Internships

SHERP Employment CollageWork and learn in the global center of science media.

SHERP has always capitalized on our New York location by forging strong relationships with dozens of leading media outlets, many of which employ SHERP graduates in senior positions and are eager to offer prize internship slots to our students. Almost all of those internships are paid. SHERP interns write, produce, fact-check and edit stories, all the while learning how high-level science journalism really works from the inside.

Some SHERP students intern at specialized publications outlets such as Scientific American, Inverse, Radiolab, Popular Science, Inside Climate News, Audubon or Space.com, while others cover science-related topics for non-specialized outlets such as Newsweek, Quartz, NBC News or Vox. After graduating, some go on to fellowships at outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Science, and Nature, while others jump directly to full-time staff positions or freelance.

We regard journalism internships to be so important, both as vital learning experiences and as a practical route to professional success, that all SHERP students are required to complete two for-credit internships during the final eight months of the sixteen-month SHERP sequence.

Starting early in the first semester, SHERP’s internship professor works closely with the students, helping them polish their resumes and cover letters and identify internships that match their interests. SHERP also hosts a Meet the Editors and Producers reception every fall where students mingle with dozens of prospective employers, including many alumni. After internships begin during the summer, the internship professor follows up to make sure SHERP students are getting the most from their internship experiences and also to assist with job searches and career advice. Every SHERP student writes a candid assessment after completing an internship, to help guide students in subsequent classes.

If you represent a media organization and would like our students to know about internship and/or job opportunities at your outlet, please contact SHERP Internship Professor Eleanor Cummins.

Last five years of SHERP student internships (2019 to 2023)

Science, Health & Environmental Reporting