Internships are a fantastic opportunity offered by the master’s programme in International Environmental Studies, giving you the chance to apply your academic knowledge in practice, deepen your expertise, and build a valuable professional network.
During your studies, you can undertake an internship that aligns with your interests, whether in NGOs, research, international and national organisations, advocacy work, or elsewhere. Below, you can discover inspiring stories of where our students have undertaken their internships and how these experiences have shaped their academic and personal journeys.
Finya Poppe: Intern at UNEP, Autumn 2025
For six months, I conducted an internship with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN headquarters in New York City. The UNEP New York Office focuses on cooperating with Member States, the UN Secretariat and other important UN groups and offices, and ensures that environmental issues are being integrated into relevant discussions and resolutions.
As part of the intergovernmental affairs team, I followed negotiations regarding the High Seas Treaty, Integrated Coastal Zone Management, international tax and development cooperation, as well as the drafting of the political declaration of the Second World Summit for Social Development, among many others. I also supported the office in, for example, reviewing resolutions, researching relevant topics, and facilitating events.
The master’s programme had prepared me to analyse documents, write comprehensive summaries and reports, and understand complex political processes, and I had the relevant knowledge about the interrelated sustainability issues that were being discussed at the UN.
Through the internship at UNEP, I gained a much better understanding of how environmental policies are being negotiated in practice and how Member States try to find consensus in these debates, as well as how intergovernmental processes work at a global scale. My personal highlight was supporting and closely following the high-level debate of the General Assembly, where heads of state, prime and foreign ministers delivered their speeches on the most pressing contemporary issues such as climate change, sustainable development, and peace and security.
Cari Anna Korshavn King: Intern at Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania, Autumn 2025
I had the opportunity to participate in an Internship with the organisation Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), which is based in Morogoro, Tanzania. SAT envisions the majority of farmers using acknowledged agroecological methods to improve their livelihoods, conserve the environment, and reduce pressure on natural resources. SAT works to transform farming practices in Tanzania through proper knowledge dissemination.
My main tasks for the internship revolved around learning agroecological methods, giving input on the agriculture curriculum, communication work, and work in the processing unit. As a M-IES student, my main focus areas have been agriculture and agroecology, through my internship I was able to connect the practical with the system critical theory in agroecology. I was also able to use my internship to start working on my master's thesis through working in the context before conducting my research.
One of the highlights of my internship was a week at the Farmer Training Centre (FTC) in Vianzi, where I learned directly from farmers practicing agroecological methods and attended training sessions together with farmers. I learned how to make biofertilizers and biopesticides, and different grafting techniques. It also gave me the opportunity to practice my Kiswahili!
Frida Taghawi: Intern at CICERO, Autumn 2020
During the autumn of 2020, I had my internship at CICERO (Center for International Climate Research), Norway’s leading institute for interdisciplinary climate research. I worked on the ACT project, a project which explored how individuals and households respond to climate policy measures. In this project, I primarily contributed to analyzing large datasets, examining variables, and supporting research on public attitudes and behaviors related to climate action. This experience was closely linked to my master’s thesis on food waste, as I used data from the project in my research, an opportunity I was introduced to through my thesis supervisor due to the relevance to my academic interests.
The internship allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge from my studies in a real-world research environment, while gaining valuable skills in data analysis and insight into how climate research informs policy. A personal highlight was working closely with my internship supervisor Marianne Aasen and my thesis supervisor Arild Vatn, as well as being part of the welcoming and inspiring environment at CICERO. I continue to draw on this experience in my current role at Akershus County Municipality, where I work with climate resilience and adaptation.
Solveig Blom: Intern at the United Nations Association of Norway, Spring 2026
I recently completed my six-month internship at FN-Sambandet (UNA – United Nations Association of Norway). FN-Sambandet is an independent organisation that educates students and society about the UN, its values, and topics such as sustainability, human rights, and freedom of speech. The organisation mostly focuses on students in high school, and I have gotten the opportunity to travel around to many different schools here in the eastern part of Norway and give lectures and workshops.
