The Department of Environmental Studies places a high value on experiential education and applied learning. We strongly encourage students to engage in internships, service learning, field research, or study abroad as an integral part of their undergraduate education.
ENVR 391 is the field experience course for the Environmental Studies major. Students participate in a self-designed field project or internship for a non-profit or government organization. As a service-learning project, the field project provides students with hands-on experience in the environmental field while providing service to the organization where they work. Throughout the course, students will reflect on the relationship between their academic and field experiences as well as the application of these experiences to possible future careers.
- Gain valuable hands-on experience in the environmental field
- Explore human-environment interactions and develop an understanding of contemporary environmental issues
- Enhance critical thinking and communication skills through field experiences
Students are responsible for researching, applying for, and securing an approved field experience or internship.
If you are interested in a Field Experience or Internship, the Field Experience Coordinator is here to help you.
Contact: Dr. Jessica Rogers, Environmental Studies, Field Experience Coordinator, Satterlee 307A, rogersje@potsdam.edu.
Six Steps for Completing ENVR 391 (Field Project)
Stories from the Field
Environmental Studies students have completed field experiences and internships from the North Country to Alaska, with public agencies in the Adirondacks and non-profit organizations in Washington DC. Student field experiences and internships have spanned across several Environmental areas including but not limited to:
- Natural Resource Conservation
- Parks and Recreation
- Environmental Policy and Planning
- Education and Communication
- Sustainability
- Environmental Science
Finding Internships
Undergraduates at SUNY Potsdam are encouraged to obtain extra career related experience in their chosen field by doing off-campus internships. Contact the Experiential Education Office at (315) 267-2507 or visit their website to learn more. Examples of previous internships in which Environmental Studies students have participated include:
- SUNY Potsdam Environmental Studies, Potsdam, NY
- SUNY Potsdam WISER Center, Potsdam, NY
- Cornell Cooperative Extension North Wind Afterschool, Canton, NY
- Friends of Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain, NY
- Hadley Fire Tower Committee, Hadley, NY
- Carpenters Brook Fish Hatchery, Elbridge, NY
- Blue Mountain Lake Association, Blue Mountain Lake, NY
- Massawepie Scout Camps, Tupper Lake, NY
- Teatown Lake Reservation Nature and Science Summer Camp. Ossining, NY
- New York State Parks, Braddocks Bay, Niagara Falls, NY
- Friends of Carpenters Brook Fish Hatchery, Elbridge, NY
- Massawepie, Piercefield, NY
- Peconic Land Trust, Southampton, AR
- SOAR INC.m Balsam, NC
Employers after SUNY Potsdam
- Development Authority: Rodman, NY - Recycling Specialist
- Breward Zoo: Melburne, FL - Seasonal Educator
- Adjutant General's Department: Corcord, NH - Environmental Technician