GEOG 5940 Internship/GEOG 5950 Research/GEOG 4999 Honors Thesis

Step 1 – Make sure you’ve taken the prerequisite courses. 

• GEOG 5940: The GIS internship class requires students to complete GEOG 3100, GEOG 4140, and GEOG 3180 as prerequisites. 
• GEOG 5940: The Remote Sensing internship class requires students to complete GEOG 3100, GEOG 3110, GEOG 3180, and GEOG 5110.  
• GEOG 5940: The Physical or Human internship class requires instructor approval. 

Step 2 – Find and secure an Internship. The Geography department does not place students into internships. Subscribe to or make an account with the following resources: 

• U Career Success
• Handshake
• AAG
• ESRI 

GIS and Remote Sensing students should also subscribe to: 

• UGIC
• SLUG

Step 3 – Once you secure an Internship, please fill out the CSBS waiver form and the GEOG 5940 GIS internship contract form with 5 learning objectives clearly stated. Submit them to Stacy Morris at stacy.morris@ess.utah.edu. 

Step 4 – Once your internship is approved, you will be sent an add code and directions to enroll in the class. 

Credit Hours:

You can sign up for a 3-5 credit hour internship (only a 3 credit hour internship is required). Below is a credit breakdown of how many hours you would be working at your internship per credit hour.

• 3 credit hour internship = 10 hours/week (120 hours total) over one semester
• 4 credit hours = 14 hours/week (168 hours total) over one semester
• 5 credit hours = 18 hours/week (216 hours total) over one semester

In order to enroll in this class, see the “Prerequisites for Enrollment” tab and enrollment deadlines.

Criteria for Internship Approval:

• Your internship must be geographically focused. If doing a GIS or Remote Sensing internship, the internship will need to be 80% GIS and Remote Sensing focused.
• Your experience should provide you with the opportunity to apply theoretical and empirically based ideas from your coursework to a real-world setting. 
• Internships should offer the opportunity to develop marketable, professional skills. 
• Please see the GEOG 5940 GIS internship contract form for more information about requirements. 

Resources for the Internship Search:

• Start researching potential agencies and organizations at least two months prior to the planned internship semester, subscribe to or make an account with the organizations listed on the Prerequisite tab, and contact agencies of interest directly. 
• The Hinckley Institute is another resource for finding an internship. They have their own deadlines and application process, but if you pursue this option and secure an geographically-related internship through them, the same prerequisites, and deadlines apply. 
• We also recommend connecting with the U Career Success for additional help with your application materials, interview skills and assistance with the search process.
• Need more help getting started with application materials, and support with the search and funding options? As a declared GEOG/GIS major, use the professional development tool pages in the Environment, Society, and Sustainability Advising Hub in Canvas! https://utah.instructure.com/courses/541021

In order to enroll in the GEOG 5950 research class, you’ll need to secure an undergraduate research project and fill out the Independent Study form.

Criteria for Approval:

• Research can be completed with our geography faculty or a faculty member outside our department as long as your research is geographic, GIS, or Remote Sensing-focused.
• Fill out the independent study form and submit it to Stacy Morris at stacy.morris@ess.utah.edu to receive an add code to enroll in the class.

Resources for the Research Search:

• Find a faculty mentor to complete an undergraduate research project with. Consider professors you’ve had in class before, or talk with your advisor about research topics you are interested in. Write an introductory email to a faculty member conducting research in an area of interest including a brief (1-2 sentences each) description about why you are interested in conducting research with them, your background of relevant coursework, and questions you hope to address and/or skills you hope to gain via research. Politely inquire if any opportunities exist.
• The Office of Undergraduate Research offers support in research exploration to proposals for funds! Their services are optional but can be helpful and some of the resources we recommend are:
  • The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). Submission of a proposal to the UROP is optional. Make sure to check the deadlines for applications on their website. 
  • Apply for travel and/or small grant funds through the Office of Undergraduate Research to support research efforts (as needed). 
  • If applicable, apply for Undergraduate Research Scholar Designation (URSD). This expectation applies only to students who have conducted two semesters of research. 
• The Wilkes Center also offers funding support, awards, and events centered on geographical, environments focused research.
• Need more help getting started with application materials and support with the search and funding options? As a declared GEOG/GIS major, use the professional development tool pages in the Environmental, Society, and Sustainability Advising Hub in Canvas!

An Honors Thesis is required for all GEOG/GIS HBS OR HBA Honors Students.

In order to enroll in this class,

Criteria for Approval:

• Your thesis project must have a geographical, GIS, or Remote Sensing focus. Start exploring our faculty directory to find a faculty member to work with. You can also consider professors you’ve had in class before, or talk with your advisor about research topics you are interested in. 

Resources for Developing an Honors Thesis:

• Meet with the Faculty Honors Advisor in GEOG/GIS, Summer Rupper, to discuss your thesis topic and potential thesis faculty advisor. summer.rupper@ess.utah.edu  Make sure to start early!
• Explore suggested timelines and see suggestions for developing your thesis on the Honors College Thesis Website. 

Here are the forms you will need to fill out:

• CSBS waiver form
• GEOG 5940 Internship Contract
• GEOG Independent Study Form 

Other helpful documents:

• GIS Internship Requirements
• GIS Learning Objective Examples

What is an internship vs research vs an honors thesis?

An Internship is a temporary experience where you can work with an organization in order to learn about how that organization works, and focus on a particular project or tasks in order to gain skills in the field.

Research can take many forms – you could be in a lab looking at samples, conducting interviews to collect data from individual perspectives, or helping analyze numerical data from surveys.   Research typically focuses on a particular question or problem that the investigators want to know more about. Students typically join a research project that a faculty member is already conducting and will mentor and teach you skills and research techniques. 

An Honors Thesis is required of students completing an Honors Degree. It is an in-depth independent study approved by your major’s department, where you work closely with a faculty mentor throughout the semester on research in a particular topic. Thesis topics can vary depending on your interest.

Can I count an internship or research experience I did previously towards this requirement?

Unfortunately, we cannot count previous experience towards this requirement unless the internship or research is ongoing and can be completed in the semester you sign up for the class.

Can my internship or research be paid?

We’d love it if you found an opportunity that is paid!

Can I count one internship or research experience towards both of my majors?

No, the University does not allow 1 internship or research project to count for multiple academic programs in the same semester. It is also considered plagiarism to count the same internship hours for 2 different courses.

Can I do more than 3 credits?

Yes, students can complete up to 5 credits total, though only 3 are needed for the major. The amount of hours is determined by how many hours you are working at your internship or research or how many hours your need to complete for your total hour requirement. See the Credit Hours Breakdown on the “Prerequisites for Enrollment tab.”

How much class work is required in the GEOG, GIS, or RS internship, research, or honors thesis class?

GEOG 5940 does have required course assignments throughout the semester to ensure your experience is going well while completing your internship hours. The GEOG 5950 and GEOG 4999 course grades are determined by your faculty mentor.

Was one of your questions not answered? Contact Stacy Morris (email stacy.morris@ess.utah.edu), the Geography internship & Research Coordinator for your specific questions and more details.