Exploring Internship Opportunities at the Denver Zoo

Denver Zoo provides a variety of internship programs designed to offer students and recent graduates practical experience in various fields, from animal care to conservation and administrative roles. These internships provide a unique opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting, gain valuable skills, and contribute to the zoo's mission of wildlife conservation.

College Internship Program

Denver Zoo’s College Internship Program allows students to utilize their classroom knowledge in a real work setting. Summer internships generally begin in May and conclude in August (exact start and end dates depend on the candidates’ school schedule). Non-paid internships are offered year round.

Graphic Design Internship

The Planning and Capital Projects department at Denver Zoo is looking for a graphic design intern. The perfect candidate for this position will be majoring in a design field, will be proficient in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, and will be comfortable working on a PC. This position will provide design experience along with the opportunity to assist with graphic maintenance, cataloging, and other general day-to-day operations of the graphics department. This is an unpaid position and will require approximately 16 hours/week of work.

Zoo Keeping Internships

Zoo keeping internships are available in Birds, Hoof stock, Carnivores, Primate and Tropical Discovery (fish/reptiles) departments. Interns gain experience in the daily care of animals, by working closely with zookeepers in diet preparation, animal observation, exhibit maintenance and record keeping. Interns are also exposed to animal training. Interns must be able to lift 50 pounds and enjoy working outdoors. Applicants must be college students studying biology, zoology, wildlife management and/or related fields. Candidates should have career goals consistent with the animal field.

Behavioral Husbandry Internship

The intern will be working in various departments under the supervision of the Curator of Behavioral Husbandry, learning about what goes into a behavioral husbandry program. The intern should be in college (or recently graduated) and working towards a degree in the biology, psychology or related fields, and should have a basic knowledge of operant conditioning and / or of animal behavior. Interns need to have a recent TB test, and tetanus shot. Because of the nature of working close to a variety of animals, both alongside the management and keeper staff, and at times independently outside of animal areas, the applicant needs to demonstrate maturity, self motivation, and an ability to follow direction. Help coordinate enrichment item purchases. Organize and distribute enrichment items. Attend, video record, and/or transfer to tape for various training and enrichment sessions. Design and conduct an independent behavior observation project. Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter in .PDF, .DOC, or .RTF format only.

Veterinary Externship Program

Denver Zoo's veterinary staff includes four veterinarians, a veterinary pathologist, a nutritionist, a resident, and six veterinary technicians.

Clinical Experience

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's veterinary student externship program is designed to provide experience in zoological and conservation medicine. Students will participate in rounds discussions, hospitalized treatments, procedures, and assist in the clinical case management and pathology of >750 animals, including over 30 endangered species. Students will gain knowledge and experience in diagnosis and treatment of captive wildlife in a diverse zoological collection. This will include hematology, cytology, anesthesia, radiology, pathology, internal medicine, and surgery. Students will participate in all aspects of zoological medicine, including physical exam and triage, diagnostics, treatments, medical records, and animal care. Students will attend rounds, procedures in the hospital, and procedures on zoo grounds. Veterinary Externs are expected to: Receive feedback and implement it; work in a fast paced, team environment; work alone without supervision; and remain calm and perform under pressure. Much of the work involves walking, standing, lifting, crouching, pushing, pulling and carrying items. Must be able to lift between 25-50 pounds and work dexterously with hands and arms. This position requires a substantial amount of contact with staff, volunteers, other departments and zoo guests. The extern will be exposed to all weather conditions, chemicals and zoonosis. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Application Process

Applications are taken continuously. Interested individuals should submit a letter of intent explaining interest in zoological medicine and pertinent experience, a CV/resume, and a list of 2-3 references for contact (no letters please). A vehicle is necessary for personal use off-grounds.

Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP)

The Denver Zoo AIP program will no longer be accepting new students. This decision will NOT impact the pace or progression of current students’ journey through the program. Pursue your passion with the Denver Zoo while you earn your master’s online from Miami University through the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP). Created for working professionals, the AIP is a one-of-a-kind master’s program that immerses students in collaborative inquiry and action as they champion change. The AIP is designed for students from a range of backgrounds and career stages. An unprecedented network of premier public zoos and botanical gardens across the United States and conservation organizations worldwide have joined together to support the AIP. This extraordinary learning collaborative, the largest of its kind, fosters groundbreaking ideas, collaborations, professional connections, and study opportunities. AIP students have the option of integrating an Earth Expeditions field course at a global field site into their degree path. Enrollment is open to applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree regardless of academic major or profession. Students should have internet access and be able to attend in-person experiential learning days at Denver Zoo. Students can enroll in either a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in the biological sciences for formal K-12 teachers or a Master of Arts (MA) in biology for all other professionals. The MAT does not confer a teaching license. All courses are delivered online by a Miami University instructor. Two-thirds of AIP courses also include experiential learning on grounds at Denver Zoo and in and around the Denver Metro region. The Advanced Inquiry Program prides itself on seamlessly blending distance learning with fieldwork, with the option of 100% distance learning for students who cannot attend the handful of in-person or in-the-field sessions we offer.

