Post a Job Opening
To list your internship, seasonal and long-term positions on our job pages, send your position listing as an e-mail attachment to: heather.eden@ag.tamu.edu. New listings are added weekly to the web pages and our departmental bulletin board on campus. Please include a description of job responsibilities, dates of employment, location, benefits (if any, including wages, housing, meals, etc.), application instructions and deadlines (if applicable).
Host an Intern
Each undergraduate RPTS major is required to complete an internship prior to graduation. Interns must work for an organization related to parks, recreation, community development, youth, conservation, event coordination and/or tourism for a minimum of 400 hours (currently this is reduced to 300 hours for the 6-credit internship until our pandemic policy expires in May 2022). Their positions may be paid or unpaid (or a combination of paid and unpaid duties). However, we discourage students from accepting unpaid positions with for-profit companies and will not post such listings. Seasonal positions such as camp staff, resort staff, events assistants, and other titles may serve as internships.
Paid vs. unpaid internships
Most students (approximately 90%) receive wages, housing, and/or meals from their host organization during their internships. Others are able to manage the costs without remuneration in exchange for a rewarding work experience. The students must register and pay for credits at Texas A&M, as well as handling their living expenses, so most find paid positions which meet their educational goals when possible. If your (nonprofit or publid agency) organization can provide a rewarding internship, but is unable to pay a student, we invite you to post the position with us – there may be a student with fewer financial constraints seeking the kind of experience you can provide.
Academic Preparation
Students take many required core foundation courses, and select certificates with focused courses in these areas: Recreation and Park Administration, Tourism Management, Parks and Conservation, Youth Development, Event Management and Hospitality Management. Faculty engage our students in interactive courses, preparing them to make significant contributions to employers and their professions.
Testimonials
In a note for intern Matt Shelley, Supervisor Chris True from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department wrote,
“Thank you for all your efforts over the past couple of weeks! You have been a pleasure to work with and have been an extremely valuable addition to our team. Your flexibility, attention to detail, and constant professional demeanor/attitude are very refreshing and appreciated. You are certainly on your way to a very successful Park Career! Keep up the good work!”
Gabrielle Hodges received the following comments in her final evaluation by Liz Jones with the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge:
“Gabrielle carried a full load throughout her internship. She was involved in public programming, both environmental education and interpretation; she assisted with an oral history project; she searched the archives for information that will be used in the development of the Cache River Wetlands Center; and when needed on a moments notice, she was available and handled herself very professionally. If a full-time position was available, Gabrielle would be at the top of the list.”