.

Look below to see our available positions, and please review our academic policies regarding internship credits:

  • Major/Minor Policy: Please note that internships are tracked as extracurricular professional development and do not count toward Environmental Studies major or minor requirements.
  • Need credit for an outside internship? Environmental Studies does not sponsor course credit for external, "bring-your-own" internships. Instead, students can earn GEST credit by following the Arts & Sciences Internship Guidelines.
  • Still searching for the perfect opportunity? Don't worry, there are plenty of ways to get involved! Discover more Environmental, Sustainability, and Climate Change (ESCC) research and internship options hosted by our campus partners here. 

Compensation
Our stipends are calculated at the equivalent of $20 per hour.

  • Fall & Spring Semesters: $2,500 stipend (125-hour minimum commitment)
  • Summer (Part-Time): $3,000 stipend (150-hour minimum commitment)
  • Summer (Full-Time): $6,000 stipend (300-hour minimum commitment)

A specific stipend distribution schedule will be provided at the time of hiring. Generally, stipends are distributed across four payments during the fall and spring semesters, and two payments over the summer.

Time Commitment
To ensure Impact Interns can engage meaningfully with their organizations, we require a minimum hourly commitment. During the academic year, this equates to roughly 8 hours per week. During the summer, it equates to roughly 20 hours per week for full-time, or 10 hours per week for part-time.

Your schedule can vary from week to week, but it is critically important to ensure you have adequate time to commit to this internship before applying. If you are taking extra courses, or already have a job or another internship, this opportunity may not be the right fit for you at this time. Please Note: If interns do not complete the hours requirement, they may not be eligible to continue their internship, their stipend may be revoked, or both.  

Eligibility & Expectations
Any currently enrolled undergraduate student at Washington University may apply for this program, though preference is given to Environmental Studies students. By applying, students commit to attending several events and professional development sessions with their intern cohort throughout the semester.  Students may not intern after they graduate, and all summer interns must be actively enrolled at WashU for the upcoming fall semester.

We are currently accepting Impact Internship applications for Fall 2026! To apply, please fill out the Application Form. You are welcome to apply for multiple roles by submitting a separate application form for each position.

Open Impact Internship Positions:

Please note: Submitting an application form does not guarantee an internship placement, as positions are competitive and selections depend on project matching and availability.

Prospective interns must complete the Impact Internship Application Form, which is linked under "Open Positions". If you are planning to apply, please keep the following in mind:

  • Prepare Your Resume: You will be required to upload an updated resume directly to the application form.

  • Applying for Multiple Roles: If you wish to apply for multiple positions, you must submit a separate application form for each individual role.

  • Review Details Carefully: Please read each internship description thoroughly for specific information regarding its time commitment, scope of work, and unique instructions.

Questions? Please contact Casey Ringenberg at c.ringenberg@wustl.edu with any questions about the application process.

Are you looking for talented, passionate students to help advance environmental work at your organization? You've come to the right place! We welcome partnerships with community organizations, government agencies, and businesses across the St. Louis region. If you are interested in hosting a WashU intern for an upcoming semester or summer, we want to hear from you!

Your organization does not need to have an environmental focus, so long as the intern is working on an environmental issue. We define the environment broadly to include many themes around housing quality, public health, food apartheid, policy, and more. Reach out and ask us even if you aren’t sure your task is environmental!

To get started, please reach out to Casey Ringenberg at c.ringenberg@wustl.edu with your proposed internship description and desired timeline. You can find additional information about the program in the Impact Internship Handbook. 

Please note: While we prioritize partnerships with nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and community groups, we also recognize that many for-profit entities engage with pressing environmental issues. We consider corporate or for-profit internships on a case-by-case basis. Please note that for-profit partners may be asked to cover all or part of their intern’s stipend cost.

Occasionally some students need to obtain course credit to participate in our Impact Internship. We offer a course (EnSt 2990) that can provide 3 units of credit if a student meets each of the following criteria: 1) has already been accepted into the Impact Intern Program through the standard application procedure, 2) is an international student or a student with high financial need, and 3) has met with the Impact Internship Coordinator about these eligibility criteria. 

Environmental, Sustainable, and Climate Change Internships

Still searching for the right fit? Explore the Environment, Sustainability, and Climate Change (ESCC) Internship Program!

If our current Impact Internships aren't exactly what you’re looking for, you can find additional sustainability focused roles across WashU. The ESCC Internship Program is a multi-stakeholder initiative that places students into specialized internships, research cohorts, and project teams, while simultaneously providing valuable professional development and enrichment training throughout the year. The program is a partnership between the Office of Sustainability, the Center for the Environment, the Environmental Studies Program, and the Tyson Research Center. 

The Office of Sustainability (OOS) is a team of staff and students charged with providing the vision, strategy, and leadership for advancing operational and cultural sustainability efforts at WashU. The Office of Sustainability staff manages a team of approximately 20 part-time, paid student associates during the school year and 4-5 full-time paid associates over the summer to support the university’s efforts to be a sustainability leader.

Learn more at: OOS

Tyson is a field station with laboratories, experimental facilities, and 2,000 acres of land, Tyson provides opportunities for multi-scale research and educational programs. There are two programs that are run out of Tyson, the Tyson Undergraduate Fellows, and the Conservation Corps. 

The Center for the Environment is an interdisciplinary hub of environmental research that accelerates research across environmental solutions. The Center for the Environment internship program is open to all WashU undergraduate students and typically includes 4-5 students per semester, working on projects from website management to program development.

More information can be found here

The Living Earth Collaborative is the premier science-driven consortium in leading-edge biodiversity research and education. It is a partnership between Washington University, Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo. More information on undergraduate research opportunities can be found here.

Other Internship Opportunties

There are multiple other opportunities to find internship opportunities across the university as well, here are a few:

The Gephardt Institute employs a range of student staff including undergraduate coordinators, graduate assistants, and graduate fellows who fulfill essential roles and benefit from substantive professional and personal development.

Learn more about our internship program, the St. Louis Fellow Program, and other opportunities.

Handshake is WashU’s career management platform and is available to all students and alumni. Schedule a career coaching appointment, plus find Center for Career Engagement workshops, events, and career fairs. Explore internships and job opportunities from employers across industries, including on-campus jobs. 

With Handshake you can:

  • Interview for jobs and internships on campus
  • Find career tips and Q&A’s
  • Stay connected with peers and job-related news
  • Navigate upcoming employer events on campus
  • Register for career fairs and events