Internship positions are key to enhance your skills and marketability to employers in the field of computing. An internship is an opportunity to explore a profession and employer for a limited time, typically during your junior or senior year. By acquiring important on-the-job skills during an internship, you will significantly enhance your desirability in the job market. Internships also provide excellent networking opportunities, and it is not uncommon that an internship turns into permanent employment down the line.
The Department of Computer Science and Cybersecurity offers academic internship courses (with variable 1-6 credits) which can be used to fulfill requirements of the majors and minors within the department. The number of credits is determined by your program requirements and the desired length of your internship: 40 hours of internship work correspond to 1 academic credit and increases incrementally by each credit hour. i.e. 3 credits = 120 internship work hours within semester.
Academic internships have several requirements depending on which major you intend to declare. We strongly encourage you to discuss internship opportunities of interest to you with your academic advisor. To register in an internship course, contact the Internship Coordinator for your major as follows:
- Computer Forensic Internship (CFS 350I): cfs.internship@metrostate.edu
- Cybersecurity Internship (CYBR 350I): cybr.internship@metrostate.edu
- Computer Science and Computer Information Technology Internships (ICS 350I): ics.internship@metrostate.edu
Below are general guidelines when exploring internship options which you will work with the corresponding internship coordinator to further discuss details specific to your major and career goals.
Requirements
- You need to be an enrolled Metropolitan State University student accepted into one of the following majors:
- Computer Application Development, Computer Forensics, Computer Information Technology, Computer Science, or Cybersecurity;
- minimum program GPA of 3.00. If you are unsure whether you meet the GPA requirement, talk with your academic advisor; or permission of department
- You must have completed appropriate courses or research work (as determined by department review) for the proposed internship.
- Internships must be approved in advance by the department (including work scope and site supervisor, based on resume noted below). Approval of internships requires completion of the Academic Internship Agreement (AIA) Form. Credit will not be granted on a retroactive basis.
- The internship must be independent, self-directed work which is upper-division in nature.
- You may do more than one internship, but the maximum credit limit for each internship is 4 credits.
- The internship must be supervised, and the site supervisor must be willing to evaluate your work on a regular basis during the semester. The site supervisor must be qualified to supervise and this should be demonstrated in a brief résumé which is provided to the Computer Science and Cybersecurity Department Internship Coordinator.
- Evaluation of your internship work must be done by the site supervisor in consultation with the department faculty internship evaluator.
- The grading option for internships is S/N only. The final grade will be submitted by the faculty internship evaluator based on the internship site supervisor’s evaluation, your reports and/or presentations, and an exit review between you and the faculty internship evaluator.
- Your site supervisor must not be related to you (e.g., a parent, sibling, child, uncle, aunt, cousin, in-law, domestic partner). Check if you are not sure – this list is not exhaustive. You also must not be related to the faculty internship evaluator.
- You may do an internship at your present work location, even for your present supervisor. The work, though, must be something that is new learning for you. It also must be significantly different from the work that you do for this organization.
Note: In general, internships do not replace required courses in programs. In rare instances, your advisor may waive a program requirement after extensive review of the internship project, reports/presentations, and any other appropriate output.
Learning outcomes
All internships must offer students the opportunity to gain the following outcomes. The student will learn:
- Self-management skills, those skills needed for personal and professional success;
- Thinking and processing skills, the analytical skills needed for analysis and decision making;
- Communications skills, those skills needed to effectively communicate (written and orally) analysis results;
- Interpersonal skills, those skills needed to work productively and enjoyably with others, including people from dissimilar backgrounds or perspectives; and
- The internship site’s goals, understand the industry, business, and customer perspective.
Evaluation
All evaluation measures should be linked to a clear and concise set of documented student learning outcomes for the internship. All measures need to be included on the Internship Agreement Form.
- The intern will submit a formal report at the end of the semester. The site supervisor and the faculty internship evaluator will be recipients of the report or be at the presentations.
- Any additional evaluation measures that are documented as part of the agreement between the intern, site supervisor, and faculty internship evaluator.
Procedure for student seeking an academic internship
- Inform yourself about the process
Congratulations, you are doing this right now! Attend an internship information session presented by Career Center staff.
Contact the internship coordinator noted above for the program you've declared to set up a meeting to discuss program specific requirements, feedback, and advice well in advance of your intended graduation or application deadlines.
- Prepare your resume and find potential employers
Great resume, internship resources and workshops are at the university’s Career Center (metrostate.edu/students/support/career/job-search/resume). Faculty in the Computer Science and Cybersecurity Department will be happy to provide you feedback on your resume as well as partnerships with local businesses.
- After you have successfully secured an internship, follow the steps below to apply for an academic internship:
- Ask your internship employer to identify a site supervisor who would be willing to help in evaluating the academic internship
- Work with the Computer Science and Cybersecurity Department Internship Coordinator to complete the Academic Internship Agreement (AIA) which will include the title of the internship noting academic credit hours to be and either discipline: CFS 350I Computer Forensic Internship, CYBR 350I Cybersecurity Individualized Internship, or ICS 350I Information Computer Science Internship
- Once the AIA Form is completed, the coordinator will forward to the dean of the college to sign and date the agreement, and will forward it to the Career Center.
- The Career Center will send you an email approval and a copy of the agreement which states your full internship registration
Student responsibilities in the workplace
- Maintain a professional demeanor and attitude at all times as you are a representative of Metropolitan State University and the College of Sciences.
- Abide by all organization rules, regulations and policies.
- Maintain confidentiality of organization, company and/or client information.
- Set a work schedule and keep the work schedule. Inform your site supervisor in a timely and professional manner if you must miss work.
- Keep the faculty internship evaluator informed of any change in work status or job duties / responsibilities.
- Complete a Student Evaluation of Internship at the end of the internship.
- Write and send a letter of appreciation to the site supervisor.