Paid and unpaid internships are often arranged between the Geography Department and local employers or government agencies. Students who participate in our internship program gain on-the-job experience which greatly enhances their post-graduation employment opportunities. Some internships develop into full-time paid positions upon graduation.
You may receive 1-6 hours undergraduate credit (GEO490) or graduate credit (GEO690) for internships. An internship with a single agency/business performing the same or similar duties can only count for 3 hours credit. A second internship with a second agency/business or with significantly new duties may count for an additional 3 hours credit. See Dr. James Leonard for more details.
Geography students have completed internships at a dizzying array of agencies and businesses, including:
- Aurora Colorado Water, Conservation Division
- Wayne County, WV Assessor’s Office
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN
- Steptoe-Johnson law firm, Charleston, WV (oil and gas property rights mapping)
- WV Governor’s Internship Program (various GIS-related positions)
- National Weather Service, Charleston, WV
- Chesapeake Energy, Charleston, WV
- WV Department of Highways, Huntington, WV
- Huntington, WV Planning and Zoning Department
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington, WV
- WOWK TV meteorology department, Huntington, WV
- Arctic Region Supercomputing Center, Fairbanks, AK
- WV Department of Environmental Protection, Charleston, WV
- Putnam County, WV Planning Department
- Charleston, WV Planning and Zoning Department
- WV State Historical Preservation Office, Charleston, WV
- WV Department of Highways, Charleston, WV
- Region III Planning, Huntington, WV
- KYOWVA Interstate Planning, Catlettsburg, KY
- WV Health Care Authority, Charleston, WV
- Rahall Transportation Institute, Huntington, WV
- FIVCO Area Development District, KY
Other options for internships could include:
- WV State Tax Department
- Huntington, WV Parks District
- Huntington, WV Public Works
- Beckley, WV Public Works
- WV State GIS Coordinator’s Office
- WV Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- WV Bureau for Public Health
- US Census Bureau, DC headquarters, check http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/jobs/student.html
- County assessor’s offices
- County 911 offices
Internships in GIScience
GIS Internships
USDA-ARS Semiarid Rainfall-Runoff Modeling Through Time Fellowship
Application Deadline 6/19/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time ZoneDescription *Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.ARS Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agr...
May 5, 2026 6:22pm
Visitor Services Participant
Position Summary (PO-00802176)Intern at Kanopolis Lake will provide visitor assistance in the implementation of the US Army Corps of Engineer's visitor assistance program by informing lake visitors of day-use information and campground information. I...
May 28, 2026 7:53pm
Water Engineering Intern
Program Timeframe: Mid-May through mid-August Join GFT, an award-winning architecture, engineering, and construction firm, as a Water Engineering Intern and gain real-world experience in a dynamic environment. Our inclusive environment will fuel you...
May 12, 2026 7:52pm
Farm Creek and Illinois Waterway Park Ranger
Position Summary The primary objective of this position is to assist the Park Ranger assigned to the Farm Creek Project and Illinois Waterway with numerous responsibilities. The SCA member will engage in the following activities: • Environmental S...
May 12, 2026 1:18pm
Westwater River Ranger
Position Summary The participants will live and work out of the Westwater Ranger Station which is located 70 miles from Moab, Utah and 40 miles from Grand Junction, Colorado. Work will be coordinated through the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mo...
May 21, 2026 4:54pm
Geospatial Intelligence and National Security Technologies Internship Fall 2026
ISW Internship Program Overview ISW is offering in-person, remote, and hybrid internships remote for Fall 2026. Instructions to apply for the scholarship are below. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is committed to training the next gener...
May 22, 2026 8:27pm
NASA EarthRISE Developers Academy Intern
EarthRISE Developers Academy builds the next generation of science and technology leaders through an immersive, experiential model applying NASA Earth observations to real-world challenges. Building upon Langley Research Center’s 25+ years of workf...
May 25, 2026 1:53am
Interconnection Specialist
OverviewHandshake is looking for energy industry professionals to support AI research through flexible, hourly contract work. This is not a traditional job. You'll draw on your hands-on experience with environmental assessment, GIS analysis, and rene...
Apr 25, 2026 2:20am
Environmental Analyst
OverviewHandshake is looking for energy industry professionals to support AI research through flexible, hourly contract work. This is not a traditional job. You'll draw on your hands-on experience with environmental assessment, GIS analysis, and rene...
Apr 25, 2026 2:18am
GIS Analyst
OverviewHandshake is looking for energy industry professionals to support AI research through flexible, hourly contract work. This is not a traditional job. You'll draw on your hands-on experience with environmental assessment, GIS analysis, and rene...
Apr 25, 2026 2:19am
USDA-FS Geospatial Fellow: Interactive Application and Content Publishing
Application Deadline 7/31/2026 3:00:00 PM Eastern Time ZoneDescription *Applications will be reviewed on a rolling-basis.USDA Forest Service Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (U...
May 26, 2026 6:05pm
Forestry Member
Forestry Members - Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife RefugeSummaryAmerican Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), is seeking TWO Forestry Members to contribute...
May 27, 2026 2:31pm
Aeronautics Drone Internship Summer 2026
Position SummaryMassDOT’s Aeronautics Division is searching for an Intern to support the MassDOT Drone Program. This role will work alongside stakeholders in MassDOT Aeronautics, MassDOT Highway, and the MBTA, and will work directly with Drone Prog...
Mar 4, 2026 5:45pm
Year-round Student Worker- Seeds Program
Year-round Student Worker- Seeds ProgramSalary Range: $17.58 - $23.61 per hour MnDOT's Seeds Program provides paid, college-level student worker positions to highly motivated students. The program is designed to equip and train qualified participant...
Feb 11, 2026 10:04pm
Kosovo National Park: Professional, Academic, and Cultural Experience included!
Join Isla for a truly immersive and “all inclusive” international experience! Our team pairs you with a local NGO in your field of interest, supports you every step of the way, secures housing, insurance, etc., connects you with professional, soc...
Aug 18, 2025 12:30pm
FALL 2026 - State Historic Preservation - Historic Preservation Assistance Intern
Name of OrganizationWest Virginia State Historic Preservation Office Organization Mission StatementOur mission is to encourage West Virginians in efforts to identify, recognize, and protect the state’s historic and cultural resources. Name of I...
Mar 16, 2026 5:11pm
FALL 2026 - Yew Mtn Center - Mountain Medicine Trail Intern
Name of OrganizationYew Mountain Center Organization Mission StatementThe Yew Mountain Center provides programs that explore Appalachian ecology, culture, and arts while promoting personal and community wellness. Name of Internshi...
Apr 1, 2026 1:47pm
Engineering: Professional, Academic, and Cultural Experience included!
Join Isla for a truly immersive and “all inclusive” international experience! Our team pairs you with a local NGO in your field of interest, supports you every step of the way, secures housing, insurance, etc., connects you with professional, soc...
Aug 21, 2025 1:45pm
QGIS Expert
OverviewHandshake is looking for skilled QGIS users to support AI research through flexible, hourly contract work. This is not a traditional job. You'll draw on your hands-on experience with geographic information systems, spatial data analysis, or e...
Apr 2, 2026 8:39pm