In your time as an undergraduate, we encourage you to seek out internships, research projects, and other physics-related work experience.  A few options you might consider:

Physics and Astronomy Faculty

Speak to one of our faculty about getting involved in research. All majors are encouraged to engage in research during their undergraduate career. Find out a little about each professors’ research interests. If something interests you, ask if they have an opening on their research team. Depending on availability of grant funding, you may even get paid for your work.

Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Programs

Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs are becoming increasingly popular for physics students. There are increasing numbers of them throughout the U.S. They are typically around 10 weeks in length, often during the summer months. Most programs include a healthy stipend, room and board, and even travel funds.  They are often both academically and socially rewarding, and can give you a leg-up in finding employment, or being accepted into graduate school.  In general, you will have the best chance to earn an REU after your sophomore or junior year, but you should apply any year you are interested and available!

Databases for Identifying REU’s

• National Science Foundation
• The Physics Nucleus
• Montana Space Grant Consortium
• Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

And you are always welcome to stop by Mark Reiser's office, in CHCB 120, to see a collected list of advertised programs.

UM Internship Resources

UM provides a number of internship services for its students.

• UM Internships: Provides resources and contacts for specific internship opportunities.
• Handshake: An excellent resource for students!  (replaces "Griz e-Recruiting") Log-in using your NetID / password, and create your Handshake account and profile. Upload as many version of your resume as you'd like, and search internship postings tailored to your major, background, and interests. All postings are directly from companies seeking UM students. Cheryl Minnick is our local guru in Handshake;  contact her at cheryl.minnick@mso.umt.edu. 
• Experiential Learning and Career Success: Explore other options for outside-the-classroom experiences.

Montana Resources

Montana High Tech Jobs:  A database of Montana-specific postings from high-tech and manufacturing-based companies.  Check this database often, as there are over 100 member businesses that post here.

NASA

NASA Internships - OSSI:  NASA's portal for internship opportunities and applications.  Their "One Stop Shopping Initiative."  For a bit more background on how to utilize this website, please see One Stop Shopping Initiative.

Local Opportunities

If a local business or company sounds intriguing to you, stop in and introduce yourself.Ask about the possibility of being an intern for them. A substantial number of internships are created for students who network and express interest in working for a company. It can be as easy as stopping in to introduce yourself!