Experiential Learning Courses

Experiential learning opportunities such as internships, co-op, practicum, research, and other related activities are great for your career and in some instances can also be used to obtain credit for successful participation in them.

Please see below for the current experiential learning for-credit course offerings.

Undergraduate

CS 1900 - Internship (Capstone)

Prerequisites: Must be a declared CS major with junior (60+ completed credits) standing; have completed all 400 level CS courses with a C or better; have completed CS 1501 with a C or better. Must submit an internship for credit via Handshake prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends for the semester interning. 

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

Learning Agreement: View here

Course Component: Internship (with regularly occurring meetings with faculty sponsor), Lecture (enrollment options are listed in the course learning agreement)

Position Requirements: May be full-time or part-time (minimum 120 hours, typically 12 weeks or more) with or without pay. The work should directly involve skills/abilities learned in CS coursework or that otherwise relate to the CS degree and be supervised by a technical employee. No contract work is allowed. Suitable examples include, software development, software testing, database administration, network administration, etc.  Any concerns about an internship not being credit-bearing should be directed to the student’s faculty sponsor.

Process to Enroll: Student secures an internship and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins by following the instructions here. Students pursuing fall/spring internships must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends for that term. Students interning in the summer with fall capstone enrollment should apply,be approved, and enrolled before summer add/drop ends and no later than June 15th. Complete policies can be found here. Once their academic advisor, internship site, and faculty sponsor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for students to enroll in the course.

CS 1901 - Internship

Prerequisites: Must submit an internship for credit via Handshake prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled in the course before add/drop ends. 

Eligible for Capstone: No

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Internship (must be enrolled in the course while interning)

Position Requirements: May be full-time or part-time with or without pay. The work should directly involve skills/abilities learned in CS coursework or that otherwise relate to the CS degree. Examples include, software development, software testing, database administration, network administration, etc. The number of internship hours per week will determine the credit amount a student should be enrolled in the course (between 1-3 credits). Students should speak with their faculty sponsor to determine the amount. Any concerns about an internship not being credit-bearing should be directed to the student’s faculty sponsor

Process to Enroll: Student secures an internship and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins by following the instructions here. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their internship site and faculty sponsor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for students to enroll in the course.

CS 1906 - Co-Op Program (Eligible for Capstone)

Prerequisites: Must be a declared or intended CS major and have successfully completed at least the first semester of sophomore year prior to the first rotation. Must be in good academic standing. Must not have completed two rotations or be in the final semester of the degree. Must have submitted a co-op for credit via Handshake at least a semester prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends. 

Eligible for Capstone: Yes, must complete two co-op rotations to fulfill capstone requirements

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Co-op (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: Students should plan to work full-time (32-40 hours a week for 12-15 weeks) in an experience that is integral to their field of study. The company must be external to the university and maintain a formal relationship with the co-op office. While students are permitted to work a minimum of one rotation, they should be employed by a company where a second rotation is possible. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the co-op office and/or course instructor. 

Process to Enroll: Student secures a co-op experience and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins, by following the instructions here. An approved course schedule must be uploaded as well. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their co-op site approves the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course. 

CS 1950 - Directed Research (Capstone)

Prerequisites: Must be a declared CS major with junior (60+ completed credits) standing; have completed all 400 level CS courses with a C or better; have completed CS 1501 with a C or better. Must submit a research project for credit application via Handshake prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends for the semester working.  

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Research project (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: May be full-time or part-time (minimum 120 hours, typically 12 weeks or more), but cannot be paid. The work should directly involve skills/abilities learned in CS coursework or that otherwise relate to the CS degree. The work should be directed and supervised by a full-time faculty member in the CS department. If it is not, the student must secure a full-time CS faculty member to co-sponsor the research. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the student’s faculty sponsor

Process to Enroll: Student secures a research opportunity and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins by following the instructions here. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their academic advisor, faculty sponsor, and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course.

CS 1951 - Directed Research

Prerequisites: Must be a declared or intended CS major. Must submit a research project for credit application via Handshake prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends for the semester working.  

Eligible for Capstone: No

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Research project (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: May be full-time or part-time, but cannot be paid. The work should directly involve skills/abilities learned in CS coursework or that otherwise relate to the CS degree. The work should be directed and supervised by a full-time faculty member in the CS department. If it is not, the student must secure a full-time CS faculty member to co-sponsor the research. The number of research hours per week will determine the credit amount a student should be enrolled in the course (between 1-3 credits). Students should speak with their faculty sponsor to determine the amount. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the student’s faculty sponsor

Process to Enroll: Student secures a research opportunity and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins by following the instructions here. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their faculty sponsor and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course.

