Internship FAQs

Please contact us at [email protected].

Internships are not a guarantee of employment. Interns are welcome to apply for positions, however, if they meet the requirements. We do have many staff members who started as volunteers or interns.

Yes! Volunteering is a great way to get involved at Shedd and support our mission of sparking compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world. Learn more about how you can help.

Our internships are geared toward those with a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Shedd Aquarium does offer a variety of teen programs for high school students. Learn more here.

Due to the overwhelming demand for job-shadowing opportunities and limited staff time, we are not able to accommodate these requests.

We offer discounted parking in the Soldier Field north garage during the intern shift. The cost is $6 a day. The garage is a short walk from Shedd. Monthly passes are also available for those who drive more frequently for $40 a month. The Museum Campus is also accessible by public transportation.

We are not able to provide housing for interns. Applicants should take the cost of housing into account when applying to our programs.

Shedd Aquarium provides both paid and unpaid internships, as well as offers placements for interns from partner organizations and schools that offer funding. If interns are eligible for funding from outside sources, we are happy to help them with any documentation or requirements needed.

All interns have a dedicated supervisor within their internship area who serves as their mentor throughout the experience. This supervisor provides training, coaching and feedback on a regular basis. Interns can also expect to work alongside other members of their department, other interns and volunteers.

We work with interns to choose start and end dates that work with their schedules. There may be required group orientation dates for some roles or seasons.

The time commitment will be listed in each description. We work with interns to design a schedule that works for them and their assigned area.

We welcome applications from all levels of experience, including those seeking career exploration or changes, gap year students, freshmen, sophomores, and those seeking first internships.

Please note that the Veterinary Preceptorship and Veterinary Technician Internship each have specific education requirements. See the descriptions for more detail.

Interns in animal care areas must be at least 18 years old.

Everything under, and above, the sea! Many interns come to us interested in learning more about not-for-profit organizations as well as careers in zoos, aquariums and museums. We are proud to offer a wide variety of internship areas, including animal care, conservation, development, marketing, human resources, animal health, learning and more.

Absolutely! Candidates may apply to the same internship, or different internships, in future seasons. Our internship program can be competitive, especially in summer, so we welcome applicants to apply again.

The best way to make sure your internship application is considered is to submit all required materials. Please follow any application instructions carefully, as incomplete applications will not be considered.

You may submit a separate application for each area of interest.

Please visit our careers page for current opportunities.

Some roles do have application deadlines. If that is the case, application deadlines will be posted within the internship descriptions. If there is not a stated deadline, applications may be accepted until the internship is filled.

We offer internships year-round. Opportunities are available spring, summer, fall and winter. Not all internships are offered in all seasons.

We strongly recommend applying as soon as possible after internship applications are opened.