USDA Natural Resources Conservation Development Program Internship

Each year, up to 4 eligible students are accepted into the NRCDP and complete a paid summer internship. Although internship duty stations are throughout the country, all interns can expect a similar experience including:

• 8-week paid summer internship (June-July; $16.50 hourly wage; 40 hours per week)
• All interns receive a housing allowance, travel allowance, and financial support to attend a professional development conference
  • Hourly wages, housing allowance, and travel allowance are paid in two lumps sums and the student must allocate as appropriate for the entire 8-week program. Staff and faculty from NRCS and CALES collaborate with the students to ensure they are able to do this.
• Internship locations are based on three factors:
  • intern preference,
  • program ability to match each intern with a specialist in a specific office/duty station
  • offices/duty stations that are able to accept interns.

• Current UA Student
• Cannot be graduating before the fall semester of the internship year (e.g. for summer 2025 interns, cannot graduation before Fall 2025 semester)
• Majoring in Environmental Science, Rangeland Management, Natural Resources, Biosystems/Civil/Agricultural/ Environmental engineering, or other related majors
• Minimum 2.5 GPA
• US Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Recruitment is focused on members of the LGBTQ+ community, but any UA student can apply and participate in the internship, regardless of whether or not they are a part of the LGBTQ+ community

Are you interesting in applying for the summer 2025 internship opportunity? Applications are now open! Before you start your application, please have the following information and documents:

• Resume (1-3 pages max, Federal Resume preferred but not required)
  • View a Federal Resume Guide
• Academic transcripts (unofficial transcripts are accepted)

Ready to apply? Submit your application here.

Application Deadline: 11:59 pm AZ time on February 9, 2025.

Staff and faculty from NRCS and CALES collaborate throughout the year to plan and deliver the program. A general timeline of the program includes these activities:

• Fall semester:
  • Information presentations hosted by NRCS and the CALES Career Center, presentation topics include all NRCS Pathways opportunities, federal resume formatting & application and the NRC Development Program specifically
  • NRCDP internship recruitment begins, application opens
  • Ongoing professional development for previous summer’s interns
• Spring semester:
  • NRCDP application deadline
  • Interviews and candidate selection
  • Announcement of selected candidates (after spring break)
  • Matching of duty stations and assignments
  • Candidate onboarding
• Summer semester:
  • Students travel to internship duty station and complete internship (June through July, exact dates are flexible based on the student and the duty station)
  • Ongoing professional development

The NRCDP is built into cooperative agreements with universities and national organizations. Students receive guidance in the areas of NRCS career fields, course requirements to meet NRCS key job series; the Pathways Program; resume building and navigating USA Jobs when applying for Pathways internships and/or entry-level positions. The program offers these students a paid third-party summer internship with NRCS to gain practical work experience, receive exposure to career opportunities within USDA, and ongoing professional coaching and development.