Where to Find Biology Internships

If you’ve been asking where to find biology internships, then you’ve come to the right place. The plus side: There are lots of biology internships out there and so many different career paths to explore. The downside: Lots of options can get a tad overwhelming when you’re faced with the task of looking into the best places to find biology internships.

Lucky for you, we’re here to help. We’ve narrowed down where to find biology internships and some of the best programs offered. See? We’ve done all the legwork for you.

The biology internships we’ve found are just scratching the surface. Use our research as a starting point and as something to build on. There are dozens of biology internships and programs out there, and dozens of countries you can choose.

Don’t start thinking it’s exclusive to students who are presently studying biology either. If you’re reading this when you should actually be doing whatever your 9-to-5 job has asked you to do, craving a career change and something new or challenging, then a biology internship is just as perfect for you as it is for someone born after 2000 (but let’s not think too much about that).

Is it a good idea to get a biology internship?

Look closely and you’ll find out where to find biology internships that will launch your career.

The chance to work as an intern and live abroad is never a bad idea, especially when the opportunity comes with so many chances to grow both personally and professionally. A biology internship:

• Gives you hands-on experience: The chance to get some hands-on experience is sought out by most people, irrespective of what field your internship is in. But (and it’s a big but) hands-on work is even more important for a career in biology, given that so much of the job is less sitting around in offices and more fiddling with equipment in a laboratory.
• Offers the chance to explore different career opportunities: Internships are little invitations to try all of the different fields that biology has to offer. Exploring different career paths via internships is a great way for you to figure out which field best aligns with your interests and skills—could be microbiology, or anatomy, or parasitology, or something else entirely.
• Looks good on your resume: And let’s not forget the chance to boost up that resume. We know, we know—talking about resumes and skill development may not be the most exciting of chats (to be honest, it’s pretty daunting sometimes) but these things are important when it comes to long-term plans. Interning abroad isn’t just some fun “gap year” kind of stint. It’s the chance to grow professionally too.

Get matched with 5 biology internship programs right now

8 best places to find biology internships

There’s quite literally a world of opportunities out there. It’s not some cliche that people just say exhaustedly like live, laugh, love. There’s actual truth in this, but it does beg the question: What are the best places to find biology internships?

Understandably, with all this opportunity, things can get a little overwhelming. Before you start losing yourself to crippling overthinking, read on. We’ve listed the top eight places to help you narrow down your search:

1. United States

Big city life means plenty of opportunities to discover the perfect internship.

It’s not called the Land of Opportunity without good reason, and there are dozens of universities and colleges to choose from in the U.S. that offer biology internships. You’ll be getting the crème de la crème that every recruiter is harping on about these days—hands-on experience.

Interning in the U.S. comes with lots of perks. Not only will you have access to some of the latest technologies, but you’ll have the chance to connect with other professionals too. If you play your cards right, then perhaps a more permanent opportunity will arise.

And let’s just pause for a second to think about some of the cities in the U.S.: New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Philadelphia—we can’t think of many countries offering such a plethora of cities, so where better to find biology internships?

• Recommended program: Conservation Biology (Resource Management) Internships

2. Germany

Biology is a massive field covering molecular, genetics, and ecology, just to name a few areas. And where better to find an internship than in one of the most populated countries in the EU, and in a country with a strong economy?

In Germany, you’ll see every area of biology imaginable ready and waiting to be studied, so if your interests are a bit niche, then this is your best bet. As is the case with European countries, living in Germany comes with a load of travel opportunities.

Germany is leading the way when it comes to transport connections, so getting from one place to another (domestic or international) is going to be no problem at all. Cities like Berlin, home to the Max Planck Institute, are a great place to start your search and find biology internships.

• Recommended program: Custom Internship Placements in Europe

3. United Kingdom

Find yourself a career-boosting biology internship amongst the UK’s breathtaking landscapes.

Questionable weather aside, the UK is a beautiful place to live. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all offer their own character and history, with the added bonus of traveling between them all being easy enough.

It’s the land of Shakespeare, the Lake District, the Beatles, the bagpipes, the Royal Family and—most importantly—fish and chips. And that’s before we get into the wonderful cities like Edinburgh, Oxford, and London. With over 160 higher education institutions in the UK, you’ve got a lot of choice when it comes to picking where to find the right biology internship for you.

