Internships

2022 Summer Internship with Georgia Seed Development and Georgia Crop Improvement Association

Georgia Seed Development (GSD) along with Georgia Crop Improvement Association (GCIA) are sponsoring summer internships for rising junior or senior undergraduate students majoring in one of the plant or crop sciences, agribusiness, agricultural economics or a related discipline. The goal of the internship is to provide students an opportunity to learn about plant breeding programs and activities, cultivar development and commercialization, seed and turfgrass production, ornamental plant propagation, certification, and foundation seed and plant programs. Students will visit and be exposed to UGA plant breeders, regional seed companies, seed conditioning facilities, turfgrass farms, plant nurseries, and the Georgia State Seed Lab. Students will work alongside GSD and GCIA staff to observe the entire process of taking a new cultivar to market and the certification activities required to ensure a high-quality product is available to the seed company, the farmer, and ultimately, the consumer.

Internship credit hours are available dependent upon the chosen course of study and the student’s department and major professor or advisor; students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor prior to applying for the GSD/GCIA summer internship.

The summer internship will run from mid-May to early August and is based in Athens, GA. The internship will be salaried to work for 10 weeks at 40 hours per week, plus all work related travel expenses. A term paper, highlighting student’s experiences and knowledge gained, will be due to GSD/GCIA upon completion of the internship.

To apply, students should submit a completed application, a transcript, current resume, and a statement of purpose on how he/she would benefit from the internship program. In the statement of purpose, the applicant should identify a major professor or other faculty member who would be willing to serve as a reference. Once an applicant is selected, he/she will meet with GCIA, GSD, and appropriate faculty to develop their specific goals and activities.