Internship FAQs

See the Internship Opportunities page for a program calendar and a link to apply.

You must be a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student, law student or not more than one year past graduation. You must be either a Georgia resident or attending a Georgia college, university or law school.

Yes. If the GDA Intern Program does not select you for the semester in which you are applying, you are welcome to apply again for a later term if you are still eligible.

Because there are a limited number of internships per semester, you may participate only once. We want as many students as possible to experience this opportunity. Supervisors will have an option to hire part-time employees as need and could call on a former intern should an opportunity arise.

Yes. You may arrange for academic credit through your academic advisor. If necessary the Internship Coordinator or your direct supervisor (once placed) may serve as the contact person for your academic advisor.

We cannot provide housing for interns. You may wish to look into Emory University Summer Intern Housing Program (SIHP), which provides affordable and comfortable accommodations for summer interns at the Clairmont Campus. For more information visit the SIHP website at http://www.emory.edu/sihp.

We cannot provide transportation for interns. MARTA has two stations that are located near headquarters; the Georgia State Station (directly across from the GDA in the Twin Towers complex) or the Five Points station (two blocks west of the GDA at Underground Atlanta).

Once an intern has been established as a temporary state employee, a parking space may be reserved for the duration of the internship through the Georgia Building Authority.

Fall and spring semester internships are 18 weeks, and the summer internship at 13 weeks. We strive to schedule the internship dates and deadlines in accordance with the academic schedule of most Georgia colleges, universities, and law schools. Please check the calendar to see when the internship in which you are interested begins.

No. While most internship opportunities are available through headquarters in Atlanta, we also have a limited number of openings at our Tifton Agriculture Laboratory.

Please see our Internship Application page.

Interns may work up to 40 hours per week, but no more. You and your supervisor will determine the days and number of hours that are best for you and the office. Keep in mind that if you are interning for academic credit, most programs require you to intern a minimum number of hours per week.

There are many programs at the GDA. We strongly encourage you to list your preferred areas of interest when applying. Keep in mind that working in one program will not prevent you from having the opportunity to work with other areas and programs. The more specific you are about your interests and desire to learn about different aspects of the Department's activities, the more the Department can try to ensure that your internship experience is beneficial and provides exposure to areas of your interests.

Each program has different needs and requirements, and your duties are at the discretion of your supervisor. During your interview with the participating team, you may be given more specifics as to duties. Some of your responsibilities may include:

  • Providing administrative support;
  • Giving guest tours of the Department headquarters and Tifton Lab facilities;
  • Shadowing and working with field officers during agriculture inspections;
  • Laboratory studies, research and testing;
  • Promoting and assisting with Department activities and Georgia Grown products and marketing events;
  • Generally serving as an advocate for Georgia agriculture.

An academic paper, an opinion piece written for a school newspaper, a press release composed for a PR class, or a similar work would be appropriate. Feel free to submit just an excerpt or selection of a longer work so that you do not exceed the page maximum.

Interns receive an hourly wage of $12 per hour for their full-time internships.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Questions?