Internship and Independent Study

Internships and Independent Study opportunities broaden the repertoire of students and enhance their abilities to enter jobs or post-graduate programs upon graduation.  Our students have interned for a variety of organizations including the Boston Aquarium, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Land Management, the Grand River Mosquito Control District, Community Hospital, the Saccomanno Research Institute, the Marillac Clinic, the City of Grand Junction Water Treatment Plant, the Museum of the West, the Audobon Society, and the Animal Medical Clinic.

St. Mary’s Saccomanno Research Institute/Colorado Mesa University Summer Internship Program in Biological Research

This summer internship program provides an opportunity for highly motivated undergraduates and recent graduates to experience and perform hands-on biological research. Interns will work under the guidance of an experienced scientist on real research projects, allowing participants to experience the excitement, challenges and creativity of research.

Apply for the Summer 2012 Research Internship NOW!

Microsoft Word Version of Application

PDF Version of Application

College Credit for Internships

and Independent Studies

Internship (BIOL 499)

Although faculty members can advise students on which organizations they may approach for internship opportunities, internships are student-driven.  It is the responsibility of the student to apply for the internship position and initiate the paperwork necessary to earn college credit for the work.  Students can earn college credit for the internship by registering for BIOL 499; this is a variable-credit, upper-division course that can be taken for anywhere between two and ten credits.  Each credit is equivalent to 45 hours of work as an intern.  Up to TEN credits of BIOL 499 can count toward the upper-division requirements for the Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences.

Independent Study (BIOL 395 & BIOL 495)

This course, which can be taken for anywhere between one and three credits at the 300 level or at the 400 level, is designed for students who want more autonomy in their educational experiences.  Students work under the supervision of a faculty mentor to complete a project related to the biological sciences.  The project can take a variety of forms--it is up to the student and the faculty supervisor to determine the nature of the work.  Up to twelve Independent Study credits can count toward the upper-division requirements for the Bachelor's Degree in Biological Sciences.     

Internship opportunities in the

National Parks Service 

Dr. Dusty Perkins, the program director for the the Northern Colorado Plateau Network of the National Park Service, works with students to create internship opportunities among 16 national parks in the West. 

Student Successes

Steve Lindsey:  Mr. Lindsey interned at the City of Grand Junction Water Treatment Plant; as an intern, he worked on becoming certified to examine water for Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

Stephen Cordova:  Mr. Cordova interned at the Palisade Insectory; as an intern he conducted experiments of invasive weeds.

Austin Seay:  Mr. Seay interned at the Boston Aquarium; as an intern, he worked with the aquarium's penguin population.  After graduating, Mr. Seay took on a position at a Marine Institute in the Caribbean working to educate students on marine life through snorkeling and diving expeditions.

Nicole White:  Ms. White interned at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).  After graduation, she took on a full-time position as an analyst at CBI.

Danance Carlton:  Ms. Carlton interned with the National Audobon Society in Grand Junction, Colorado to survey small mammals at the Nature Center near Connected Lakes State Park.

Matthew Marvin:  Mr. Marvin interned at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). After graduation, he took on a full-time position as a CBI agent.

Alexis Holmes:  Ms. Holmes is currently working as an historial forensics intern at the Museum of the West in Grand Junction, Colorado. 

Pam Mobley:  Ms. Mobley interned at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).  She now works for the CBI.

Denise Venzel:  Ms. Venzel interned in the Crime Lab of the Mesa County Sheriff's Department in Grand Junction, Colorado.