CPLA Internships

The CPLA internship program is a long-standing tradition and excellent opportunity for UW-Madison students to learn, grow, and have real-life design experiences. An internship through CPLA is one way to refine and help confirm your professional direction. The purpose of the program is to expose students (typically Sophomore-Senior undergraduates) to a variety of office practices and procedures related to the landscape architecture profession. Interns learn skills through assisting professionally licensed landscape architects in the office and in the field. The internship is setup to provide real world experience and understanding of the design and project process within a university campus setting. Projects often include discussions about critical thinking and the impacts of maintenance, cost, durability/longevity of materials, user needs, and sustainability. Each project must not only meet site specific goals, but the design must be thought through holistically to satisfy the overall campus master plan.

The internship is paid with awarded participants working between 10-16 hours per week while school is in session. Interns work 30-40 hours average per week during summer break.

Interested in applying for an internship? Look for an internship advertisement in March for positions beginning that following summer. Requirements for application include a cover letter and resume. Contact Rhonda James to express interest and to be notified once the advertisement is released.

Campus Planning and Landscape Architecture Past Interns

Lakeshore Nature Preserve Seasonal Employee Opportunities

Refer to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve website and Facebook page

Intern Roles & Responsibilities

Site Visits, Inventories, and Analysis
Construction Documentation
Office Operations
Planting Design
Working with Campus Amenities and Standards
Cost Estimation
Construction Site Observation and Field Inspection
Product and Material Specification
Conceptual Design Development (Vignettes, Precedents, etc.)
Detail Design
Project Design Reviews
Post Occupancy Evaluations
Cultural Resource Documentation
Vendor Presentation and/or Tours
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Assessments