Internships

For High School and Undergraduate Students

The Coastal Studies Institute offers internships for high school (HS) and undergraduate (UG) students, including those attending the UNC Outer Banks Field site and the ECU Semester Experience at the Coast, interested in coastal sciences. Internship projects have included education, science journalism, photojournalism, sustainable design, ocean observing, and estuary processes and ecology.

For more information or questions not addressed in internship descriptions or the FAQ section below, contact Julie Kirn.

Fall 2026 Internships

The internship application window for Fall 2026 is now closed.

FAQ

1. Who is eligible for internships?

For the high school internships: rising freshmen through rising seniors.

For undergraduate internships: students who have a high school diploma or equivalent and at least one semester of study remaining after the internship before they earn their degree.

2. When are internships offered?

At CSI, we offer internships during the Spring, Summer, and Fall semesters.

3. What internships are offered?

This changes from season to season, as projects that faculty are willing to bring interns on for change all the time.

4. When will I know what internships are being offered?

We do our best to post the available internships at least one month before the application deadline.

5. What should I anticipate from my internship experience?

Once selected for your internship, you and your mentor will create a work plan that outlines things like internship evaluations, hours to be worked, and internship deliverables. Each intern will have an evaluation at halfway point and the end of the internship.

Typically, an internship lasts no longer than a semester of school (typically 3-4 months).

6. What will my internship hours be?

This will be decided between you and your internship mentor once you are selected for the internship. Typically, intern work hours fall between 8am – 5pm, Monday through Friday, though there are some exceptions.

7. Will I be paid during my internship?

CSI internships are not state funded. Some internships will be supported through research grants.

8. Will I be provided housing for my internship?

There is limited housing available for undergraduate students interning at CSI, though it is not guaranteed and will be paid for by the intern, unless otherwise stated.

Two people stand inside the cabin of a boat at the helm. They are looking at a monitor in front of them.
A young woman with a long ponytail wearing a maroon t-shirt places small tins of sediment into a drying oven in a research lab.
Two young men conduct work in a research lab. The beakers in front of them on the counter hide what is in their hands.
Five individuals in wetsuits and snorkeling gear investigate a shallow shipwreck on a blue-sky day.

Led by East Carolina University (ECU), The Coastal Studies Institute is a multi-institutional research and educational partnership of the UNC System including North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, and Elizabeth City State University.

MORE INFORMATION

CSI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The ECU Outer Banks campus is home to the Coastal Studies Institute.
Located on Roanoke Island along the banks of the second largest estuary
in the United States, this coastal campus spans 213 acres of marshes, scrub wetlands, forested wetlands, and estuarine ecosystems.

ECU OUTER BANKS CAMPUS

FACILITIES

SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS

 

Based at the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI), the North Carolina Renewable Ocean Energy Program (NCROEP) advances inter-disciplinary marine energy solutions across UNC System partner colleges of engineering at NC State University, UNC Charlotte, and NC A&T University.  Click on the links below for more information.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

JENNETTE'S PIER WAVE ENERGY TEST CENTER

SMALL-SCALE WAVE TANK

The faculty and staff at the Coastal Studies Institute come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, as well as departments and organizations including ECU Department of Biology, ECU Department of Coastal Studies, NC Sea Grant, the North Carolina Renewable Energy Program, and the UNC Institute for the Environment.

MEET THE TEAM

Tour the ECU Outer Banks Campus and learn about the research, education, and engagement projects of CSI and ECU Integrated Coastal Programs through our 360 virtual tour.

VIRTUAL TOUR