Want to take what you’re learning in class and put it to work in the real world? Many departments across the College of Arts and Sciences offer internship courses for credit (listed as “496” in the catalog). These internships let you apply your skills in professional settings—think museums, media companies, law offices, environmental conservation, healthcare and more.
💡 These are great stepping stones whether you're planning on grad school, diving straight into the job market or exploring what you want to do next.
✏️ All internship courses end in 496 and are listed below by department, not alphabetically.
Community Internship
Students are assigned to a research project with a community-based organization, agency, or center. Students study the agency and observe the dynamics of community activities in order to see how the role of the African American community executes decision making in government and social agencies and in the development of their cultural and economic activities.
Contact: Keith Griffler
Arts Management Internship
Students are assigned to art galleries or other institutions within the university or the community to get hands-on experience as interns.
Contact: Reinhard Reitzenstein
Communication Design Internship
An arranged experience within an agency and the printing industry familiarizes students with actual working conditions and considerations; students observe and participate in design for publication, mechanicals, and other facets of graphic arts production.
Contact: Reinhard Reitzenstein
Photography Internship
Internship at an art gallery or with a commercial, portrait, or architectural photographic firm; provides professional experience and familiarizes students with working conditions and expectations in their field.
Contact: Reinhard Reitzenstein
Print Media Internship
Provides professional experience and familiarizes students with practices and expectations in the field. An internship may be arranged with a commercial or not-for-profit print studio or gallery.
Contact: Reinhard Reitzenstein
Museum Internship
Museum and gallery internships are available at such institutions as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the CFA Art Gallery, the University Art Gallery, the Amherst Museum, and the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University. Students are encouraged to take AHI 480 (Museum Studies) before applying for an internship.
Contact: Reinhard Reitzenstein
Anthropology Internship
Students wishing to complete an internship with a host agency may register for this course with the agreement of the agency supervisor and the faculty advisor.
Contact: Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel
Asian Studies Internship
This internship course, under faculty supervision, provides students with an opportunity to gain practical, professional experience.
Contact: Yan Liu
Biological Sciences Internship
This course provides 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.
Contact: Meredith Ezak Scheider
Internship in Communication
Students intern anywhere in the U.S. in a wide variety of Communication-related careers such as marketing, public relations, social media, event planning, advertising, media, human resources, and business. Online coursework is completed as students intern in an approved organization. Open to COM and related majors and minors in good academic standing with at least 30 credits; best to apply three months advance. Repeatable. 1-5 credit hours. Graded pass/fail.
Contact: Lance Rintamaki
Undergraduate Internship Program
This internship program provides field experience at the undergraduate level for potential future clinicians of speech and language pathology and possible school professionals. The intern attends at the host site under the supervision of the assigned mentor. A broad exposure to the variety of professions collaborating at the host site, and what they do is achieved. Success in fulfilling the attendance hours, supervisor's grading, and a written report submitted at the end of the semester by the intern, all contribute to the final grade. 112 hours of attendance is needed to get the three credits, and a letter grade is assigned at the end of the semester.
Contact: Alison Hendricks
Geological Sciences Internship
Allows students to experience geologic challenges, first-hand, in an industry, teaching or research setting. Students in the program will tackle geological issues in a real-life context, giving them a chance to apply knowledge that was gained in a more formalized, classroom setting.
Contact: James Boyle
Internship in Economics
Students arrange an internship in the private or public sector. As long as this position has a strong economics content, the student can apply to the director of undergraduate studies in economics for internship credit. Application must be made in advance and must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies. Prerequisite coursework includes ECO 405, 407, and 480.
Contact: Joanne McLaughlin
Writing Internship
These three-credit courses allow undergraduates to do sustained work as interns. Students have in the past used this course opportunity to obtain internships at local newspapers such as The Buffalo News, to work at regional and national magazines such as Long Island Pulse and Maxim, to work for literary agents in New York City, and to pursue research programs at institutions such as the Schwan Law Firm and Compeer Greater Buffalo. Students have also used writing internships while working to complete the Journalism Certificate Program. These internships allow students to hone skills in research and writing key to a successful career in journalistic fields.
