Gain Experience Through U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Internships

Two interns collect signs along the beach and smile at the camera
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Student Conservation Association interns at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine prepare to post signs on the beach to inform visitors not to disturb nesting piping plovers.

 

Collectively, the following internship programs are designed to provide current students and recent graduates with practical hands-on job experiences that can lead to established careers within government service.

Many internships involve work in wildlife- or visitor services-related fields that include monitoring and assessing threatened or endangered species and habitats, conducting urban conservation outreach programs, general maintenance and management or cultural/historical resource management.  

 
 

 

Pathways Program for Students and Recent Graduates 

The Pathways Program offers federal internship and employment opportunities found on USAJobs.gov. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service appoints interns through the three Pathways Program components. 

Two smiling young women face the camera, one holding a baby alligator, at Aransas Refuge in Texas.
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Student Conservation Association interns hold a young alligator at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

  • The Internship Program targets current students enrolled in high school, college or technical school at least half time. 

  • The Recent Graduates Program targets individuals who apply within two years of graduation (longer for veterans).  

  • The Presidential Management Fellowship Program is for students and recent graduates with an advanced degree (e.g., a master's, Ph.D. or J.D.).
      

Explore more information on Pathways. Candidates become non-permanent employees through all three of these Pathways Programs with the opportunity to be converted to a permanent, term or temporary employee at the end of the program.  
 

Partner Internships 

An image of two people working together to band woodducks.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service interns work alongside staff to gain valuable experience while advancing our mission of conserving, protecting, and enhancing, fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Here an intern helps a staff member band wood ducks at Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also partners with nongovernmental organizations to provide internship opportunities for students and graduates. The partner internships help us promote and build a robust and diverse applicant pool for our conservation positions. 

  • Our Career Discovery Internship Program opportunities are designed for college freshman and sophomores to introduce them to conservation careers and prepare the next generation of wildlife professionals.  

  • The Directorate Fellows Program is our direct-hire program to increase diversity by recruiting females, people of color and other students from underrepresented populations among our staff. Candidates receive direct-hire authority for 2 years after students successfully complete a rigorous 11-week paid fellowship and their related college or graduate degree requirements, per the Public Land Corps Act.  Fellowship opportunities are available in biological science, natural resource management, outreach and urban conservation, information technology, conservation law enforcement and related fields.  

  • These programs and many other individual internship opportunities are recruited for and hired by one of our collaborating partners.

    Check out these partners' sites to learn of potential internship opportunities:

  • Student Conservation Association

  • Hispanic Access Foundation

  • American Conservation Experience

  • MobilizeGreen

Questions?

Questions about our jobs, internships or the application process? Email us at connect@fws.gov.