Internships

A: The Minnesota Zoo is an agency of the State of Minnesota. Therefore, all applicants to the Minnesota Zoo internship program must meet the State’s statutory and procedure eligibility criteria to be considered.

1. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited institution.
2. Applicants must be seeking an internship for academic credit as part of their academic program OR
3. Applicants must be seeking an internship as a means of fulfilling an academic requirement as part of their academic program

A: No.  Applicants for internships at the Minnesota Zoo must be enrolled in an accredited educational institution AND be seeking an internship for academic credit as part of their academic program or as a means of fulfilling an academic requirement as part of their academic program.

A:  Priority given to applicants who have not interned at the MN Zoo in the past.

A:  Internships are available in Operations, Animal Programs, and Conservation & Nature Programs.

Please note that not all internships are available during all Internship Periods.

1. Operations Placements
   1. Graphic Design Internship
   2. Photography Internship
   3. Sales & Events Internship
   4. Social Media Internship
2. Animal Programs Placements
   1. Animal Health
      1. Veterinarian Technician
   2. Animal Observation, Enrichment, and Research
      1. Veterinarian Technician
   3. Animal Husbandry (care, feeding, cleaning)
      1. Aquariums Internship
      2. Bird Department Internship
      3. Life Support Systems Internship
      4. MN & Tropics Trail Internship
      5. Northern Trail Internship
   4. Animal Collection Interpretation
      1. Close Encounters Internship
      2. Marine Mammals Internship
      3. World of Birds Internship
   5. Conservation & Nature Placements
      1. K-12 School Programs Internship (Education)
      2. Early Childhood and Nature Play Internship (Education)
      3. Outreach (Zoomobile) Internship

A:  Not at this time.  Check back for updates on the Zoo’s externship program.

A:  Internships are offered in accordance with traditional academic calendars:

1. Fall (for internships from September to December)
2. Winter/Spring (a limited number of January term internships may be available; most internships are semester-long and are scheduled between January and May)
3. Summer (for internships from May-August)

A:  Internships at the MN Zoo are 10, 12, or 13 weeks long. Interns work between 24 and 40 hours per week. See the position description for each internship for information about its length, required number of hours, and schedule.

A:  Weekly schedules vary by work area, and may include Saturdays or Sundays. Hours, too, vary by work area, and may start as early as 6:00 a.m. and end as late as 6:30 p.m. Some intern work areas may require overnight commitments. Interns may work 4-ten hour days or 5-eight hour days.

A:  Position descriptions for the different internships offered at the Minnesota Zoo are available elsewhere on the Internships webpage.

All interns are required to complete a project as part of their internship experience.

A:  No.  Internships at the Minnesota Zoo are unpaid.

A:  No.  The Minnesota Zoo does not offer these services.

A:  The Minnesota Zoo uses the State of Minnesota’s online Recruiting Solutions to manage its internship application process.   Information about how to use this system is available on the Minnesota Careers webpage.

A:  Yes.  The Minnesota Zoo no longer accepts applications by email or postal mail.

A:  Once you have created a profile within the state of Minnesota’s Recruiting Solutions online system, you will be able to use this to start an application to any of the MN Zoo’s internships. You will need to answer two screening questions and upload a current resume and a letter of interest for the specific internship to which you are applying.

If your application passes the online screening, then you will receive a follow-up email requesting you to submit a copy of a current transcript (unofficial is acceptable) and to complete a short Intern Interest Survey online.

A:  You will need to submit a copy of your transcript (unofficial is acceptable) and to complete a brief, online Intern Interest Survey, which requests the names and contact information for two references as well as other information about your placement preferences. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email with instructions for completing your application.

In some internship work areas, samples of your past work and/or access to your online portfolio may be required before an interview.

A:  Applications for internships open seasonally, in advance of internship start dates.

1. Fall semester internships open to applicants in late June and early July; internships start in September
2. Winter and spring semester internships open to applicants in late September and early October; internships start in January
3. Summer internships open to applicants in mid-January and February; internships start in May

A:  No.  We accept applications only when internships are posted as “open.”

A:  Check the Minnesota Zoo Internship webpage regularly for updates.

A:  Each applicant may apply for up to three different internships. The Intern Interest Survey will ask for information about placement preference from individuals who apply to more than one opening. (Individuals may apply to up to 3 different internships per internship period.)

A:  Interns in most animal management work areas are required to provide documentation of a negative TB mantoux test result from within the last 12 months before the Internship Agreement among the intern, the intern’s college or university, and the MN Zoo can be prepared.
Mantoux Test Required:
Aquariums (Zoo Keeper Intern)
Behavioral Husbandry (Interpretive Naturalist Intern)
Close Encounters (Interpretive Naturalist Intern)
Farm (Farm Keeper Intern)
Life Support Systems (Zoo Keeper Intern)
Marine Mammals (Interpretive Naturalist Intern)
MN & Tropics Trails (Zoo Keeper Intern)
Northern Trail (Zoo Keeper Intern)
Outreach-Zoomobile (Interpretive Naturalist Intern)
Summer Seasonal (Zoo Keeper Intern)
Vet Tech (Vet Tech Intern)

Mantoux Test NOT Required:
Birds Department (Zoo Keeper Intern)
World of Birds (Interpretive Naturalist Intern)

A:  Interns in some animal management work areas who have not had a rabies vaccine can complete an internship at the MN Zoo. Their activities will be limited to species that do not carry rabies.
Internship placements for which a rabies vaccine is recommended include Behavioral Husbandry, Close Encounters, MN & Tropics Trails, Northern Trail, Outreach (Zoomobile), Vet Tech.

A:  The Minnesota Careers website has excellent information and tips for navigating the online application process.  The Minnesota Zoo’s Internship and Youth Development Coordinator can answer questions by email (preferred) at [email protected], or by phone (952-431-9307).

A:  After you submit your application, Recruiting Solutions will confirm that your submission was successful, and you also will receive an email notification.

At the Minnesota Zoo, work area intern coordinators and/or work area supervisors will review your on line application and answers to screening questions to determine if you meet the required qualifications.

If you meet the required qualifications, you will either:

1. Be contacted by phone or email to be invited to an interview. Interviews may be conducted in person, by phone, or using an online application that allows for video calls,

OR

2. Be notified that you are no longer being considered because the applicant pool was narrowed to a reasonable size based on applicant qualifications and rankings.

If you do not meet the required job qualifications, you will receive an email to let you know you are no longer being considered.

Information in this section has been adapted from the Minnesota Careers webpage.