"...I am learning about agriculture in Mexico and even more about the local food movement here in San Cristobal. It is really exciting to make connections between the local food movement I have been part of at Cornell and the work being done in the south of Mexico - the United States and Mexico are intricately bound together!"

 

-Miriam Goler, Junior, on her Internship in Mexico

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Program Coordinator

Krista Isaacs
605 Bradfield Hall
(607) 255-0660
agsci@cornell.edu

Program Director

Dr. Antonio (Toni) DiTommaso
903 Bradfield Hall
(607) 254-4702
ad97@cornell.edu

Internships

Internships are one of the most important, and one of the most exciting, components of the Agricultural Sciences program. All Agricultural Sciences majors at Cornell are required to complete an internship for credit as part of their program. Internships allow you to 'get your hands dirty" and provide you with the opportunity to:

• Increase your understanding of agricultural systems by participating in real paid work while being supervised by Cornell faculty and host staff,
• Develop your decision-making skills by observing how professionals develop solutions to complex agricultural problems,
• Interact with members of the agricultural community and form working relationships, and
• Gain experience with farming systems, producer and community education, marketing, and policy making and implementation that are part of our food system.

First step: Choose your host! The first step in completing an internship for credit as part of your Agricultural Sciences major is choosing your host. Opportunities to intern are currently available with farms, non-profit organizations, cooperative extension, agribusiness, and more! The CALS Career Development Office offers numerous resources available to you at Cornell that can assist you in finding a suitable and host, many of which are listed below. You can also contact the Agricultural Sciences Program Coordinator, for more ideas.

1. Get Individual Assistance from one of the CALS Career Development Office counselors or advisors.
2. Review the Select Internship Files.  One of the most widely utilized internship resources for CALS students is now available on-line. Check out the database of over 500 opportunities including options for every CALS major. You'll find a variety of paid and unpaid, regional, national, and international opportunities with internship descriptions and contact information. You may search for opportunities by major, class year, as well as geographic location. Detailed information about these internships is also available in the CALS Career Development Office, 177 Roberts Hall.
3. Browse the Summer Jobs Section of our library in 177 Roberts contains such useful resources as America's Top 106 Internships, The National Directory of Internships, Peterson's Guide to Internships, and more.
4. See the list of web postings! We've selected several great websites that post internships and summer jobs to assist you in your on-line searching.  Additional websites are also available in the CDO library catalog.
5. Check local listings - local summer jobs and internships are posted on Student Jobs & Internships portion of the Cornell Student Employment Services site.
6. Participate in On-campus Recruiting.

Second step: Find a Cornell Faculty Supervisor! After you have an internship project in mind, you must select a supervisor from the Cornell Faculty who will support you in developing your project further. The best Faculty Supervisors are those that have an interest or an expertise in the area you wish to pursue your internship, and do not need to be part of the Agricultural Sciences faculty list. You should schedule a meeting with this faculty member and discuss your project idea with them. They will then work with you to revise your plan and put it in writing.

Third step: Meet with your host! After a potential host is selected, it is your turn to get those creative juices flowing and schedule a meeting with a staff member of your chosen host organization/business to develop a project plan. During this meeting you should identify a staff member who will be your Internship Supervisor and with whom you will develop the details your project. Past internships completed by Agricultural Sciences majors can be found here soon.

Fourth step: Develop a Learning Contract! The Learning Contract is the key piece of documentation for your internship and will help make your experience as successful as possible. It is a binding agreement in which you state your roles and responsibilities of your internship, the type of supervision you will have on the job, what you want to learn during your internship, and how you will meet your learning goals. The Learning Contract is developed and signed by you, your Internship Supervisor, your Faculty Supervisor. The Learning Contract form can be downloaded by clicking here.

For more information on specific host opportunities, or how to complete an internship for credit, contact Program Coordinator.

Internship Documents

Faculty Supervisor and Student Responsibilities

Learning Contract