UC Santa Barbara Geography / Undergraduates / Get Involved
Undergraduate Opportunities for Involvement in Geography
The Department of Geography not only welcomes undergraduates as students of the discipline, but it actively encourages them to gain hands-on experience by becoming directly involved. If you’d like to explore the many facets of geography, add some impressive experience to your resume, or simply earn some money in an area of interest, consider becoming an intern, student assistant, or work-study student in the Department. We need students to help our faculty and to back up our staff in a multitude of ways, ranging from participating in field research and helping to update our web site to creating computer graphics and assisting with grant applications. Whatever your motivation, such first hand experience will widen your horizons and impress future employers! For more about such opportunities, contact our Undergraduate Assistant, Kathy Davis.
Interns
The internship program consists of volunteer participation in field and/or laboratory research by students who seek greater understanding and exposure to the many facets of geographic principles, data collection, and data analysis through observation and contribution. Although students from all majors are welcome to apply, we strongly encourage motivated Geography-major undergraduates to pursue internships. Internships typically require 5-15 hours per week of commitment.
Student Assistants
Student Assistant positions are part-time (less than 20 hours/week) paid positions, and applicants are accepted throughout the year. Submitting a new application to the pool each quarter provides us with your current work schedule availability. As vacancies occur, the supervisors for those positions review the current quarter pool and contact applicants for interviews.
Work-Study Students
Federal Work-Study is a form of financial aid. To qualify for a Work-Study award, you must first apply and/or reapply for financial aid by the priority filing date. Then, the UCSB Financial Aid Office determines your financial aid eligibility. If eligible, you will receive a Financial Aid Award Letter informing you of all financial aid, which may include a Work-Study award. The intent of the Federal Work-Study Program is to encourage your part-time employment while you attend college. It does so by paying a portion (about 40%) of your salary, thus allowing you to become a "better financial deal" to your (prospective) employer. For more, see http://finaid.ucsb.edu/workstudy/.