Program Goals

The core goal of this program is become a driver for environmental and social change in your community, whatever this means to you-whether it’s your immediate neighborhood, school district, workplace, zoo, nature center, city, faith family, or your own interpretation. We encourage critical thinking and inquiry-based learning as tools for creating strategies for change. In this program, students drive their own master’s experience through projects and opportunities they design, so your area of focus will ultimately depend upon your own personal goals. Through the development and exposure of these tools, you will create a framework for bringing social and ecological change to your community.

Program Structure and Requirements

AIP was specifically designed to accommodate working professionals and other lifelong learners, so coursework can be constructed around your life-rather than the other way around. Our students can complete the Advanced Inquiry Program in as little as 2.5, or as long as 5 consecutive years. Students are required to complete a master’s portfolio-in some ways like a master’s thesis-throughout their time in the program. Students in this program will be immersed in numerous opportunities in field work through their W + courses. In addition, AIP students in their 3rd year in good standing are eligible to apply for an Earth Expeditions course to take your explorations further afield-providing a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about community conservation efforts around the world, with specific applications to your individual studies. Foundations of Inquiry students explore nature through collaboration and play while at Denver Zoo. For admission to Miami’s Graduate School as a degree candidate, you must have earned a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 (4.0 scale) at the institution awarding your bachelor’s degree. All MA and MAT students are required to have completed (final grade of B- or better) one university-level general biology course or its equivalent prior to completion of their MA/MAT degree.

Course Delivery and Flexibility

All AIP courses are delivered online by a Miami University instructor. The program requires you to be at Denver Zoo about two to four times per semester. As long you’re willing to travel to Denver for each course’s in-person components, you can live practically anywhere. We try to do most of our in-person components on Saturdays specifically to accommodate travel and work schedules. It’s not uncommon for students to take a lighter load occasionally-or even take a full semester off-while things in their personal or work lives settle.

Admission and Application

Applications for the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) open in September for the following summer. While applications are accepted through February 28, we encourage you to complete the Miami University Graduate School application portion of your AIP application by February 18. Doing so will help ensure that all materials (e.g. undergraduate transcripts, professional recommendations, etc.) will be received and processed in a timely manner by the 28th deadline. Candidate screening will begin immediately following this February 28th deadline, with acceptance decisions being made mid-March through mid-April. Applicants will be notified by April 15. Enrollment is open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree, regardless of academic major. The AIP is designed for a broad range of environmental and education professionals, as well as those who have a vested, personal interest in our natural world. Miami University accepts only around 30 students per year to this online master’s degree with experiential learning at Denver Zoo.

Career Prospects

Through our Miami University/Project Dragonfly family, students have gone on to receive grants, create brand-new events or programs in their communities, collaborate with sanctuaries and preserves, take on leadership roles at work or promotions, write books, improve husbandry practices at zoos and even start their own nonprofit organizations.

Contact Information

Molly is the Graduate and Adult Programs Manager at Denver Zoo. She has overseen the AIP since it began at Denver Zoo in 2012. Molly has worked at Denver Zoo for 20 years in the fields of Conservation Education and Community Engagement. She also works with the AZA’s African Vulture SAFE program. Molly recently was invited to be a member of the IUCN Vulture Specialist Group to assist in global conservation efforts for vultures. She has a great affinity for Africa and has lived in Zambia and worked with communities impacted by tourism and human-wildlife conflict. Sofia is the Graduate and Adult Programs Coordinator at Denver Zoo. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, where she studied evolutionary and ecological patterns in Central American lizards. She has a B.S. in Biology from Barnard College, and an M.S. in Biology from San Francisco State University, where she studied amphibian disease and microbial ecology. She is thrilled to be able to apply her academic skills to the Advanced Inquiry Program and help students explore and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Read also: Mile High City Internships

General Requirements and Considerations

Interns need to have a recent TB test, and tetanus shot. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

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