Spatial sciences internships provide a valuable applied learning opportunity for students to explore future career paths and gain valuable work experience.
Our undergraduate students have landed internships at companies and organizations including:
- Esri
- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- The Los Angeles Mayor’s DataLA Summer Academy
- USC Sea Grant
- the Southern California Association of Governments
- Marin Municipal Water District
- OnSite Engineering
- the Huntington Library and Gardens
- Southern California Environmental Health Science Center
- BCRA Architects, among others.
The importance of internships
In the Forbes article “The Importance of Internships and the Invaluable Relationships They Bring,” eleven members of the Forbes Human Resources Council point out how internships are valuable opportunities to form mentorship relationships, to develop your skills to the professional environment to bolster your profile before applying for jobs and to identify your real passions.
My internship at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) has been crucial in developing my understanding of data visualization and interactive spatial media.
Current Opportunities
The Spatial Sciences Institute partners with companies, organizations and agencies to offer internships each semester. These internships may be undertaken for credit by undergraduates by registering for SSCI 397: Spatial Sciences Internship or by masters students by registering for SSCI 596: Internship in Spatial Sciences.
The specific start and end dates, weekly schedule, and milestones will be determined by project leads with the students selected for the internships. Generally, interns should expect to commit an average of 10 hours per week throughout the semester.
These internships are open to USC students of any major, but require a background in GIS, either through coursework or by experience.
Students who have been selected for an SSI-funded faculty research project are not eligible for one of these internships.
The Spatial Sciences Institute distributes announcements of available internships to SSI students via email and other platforms.
USC Career Center Resources
The Spatial Sciences Institute collaborates with the USC Career Center to help students identify opportunities to apply the skills and competencies they have learned in the classroom toward a productive career path. Geodesign internships, fellowships, grants, and employment openings are available through connectSC. We encourage students to review current openings by logging on to connectSC using your USC net ID. Students can find information for openings in locations throughout the country. These listings are continuously updated, so it is a good idea to check back frequently.
Employers
Employers seeking applicants for either paid or unpaid positions are advised to create a profile with the USC Career Center. In addition, information for opportunities can be sent directly to Monica Pan, Academic Programs Director, at monicap@usc.edu for direct posting to students via internal message boards and social media. Please be sure to include a brief description of the position available, desired qualifications, and requirements along with instructions on how to apply. We welcome new partnerships on an ongoing basis.