CS 1980 - Team Project Design & Implementation (Eligible for Capstone)

Prerequisites: Must be a declared CS major with junior (60+ completed credits) standing; have completed CS 1501 and CS 1550 with a C or better. 

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

Learning Agreement: Syllabus provided by instructor

Course Component: Team Project (with regularly occurring meetings with project mentor), Lecture

Position Requirements: Students will choose a project from proposals provided by faculty and industry partners for that term. Teams will consist of 3-4 students who will be supervised by a project mentor. Attendance at capstone meetings is also required. 

Process to Enroll: Student discusses the option with their academic advisor and enrolls. Any additional questions should be directed to the course instructor. 

INFSCI 1082 - Co-Op Program (Eligible for Capstone)

Prerequisites: Must be a declared or intended IS major and have successfully completed at least the first semester of sophomore year prior to the first rotation. Must be in good academic standing. Must not have completed two rotations or be in the final semester of the degree. Must have submitted a co-op for credit via Handshake at least a semester prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends.

Eligible for Capstone: Yes; must complete two co-op rotations to fulfill capstone requirements

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Co-op (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: Students should plan to work full-time (32-40 hours a week for 12-15 weeks) in an experience that is integral to their field of study. The company must be external to the university and maintain a formal relationship with the co-op office. While students are permitted to work a minimum of one rotation, they should be employed by a company where a second rotation is possible. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the co-op office and/or course instructor. 

Process to Enroll: Student secures a co-op experience and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins, by following the instructions here. An approved course schedule must be uploaded as well. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their co-op site approves the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course. 

INFSCI 1700 - Data Driven Communication (Eligible for Capstone)

Prerequisites: Coming Soon

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

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INFSCI 1710 - Directed Research (Capstone)

Prerequisites: Coming Soon

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

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INFSCI 1720 - Internship (Capstone)

Prerequisites: Enrollment not permitted if currently or previously completed INFSCI 1720/1085. Must have successfully completed five Information Science courses.  Must submit an internship for credit via Handshake prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends for the semester interning. 

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

Learning Agreement: View here

Course Component: Internship (must be enrolled in the course while interning)

Position Requirements: May be full-time or part-time (minimum of 180 hours of work per semester) with or without pay. The work must be directly related to the information science and technology fields. Examples include, programming, web development/design, application development, database administration, data/business analytics, technical liaisons, quality assurance/systems testing and cannot involve help desk triage, data entry, filing/scanning, customer service, etc. Any concerns about an internship not being credit-bearing should be directed to the course instructor.

Process to Enroll: Student secures an internship and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins, by following the instructions here. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their academic advisor, internship site, and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for students to enroll in the course. 

INFSCI 1730 - Independent Study (Eligible for Capstone)

Prerequisites: Coming Soon

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

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INFSCI 1740 - Team Based Project (Capstone)

Prerequisites: Coming Soon

Eligible for Capstone: Yes

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Graduate

CS 2900 - Internship

Prerequisites: Coming Soon

Learning Agreement:

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CS 2905 - Co-Op Program

Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed a minimum of 18 credit hours. Must be in good academic standing. Must not have completed two rotations at the master’s level (PhD students may work more than two rotations with departmental/advisor consent). Must not be in the final semester of the degree. Must have submitted a co-op for credit via Handshake at least a semester prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends.  

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Co-op (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: Students should plan to work full-time (32-40 hours a week for 12-15 weeks) in an experience that is integral to their field of study. The company must be external to the university and maintain a formal relationship with the co-op office. While students are permitted to work a minimum of one rotation, they should be employed by a company where a second rotation is possible. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the co-op office and/or course instructor. Please note: a co-op rotation taken in one semester cannot be converted to an internship position in another semester. This also applies to an internship position, which cannot be converted to a co-op rotation in another semester.   

Process to Enroll: Student secures a co-op experience and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins by following the instructions here. An approved course schedule must be uploaded as well. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their co-op site and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course. 

INFSCI 2980 - Practicum

Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed a minimum of 18 credit hours. Must be in good academic standing. Must have submitted a practicum for credit via Handshake prior to working. Must have an application approved and be in the course before add/drop ends. 

