MIBO 4970R/4980R FOR MAJOR REQUIRED I Microbiology majors are encouraged to participate in undergraduate research. Starting fall 2021, we are now offering students the option of one semester of research, 4960R and one semester of an internship, 4970R for the completion of our Intensive Laboratory requirement (Major Required I), UGA's Experiential Learning requirement and will count towards Honors credit for those in the Honors Program. Always make sure to check with your advisor about where things will count in your degree. Students seeking credit for an internship will be graded by their faculty mentor, per UGA’s letter grading scale. Grades for internships will be included in a student’s academic average. InternshipGuide Microbiology Internship Packet Material Internship Requirements: Be enrolled in the Microbiology major or minor to receive credit. Must be enrolled in MIBO 4970R during the internship term to earn academic credit. Have completed the following: One semester of MIBO 4960R (Directed Research) Have a UGA faculty member mentor during the internship and semester. The faculty member must be aware of you taking the internship, the final report, and you must have a plan in place of when you will meet during the semester for weekly or bi-weekly check-ins. Students are expected to work 12 hours minimum per week. File with undergraduate coordinator, Dr. Jennifer Walker, before registration. You must turn in a letter to Dr. Walker in which the employer: 1) verifies that the internship is for the hours and dates provided and 2) agrees to fill out an online evaluation of your performance by the final day of exams in the semester of the internship. At the end of the semester: submit a typed report describing my project, background information on the scope of the project, and outlining the experimental approach, results and discussion of the project. The report must be submitted by the last day of exams of the semester of the internship. Microbiology Internship Packet Material Who can participate? Everyone can participate in an internship as long as they have completed one prior semester of 4960R and have a GPA of 3.0. There are no specific pre-requisite courses, however, some companies might expect you to have completed a certain course before starting work, some may require that you shadow in the company before they will allow you to work there for credit, and others may have no special requirement at all. It is possible for students to start working in an internship as early as their sophomore year. How do I contact a company regarding an internship? Once you have found a company you are interested in, reach out to them. When you contact a company about internship opportunities (preferably by email), be succinct and formal in your message: Dear Mark Smith, I am a junior Microbiology major. I read about (insert company name) and found the work your company is doing to be very interesting. If you have any openings at your company for an internship next semester, I would like to set up a time to meet with you to talk more about the company and what opportunities are available. Thanking you in advance for your consideration. Sincerely, Interested Student Also highly suggested is to include a copy of your resume in your email and a cover letter about what you can bring to the company and what you would gain from working with the company. Finding an internship does require you to be proactive and it will require you to obtain an official letter of internship from the company. It is also important that you maintain a professional relationship with your company contacts as you will be graded at the end of the semester for your work.
