College Internships at Ohio EPA
Learn what it’s really like to be an environmental professional.
When you work at Ohio EPA, you’ll be involved in various aspects of environmental regulation, science and education. And you’ll also learn what it’s like to work for a large government agency.
Get paid for your efforts while you learn.
Many college internships simply offer you the opportunity to learn…at your own expense. At Ohio EPA, our first-year interns earn $11 an hour, with an increase to $11.50 the second year.
Perform a job that challenges you.
Why spend your time away from class doing work that bores you? At Ohio EPA, interns are responsible for meaningful tasks, like visiting sites to determine if storm water pollution prevention plans have been implemented, collecting physical, chemical and biochemical data in stream or lake surveys, assisting with air pollution inspections and smoke readings or even helping with “fish shocking” to measure the biological diversity of a river.
When you come back in from the field, you may use your computer skills to tabulate and document your findings. Or if you’re involved with air pollution control, you could help process air permits or take on a research project. Whatever the case, you won’t get bored at Ohio EPA.
Build your resume.
The knowledge and experience you’ll gain with an internship at Ohio EPA will have a positive impact on the rest of your education and give you an edge with future employers.
Work with people who care about the environment.
Ohio EPA has a diverse mix of employees with varying education levels and academic specialties. Our interns work side-by-side with staff members and technical experts who have a wide range of life and work experiences, and truly understand what it means to be responsible stewards of our environment. Ohio EPA employees are passionate about the environment, just like you are. So your enthusiasm is infectious and energizes all of us. You’ll actually be helping to save the world.
Air pollution. Algal blooms choking Lake Erie. Poisonous mercury. Polluted rivers. All of these threaten Ohio. You may not be able to solve all these problems by yourself, but when you work here, you’ll help make Ohio better. And helping Ohio is one step toward saving the world.
As you can see, there’s a lot in it for you when you intern at Ohio EPA. So let’s talk specifics.
Who is eligible?
You are eligible for an internship if you are currently enrolled in a college or university degree program directly related to the position or have recently graduated within the prior quarter/semester. The most common fields of study are environmental science, biology, chemistry, engineering, geographic information systems and natural resources.
What programs are interns involved in?
Ohio EPA interns get involved in a variety of projects, including wetlands, modeling, macroinvertebrate sampling and permits.
Most Ohio EPA interns work in the Division of Surface Water in the areas of water pollution control and water quality monitoring and assessment.
Other divisions that often need interns include Drinking and Ground Waters, Air Pollution Control, Division of Environmental Services lab, legal and information technology.There are usually openings in Columbus and at our district offices in Bowling Green, Dayton, Logan and Twinsburg.
When do college interns work?
Most interns work during the summer. Internships during the winter are often part-time and dependent on the length of a specific project or grant. Hours vary depending on the needs of the program.
How to join Ohio EPA’s team
Our summer internship openings are posted for a month in January and February. Non-summer internships are posted as needed. You can find available positions and apply online through the Ohio Hiring Management System. Or, complete an Ohio Civil Service application and send it with your resume and cover letter to:
Ohio EPA
Office of Employee Services
P.O. Box 1049
Columbus, OH 43216-1049