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Practicum (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: Students should plan to work between 100-250 hours per term (7-20 hours per week). When a student is registered for only the practicum, the number of hours per week may approach 40 hours or full-time work. When a student is taking other courses, the practicum should be limited to less than 20 hours per week. All work should be completed during the academic term – more specifically, work may not begin until the beginning of the term and should be completed before grades are due. The practicum must complement the student’s education in information science. A good practicum should exercise the student’s educational learning and/or introduce the student to new areas of the information profession which complement the student’s academic background or area of interest. Students already working in the field are not normally eligible for practicum. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the course instructor. 

Process to Enroll: Student secures a practicum experience and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins and add/drop ends, by following the instructions here. Complete policies can be found here. Once their practicum site and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course. 

INFSCI 2982 - Co-Op Program

Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed a minimum of 18 credit hours. Must be in good academic standing. Must not have completed two rotations at the master’s level (PhD students may work more than two rotations with departmental/advisor consent). Must not be in the final semester of the degree. Must have submitted a co-op for credit via Handshake at least a semester prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends. 

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Co-op (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: Students should plan to work full-time (32-40 hours a week for 12-15 weeks) in an experience that is integral to their field of study. The company must be external to the university and maintain a formal relationship with the co-op office. While students are permitted to work a minimum of one rotation, they should be employed by a company where a second rotation is possible. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the co-op office and/or course instructor. Please note: a co-op rotation taken in one semester cannot be converted to a practicum position in another semester. This also applies to a practicum position, which cannot be converted to a co-op rotation in another semester.     

Process to Enroll: Student secures a co-op experience and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins, by following the instructions here. An approved course schedule must be uploaded as well. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their co-op site and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course. 

LIS 2921 - Field Experience

Prerequisites: Coming Soon

Learning Agreement:

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ISSP 2900 - Internship

Prerequisites: Coming Soon

Learning Agreement:

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TELCOM 2940 - Practicum

Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed a minimum of 18 credit hours. Must be in good academic standing. Must have submitted a practicum for credit via Handshake prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled in the course before add/drop ends.

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Practicum (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: Students should plan to work between 100-250 hours per term (7-20 hours per week). When a student is registered for only the practicum, the number of hours per week may approach 40 hours or full-time work. When a student is taking other courses, the practicum should be limited to less than 20 hours per week. All work should be completed during the academic term – more specifically, work may not begin until the beginning of the term and should be completed before grades are due. The practicum must complement the student’s education in telecommunications. A good practicum should exercise the student’s educational learning and/or introduce the student to new areas of the information profession which complement the student’s academic background or area of interest. Students already working in the field are not normally eligible for practicum. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the course instructor. 

Process to Enroll: Student secures a practicum experience and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins, by following the instructions here. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their practicum site and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course. 

TELCOM 2982- Co-Op Program

Prerequisites: Must have successfully completed a minimum of 18 credit hours. Must be in good academic standing. Must not have completed two rotations at the master’s level (PhD students may work more than two rotations with departmental/advisor consent). Must not be in the final semester of the degree. Must have submitted a co-op for credit via Handshake at least a semester prior to working. Must have an application approved and be enrolled before add/drop ends.

Learning Agreement: View Here

Course Component: Co-op (must be enrolled in the course while working)

Position Requirements: Students should plan to work full-time (32-40 hours a week for 12-15 weeks) in an experience that is integral to their field of study. The company must be external to the university and maintain a formal relationship with the co-op office. While students are permitted to work a minimum of one rotation, they should be employed by a company where a second rotation is possible. Any concerns about an experience not being credit-bearing should be directed to the co-op office and/or course instructor. Please note: a co-op rotation taken in one semester cannot be converted to a practicum position in another semester. This also applies to a practicum position, which cannot be converted to a co-op rotation in another semester.   

Process to Enroll: Student secures a co-op experience and submits the experience for credit via Handshake before it begins, by following the instructions here. An approved course schedule must be uploaded as well. Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends. Complete policies can be found here. Once their co-op site and course instructor approve the experience, the Manager of Experiential Learning will send out a permission code email for the student to enroll in the course. 

Please refer to departmental or academic advisors when planning to take any of these courses to ensure proper alignment with career goals and degree requirements, as well as appropriate class scheduling.  

For general experiential learning questions, application troubleshooting, or to receive information on how to prepare for and market your experiential learning success, please reach out to the Manager of Experiential Learning, Emily Bennett at emb108@pitt.edu.