One of their most famous activities is a workshop where we set up a simulation of the UN Security Council, where the students take part in a roleplay as representatives from different countries to create a resolution in the context of conflicts, for example, about the war in Sudan. The topics raised in these workshops and lectures about sustainability have bettered my understanding of the connections between them, as well as expanded my understanding of sustainability theory, how to present it, and how to create awareness, compassion, and understanding of it.
This internship has allowed me to grow as a student, educator, and office worker, and given me the opportunity to experience possible career situations by presenting me with responsibilities and trust. Throughout these months, I have enjoyed and seen the value this organisation brings to students and all members of society, and I have greatly cherished that I got to be a part of it.
My personal highlight from the internship has been to roleplay as the president of the Security Council and lead the full-day workshop for students in high school. This challenged me in my knowledge and experience, and was a great success in growth, understanding, and engagement from the students. For the final major event of my internship, my team and I organised an event for an entire school on freedom of speech and the threats to it, which I was very excited about. Overall, my internship experience has been so valuable for my own growth that I'd genuinely encourage anyone to do one during their studies.
Robin Renz: Intern at DNV, Spring 2024
I joined DNV, one of the leading global assurance and risk management companies, where I worked with the Group Sustainability team on ESG reporting. DNV operates all over the world in a variety of sectors from maritime and aquaculture to the energy sector and healthcare certification. The company is owned by an independent foundation in Norway with the purpose to safeguard life, property and the environment.
During my internship, I supported DNV’s carbon accounting efforts and led a project on carbon emission data from employee commuting. What I found especially valuable was being able to directly apply concepts from my studies, like sustainability governance, statistics and environmental policy, in a real-life setting. I also developed practical skills in project management, data analysis, and translating complex regulations into something actionable.
Overall, the experience gave me a much clearer understanding of how sustainability is implemented in large organisations. My personal highlight was a kayak trip to one of the islands right in front of the office with my colleagues from the team.
Iris Brunschot: Intern at Fundación Social Universal and Fundación Somos Naturaleza in Spain, Autumn 2025
I did an internship in Spain as part of my studies in autumn 2025. I found the two NGOs Fundación Social Universal and Fundación Somos Naturaleza online beforehand, completing an informal interview in broken Spanish. Some months later I was on my way to the Andalucian town Montilla, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Here, both NGOs work to improve the lives of vulnerable people and nature.
I was so lucky to participate in preparing the soil for a local seed bank, learning a lot about biodiversity. Otherwise, I worked very creatively, photographing and making videos about the organisations’ projects. Being interested in communication, this felt like a huge privilege. It was also extremely refreshing to work practically with concepts we had been taught theoretically and understand how NGOs function in real life.
I gained so much respect and wonder for the organisations, as well as for the Andalucian culture and people. My personal highlight is getting to know the people of Montilla. I learned so much from the organisation’s employees and volunteers, (still, of course, in broken Spanish). I can truly recommend anyone to board a train to the south of Spain and do an internship!
Emil Nergaard Maracci: Intern at Sirk Norge, Spring 2026
I completed my internship at Sirk Norge, a member-based organisation for the waste management sector. The main task I worked on was the mapping of the whole waste management sector of Norway, using various sources of data from the Norwegian Environmental Agency (Miljødirektoratet), the county governors (Statsforvalteren), proff.no, and Brønnøysundregistrene. In addition, I was mapping the needs for research, development, and innovation in the waste management sector. This was done by collecting data on past funding to organisations that work in the sector, together with the opinions of stakeholders collected with surveys and interviews. This is part of the work for a report that will be published in September 2026.
The internship gave me the perspective and practical insight that the study could not give me. I was happy to use my acquired knowledge in practice. It was interesting to see how the theory and practice in the realm of sustainability interact. By mapping the waste management sector, I have categorized documents on approximately 1400 actors that work in the sector. This gives me a high-quality first-hand perspective on the roles and the actors that the sector is made up of. This is a great starting point for starting my master's thesis. I learned a lot of hard skills, used the office and AI a lot more than during my studies.
I am happy to have seen how much being able to use these tools counts in an office job. My personal highlight of the internship was the contagious enthusiasm of my workplace; it made me more confident about my choice of continuing with this path.