Contact: Walter Hakala
Environmental Internship
The Environmental Internship, offered during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters, provides students with professional experiences in the areas of Environmental Policy, Education, Resources, and Sustainability. This course, administered through the Department of Environment and Sustainability, coordinates intern placements with governmental, non-profit and corporate organizations in Western New York and beyond. Through this internship, students gain invaluable on-the-job experience and gain further insight into personal areas of focus and professional opportunities.
Contact: Sandy Geffner
Geographic Internship
Involves a work opportunity in a local governmental agency or firm.
Contact: Jared Aldstadt
Women's Studies Internship
Provides an opportunity for majors to put into practice feminist theories and concepts developed in their coursework. Internships are available, for example, at Planned Parenthood, Erie County Commission of the Status of Women, Everywoman Opportunity Center Inc., or in an area of the student's major concentration and interest.
Contact: Marla Segol
Public History Internship
Students learn to connect their historical studies with the world outside the academy by doing an internship at a historical site or museum. Students must arrange the internship themselves. The internship site must have a strong connection to history; some local examples include the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, the Amherst Museum, Old Fort Niagara, and the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural site.
Contact: Andreas Daum
Indigenous Studies Internship
Provide hands-on experience in the field. It provides an opportunity to put into practice concepts developed in coursework. In addition to valuable experiential learning, an internship can be used as the first step towards a career, an excellent addition to a resume, and a source for job contacts and future references. Internships are available in an area of the student’s major concentration and interest. Department registration required. Permission of the internship and advisor required.
Contact: indigenous-studies@buffalo.edu
Jewish Thought Internship
The Jewish Studies Internship Program provides a mechanism for highly motivated students of all levels to earn 3 academic credits by combining internship experience with educational knowledge of the Jewish tradition. Upon approval, the student’s internship is registered for the JDS496 credit.
Contact: jewish-thought@buffalo.edu
Linguistics Internship
Language teaching experience either in a UB department (Linguistics, a language department, English Language Institute, etc.), in the Buffalo public schools, or at a public service agency (International Institute of Buffalo, Herman Badillo Institute, Literacy Volunteers, etc.). Open to majors and non-majors.
Contact: David Fertig
German Internship/Practicum
Hands-on experience in language and cultural studies at institutions and organizations in Western New York and/or nationwide.
Contact: David Fertig
Japanese Internship/Practicum
Hands-on experience in language and cultural studies at institutions and organizations in Western New York and/or nationwide.
Contact: Mitsuaki Shimojo
Korean Internship/Practicum
Hands-on experience in language and cultural studies at institutions and organizations in Western New York and/or nationwide.
Contact: Hyein Amber Kim
Internship in Mathematics
Students get field experience in mathematical employment, in business, industry or education, working under the joint supervision of an off-campus supervisor and a university faculty member, usually the director of undergraduate studies. May be taken once only.
Contact: Joseph Hundley
Media Arts Internship
Media Study majors have the opportunity to gain variable academic credit for internships in local and national media production companies, television stations, cable companies, and media access centers. Guidelines are set by an internship supervisor in collaboration with a faculty sponsor to provide hands-on practical experience in an on-the-job training program.
Contact: Jeffrey Dennison
Music Community Internships
Buffalo is well-known for its thriving music scene. There are a wealth of opportunities throughout the community for undergraduate students to gain hands-on knowledge and experience of various aspects of the music industry, from performing to behind-the-scenes technical work to the business of music.
Contact: mus-info@buffalo.edu
Buffalo String Works Internship
The mission of Buffalo String Works is to provide high-quality music instruction on stringed and percussion instruments to children of low-income, refugee and immigrant parents. Undergraduate music students may intern with Buffalo String Works for one or more semesters, earning two credits per semester.
