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 college students and recent college graduates. Shedd Aquarium does offer a variety of teen programs for high school students.

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

Depending on your internship area, there are three types of dress:

Business casual – for office-based roles
Work clothing – for horticulture and exhibit fabrications
Shedd uniform – for animal care-based roles, and optional for other roles

The Shedd uniform consists of a navy blue t-shirt (provided by Shedd), khaki bottoms (pants or shorts, depending on role) and closed-toe shoes. Additional Uniform pieces are available for purchase.

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 $43.60 a month. The Museum Campus is also accessible by public transportation.

While knowledge of the aquatic world is helpful, it’s not required for most roles. If you’re enthusiastic and willing to learn, we can teach you what you need to know.

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

Many interns choose to get school credit for their time with us. This must be set up directly between the student and their home institution. We are happy to help with any documentation or requirements needed.

Shedd Aquarium does not provide paid internships. If college students are eligible for funding from their school, we are happy to help them with any documentation or requirements needed.

Each day in each department is different. Internships are designed to give you practical experience to build your skills and let you utilize what you’re learning in school. You can expect to be involved in daily operations as well as specific projects.

Some days might include touching base in the department, while others could include cross-departmental meetings. Interns might assist with planning events or drafting the next membership email. Still others might collect and analyze guest feedback or learn a new software system. One group could be preparing food for the animals while another might be maintaining our gardens.

Interns and supervisors complete a series of three evaluation forms during their time to set expectations, track progress and provide feedback. Some internship areas may also have additional ways of evaluating interns, including quizzes, research papers and presentations.

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.

We work with interns to design a schedule that works for them and their department. Our internships are primarily part-time, with most interns scheduled two to three days a week for a period of three to four months. Animal care-focused internships may require a greater time commitment.

Our internship program is designed to be a career-learning experience. Most of our interns are sophomores, juniors, or seniors in college. Some roles will also accept recent graduates. Please see each listing for full requirements.

Interns 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.

If you are looking for an internship in a specific area of expertise, you are welcome to email [email protected] to inquire. We cannot guarantee there will be an opening to match your interest.

Completed internship applications are shared with internship supervisors. Supervisors choose which candidates they would like to learn more about, who are then phone screened. Top candidates are then invited to interview. Interviews may be conducted in-person, via phone, or via video conference.

Once internship supervisors have chosen their final candidate, that individual will be asked to complete an electronic background check.

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 by the deadline. Please follow any application directions carefully, as incomplete applications will not be considered.

Office-based internship applications allow candidates to note two additional areas of interest in addition to the one they are applying for. This can be done on the same application form.

Animal care-based internships require separate applications for each area.

Please visit our careers page for current opportunities.

Yes. All application deadlines will be posted on Shedd’s website and within the internship descriptions.

For all internships, you will need to submit a resume/CV and cover letter with your application. Some internships may also require two to three letters of recommendation and a list of references as part of the application. See each posting for complete requirements.

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

We strongly recommend applying as soon as possible after internship applications are opened. Some internships may be filled before the application deadline if an applicant is a strong match for the role.