The Cartography and Geographic Information Science Center seeks students for paid and/or course credit student internship positions. Student interns will join a collaborative team of other student interns and a full-time GIS Professional. Students are required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week. Work scheduling is flexible to accommodate student class schedules.

Current projects in C-GIS vary in scope, skill level, complexity and originating discipline. Students are mentored as they acquire new skills as part of the internship experience.

Interested applicants should complete the Application Form and include at least one sample.

Required Qualifications

1. Student in good standing in the University of Wisconsin-System.
2. Strong desire to learn.
3. Penchant for problem solving.

Desirable Qualifications

1. Proficiency in ArcGIS through coursework or job experience; open source GIS considered.
2. Web experience a plus.

Illustration software experience a plus.

Goals

To provide a valuable real-world learning experience in an internship setting. Learned theories and concepts will be reinforced with applied and practical skills on contract projects. Our goal is to produce quality products and deliverables for clients while creating highly marketable students with the skills and confidence to succeed in today’s job market.

Learning Objectives

These Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), when met, produce students capable of obtaining employment in the GIS field. Individual projects will emphasize more skills than others. Interns may not experience all the objectives listed here.

1. Ability to complete detailed work with a high degree of consistency and accuracy.
2. Ability to document efforts, skills, techniques and processes, and create quality metadata.
3. An understanding of basic business processes for a small business or division.
4. Ability to work effectively independently and in teams; ability to communicate effectively and professionally, via phone, email, in writing and in person, with co-workers, clients and others.
5. Ability to learn new skills and proactively problem solve on the job; ability to recognize and troubleshoot errors.
6. Demonstrate critical thinking skills in solving geospatial problems.
7. Ability to identify geospatial problems and the requisite method, or set of procedures needed to address the issue; ability to devise database schema required for addressing geospatial problems; ability to develop customized user interfaces appropriate for geospatial investigations.
8. Ability to construct a clear, presentable cartographic product that addresses a geospatial issue.
9. Understand the software/hardware requirements for implementing a scalable GIS.
10. An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

The Cartography and Geographic Information Science Center (C-GIS) was established in 1964. Professional publication quality maps and graphics are compiled, designed, and produced in the laboratory’s facilities as per client specifications, using the latest desktop mapping and illustration software, technology, and equipment. The Center also creates geographic and attribute files for analysis with Geographic Information Systems and is experienced in creating and maintaining interactive web-based mapping sites.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has established itself internationally as an urban-based, multi-disciplinary geographic information science institution that utilizes GIS technology and unique government data in the education of future professionals in a variety of disciplines, prepares students for a GIS-related career, and conducts research and provides GIS-related services to an urban and regional community for addressing current public and private sector information needs.