Some of the most sought after and prestigious internships are offered by the Oxford university internship program. That being said, you can find lots of internships across the UK that focus on different areas of biology.

• Recommended program: London Internships with Beyond Academy

4. Japan

With one of the world’s top economies, Japan has as many internship opportunities as it does Pokémon. You’ll be interning in a country known for its technological advancements, so far into the future that it wouldn’t look out of place in a movie set in the year 2124.

With a culture vastly different from western countries, you’ll also gain exposure and awareness during your time in Japan. A wonderful clash of modernity and tradition, not to mention great food and travel opportunities—interning in Japan promises an incredible experience.

An internship stint in Japan comes with dozens of opportunities both personally and professionally. Japan’s continued growth easily makes it one of the best places to find a biology internship.

• Recommended program: Tokyo Internship with Meiji Internships

5. Australia

Opportunities for hands-on learning about biology abound!

Crikey. Australia’s booming economy sure looks like a bonza for interns, right mate? Okay, we’ll stop now. Seriously though, Australia is a wealth of opportunity—pun intended.

You know the phrase, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack? Well, it’s the complete opposite when faced with the job of where to find a biology internship Down Under.

You’ll find dozens of internships here, not just biology internships, and many vastly different places to work as an intern too. Some internship placements could have you working on the coast whereas others may have you in the outback, or in the country’s major bustling cities. The variety is enough to make your head spin.

It won’t come as a surprise that there’s a big expat community here too, with lots of other students trying their hand at internships. With that in mind, you’ll have the chance to connect with other students and professionals in the same field as you—think of it like an immersive LinkedIn experience.

• Recommended program: Global Internship & Volunteer Programs with Connect-123

6. South Africa

In a continent with such rich environmental diversity, it’s not surprising that South Africa is a popular place for anyone with an interest in marine biology or ecobiology to intern. The fact that it has 11 official languages alone (your little fact of the day) is testament to just how diverse this country is.

You’ll find a dizzying number of internships to choose—the internship landscape is practically one giant biology pick’n’mix. Conservation, botany, and the study of African ecosystems are only some of the fields you can explore.

A placement in one of the vast national parks, near the coast, or in up-and-coming Cape Town are just some of your options. If you manage to get yourself a more permanent role, then you’ll have far more time ahead of you to dive deeper into this gem of a country.

• Recommended program: Urban Greening Internship at Environmental NGO in Cape Town

7. Costa Rica

We’ll bet it’s no surprise that a country known for its amazing wildlife is also a hotspot for biology internships.

For anyone who’s interested in conservation or environmental biology, Costa Rica could be the place for you. Costa Rica offers lots of things that will be music to a student’s ears, including a low cost of living and a bustling expat community. Plus, the abundance of travel opportunities can only mean your free time is going to make the perfect respite from your internship.

A biology internship in Costa Rica is the chance to throw yourself into a completely different culture. If you’ve got the time, sign yourself up for some Spanish classes (which will help when it comes to traveling ‘round the rest of the continent), or sign up for a language exchange.

• Recommended program: Study and Intern at EARTH University in Costa Rica

8. Greece

For the marine biologists out there, it’s not just countries like the Maldives and Indonesia that offer a sea of opportunities (dreadful pun intended). Why not think about an internship in Greece?

Say “ancient history” and your immediate thought will probably be “Greeks.” Your time here will double up as a biology internship and one never-ending, immersive history lesson when you explore cities like Athens and Thessaloniki. For longer trips, you’ve got the Balkan and Baltic countries practically on your doorstep.

Another perk is that, compared to other countries in Europe, Greece is far more affordable, so your money will stretch further.

• Recommended program: Most Affordable Internships in Greece | Intern Abroad HQ

Explore ALL biology internships abroad on GoAbroad!

Your biology internship experience will make you a more competitive job candidate!

With a biology internship on your resume, you’re ready for anything.

Whichever country you decide on, you’re guaranteed one thing—a memorable opportunity that is going to do wonders for your resume. It’s a competitive, dog-eat-dog world out there that, at times, makes the ruthless candidates on “The Apprentice” look tame.

So, do yourself a favor and get a head start. You’ll find out a lot more about yourself both professionally and personally during an internship than you ever would in a classroom.

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