Internships
UB student Scout McLerran, a biology major, works in the community garden as an intern with the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in August 2019. Photographer: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
An internship is a professional learning opportunity that offers meaningful, practical work related to a student's field of study or career interest. Biological Science majors have many different career goals, so internships vary from hands-on fieldwork, to lab-based benchwork, to patient-centered work in medical settings
Students who engage in these high-impact experiential learning opportunities will receive academic credit through enrollment in our internship course, BIO496.
On this page
BIO496, Biological Sciences Internship Course
This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain practical hands-on training, skill development and experience in a professional setting outside of the university and under the guidance of professionals in a work environment related to biology. This course provides an opportunity for students to reflect upon, evaluate, and assess their learning throughout the duration of their internship. The number of credits is variable, from two to three. For each credit hour, a minimum of 45 hours of work at the internship site must be completed. Review the BIO496 syllabus, here.
Finding Internships
Students can search for internships related to their academic and career goals on Bullseye powered by Handshake. Bullseye is an online service that makes it easy for UB students and alumni to connect with employers. Depending on the location and nature of the work, student internships may be paid or unpaid. Learn more about Bullseye powered by Handshake, here.
Students may also reach out to employers or professionals in their field of interest to inquire about possible internship opportunities. Such opportunites will require review and approval by the Internship Coordinator, Dr. Ezak, to ensure they are appropriate for academic credit.
Biological Sciences Experiential Learning Fellowships
The fellowships aim to provide students with financial support to facilitate undergraduate experiential learning through internships. Accepted students can expect to receive financial support from the Department of Biological Sciences in the amount of $3375 while interning 15 hours per week for the duration of one semester (15 weeks). These positions are posted to Bullseye powered by Handshake, advertised each semester to our student list serve, and are only open to undergraduates majoring in Biological Sciences. Seven of these paid internship opportunities are available per academic year, and have been made possible through generous funds donated from the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science.
Examples of Previous Student Internship Locations
Comprehensive Cancer Center, Antylia Scientific, Buffalo Zoo, Your Family Fertility (in-vitro fertility clinic), Para La Tierra (field work, Paraguay).
Potential Employer Inquiry
We invite inquiries from potential employers who wish to host a UB student-intern in our Biological Sciences Experiential Learning Fellowship Program. Each UB intern-fellow is fully funded for experiential learning opportunities approved by our department. For your convenience, the inquiry form is here.
