Pathways Student Internships

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s mission is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish and wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service is committed to the outreach and recruitment of a highly qualified, diverse, and inclusive workforce to support our conservation mission.

Pathways Internship Program

FWS employee smiles at camera and holds a role of twine while another employee uses the twine to build an exclosure to protect nesting birds
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The Pathways Internship Program provides students enrolled in, or accepted for enrollment, in a qualifying educational institution with paid opportunities to work either part- or full-time with the Service.  

The program provides students the opportunity to explore career paths or interests related to their academic fields of study in the conservation field. 

The program welcomes all backgrounds including women, people of color, individuals with disabilities, and other underrepresented populations to gain valuable experience.

Not just an internship: A career opportunity

Students who successfully complete program requirements may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a term or permanent position in the civil service.     

Learn more about Pathways:  

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Pathways Student internship program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • You must be a student accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled in a degree or certificate program on at least a half-time basis and in good standing who will be continuing education into the next semester or have received a notice of acceptance for enrollment. (You are required to submit a copy of your transcript or notice of acceptance.)
  • Enrollment must be with an accredited educational institution. These may include, colleges, universities, technical, trade, vocational, or business schools. Educational institutions must be accredited by organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To see if your school is accredited, please visit: http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
  • Qualifying certificate programs are post-high school programs equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational, or business school curriculum.

Conversion to Federal Employee


Pathways intern positions may be converted to a term, career, or career conditional position, upon successful completion of the program. Conversion is neither mandatory nor guaranteed and would need to occur within 180-calendar days of successful completion of degree requirements. To be eligible for possible conversion to a position, the intern MUST:

  • Complete at least 480 hours of work experience acquired through the Internship Program prior to completing degree requirements.
  • Successfully complete their degree or certificate requirements.
  • Meet the qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted, including any minimum education requirements.
  • Meet agency-specific requirements as specified in the Participant's Agreement.
  • Performance must be rated at least at a fully successful level.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen.
  • Be recommended for conversion by the supervisor.

How to Apply

  1. View the webinar for more information on Pathways, navigating USAJobs, and assembling your federal resume:
  2. Prepare your USAJobs profile. Upload your resume and most recent transcript. Resumes are required to include beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed, and description of job duties. Include name and address of employer, supervisor name, and telephone number. Help navigating USAJobs is available here. 
  3. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their USAJobs profile and build or upload a resume early and begin the application process early during the open period to ensure there is time to address any questions or technical issues. 

Questions?

Contact connect@fws.gov.