Skip to main content

Professional Internships

The Professional Internship program provides students with work experiences that are critical in job placement. Crop and Soil Science graduates find the most valuable asset they have in seeking employment is the relevant experience they can offer an employer. As the economy shifts, students find part time and summer employment related to their academic specialization more difficult to secure. Employers have little time to devote to training; they want their new employees prepared to work and be productive. The Professional Internship program provides opportunity for students to fill the gap between academia and experience and a chance for employers to preview potential candidates for permanent employment.

Students who participate in the Internship program find that the experience broadens their perspectives and promotes a more mature outlook toward adaptation and change. Often, this involves their academic major and career objectives. The related work experience affords an appreciation of the work ethic and serves as a bridge between the academic world and the world of work. Students in Crop and Soil Sciences who have completed at least two academic years of study are eligible for the Internship program.

Industry representatives interview prospective interns and make their selections. A contractual agreement is completed by the faculty advisor, employer, and the student. In most cases, the intern will have to relocate for the program. Many students have worked in other states and some in foreign countries. Wages are always sufficient for the student to pay living expenses and the three credits of internship tuition. In some cases, the employer pays for the course credits.

Students may earn 3 to 6 academic credits on a P/N basis, to be determined by the faculty advisor's evaluation of the student's performance. The Internship program is a requirement for students in the Agronomic Sciences and Turfgrass Management options.

Students enrolled in AT 293 or CSS 493 can use the Professional Internship eForms External Link website to submit forms and reports electronically while on their Internship assignment.


Agronomy Internships


Turfgrass Internships


© 2011 Michigan State University Board of Trustees. East Lansing, MI 48824
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.