Contact: mus-info@buffalo.edu
Music Theory Tutoring
Advanced undergraduate theory students may earn internship credit (two credits per semester) by tutoring other undergraduate music students. This is an excellent opportunity to develop teaching, critical thinking and leadership skills, as well as build theory knowledge in a practical setting.
Contact: mus-info@buffalo.edu
Philosophy Internship
This course is designed to provide students with opportunities to apply and expand knowledge and skills developed in the UB Philosophy department, with particular emphasis on applied ontology. Students may work with ontology clients/consumers, back-end and front-end developers, subject-matter experts, and applied ontologists, to promote skills of self-evaluation, problem-solving, project development. Students will become acquainted with new career/internship opportunities that exist within the field of Applied Ontology.
Contact: John Beverley
Political Science Community Internship Program
Involves service with state legislators from the area, city or county government, or various public agencies. Work includes policy research, drafting legislation, field investigations, program evaluations, and contacts with other organizations.
Contact: Rachael Hinkle
Washington Semester Internship Program
Involves a semester placement in Washington under the direction of a SUNY Brockport Program Officer. Participation includes an internship, a research seminar, and a research paper.
Contact: Rachael Hinkle
NYS Legislative Internship Program
Involves semester placement in the Albany office of a state senate or assembly member; requires forty-plus-hour weeks as legislative assistants under a professional staff member's guidance. Also requires special readings, weekly seminar, short reports, and a major research paper, under the direction of SUNY faculty-in-residence.
Contact: Rachael Hinkle
Supervised Applied Experience
A program of applied work in a community, government, or private agency or organization related to the major in psychology. Must be agreed upon by the student and a faculty sponsor in the department. Credit does not count toward the major and the course is graded pass/fail.
Contact: Joyce Lacy
Tutoring Language and Narrative in Immigrant Communities Internship
This internship is designed as an experiential learning course for (primarily) majors and minors in Romance Languages and Literatures. Its aim is to provide them with some basic principles of TESOL, and then pair each student with an individual in the WNY refugee community for tutoring in English and for the preparation of a narrative about their lives. The goals of the course are for RLL students to expand their own cultural awareness, expand their awareness of English and of language itself, learn some rudiments of TESOL which they may wish to explore further with a Fulbright year or TESOL certification, recognize the value of their own training in language and literature, and become acquainted with the strengths and needs of local immigrant communities. Pre-Requisites: Permission of instructor, plus at least two 300-level courses in FR, SPA, ITA, or GER
Contact: rll-info@buffalo.edu
French Internship/Practicum
Hands-on experience in language and cultural studies at institutions and community organizations in the Western New York area.
Contact: Colleen Culleton
Spanish Internship/Practicum
Hands-on experience in language and cultural studies at institutions and community organizations in the Western New York area.
Contact: Maureen Jameson
Sociology Internship
Typically conducted in a community agency, government office, or private setting. Gives students the opportunity to observe and participate in a variety of work experiences related to sociology. Open to sociology majors or social justice minors with junior or senior class standing only.
Contact: ugradsoc@buffalo.edu
Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Internships
Hands-on experience engaging with timely issues and making a social impact. Internships are supported in numerous organizations across various sectors of society including health and human services, non-profit, education and government, for majors in health and human services, international studies, urban and public policy studies, and legal studies; and minors in non-profit leadership and health and human services.
Contact: Roslyn Joy-Colon
Dance Teaching Internship
Gives qualified students experience as teaching assistants or teaching interns.
Contact: Melanie Aceto
Internship in Music Theatre
An internship position with a professional company or educational institution. Focuses on actual "field" experience to enhance the student's preparation for a professional career in musical theatre.
Contact: td-theatredance@buffalo.edu
Theatre Internship
Practical, hands-on experience in performance venues. Including but not limited to the areas of promotion, public relations, theatre management, box office, ushering, stage management, performance, etc.
Contact: Jeanne Fornarola
Internships aren’t just about adding a line to your resume; they’re about building confidence and making your education work for you. Talk with your academic advisor or your department to learn how to register for a 496 internship course.