Internships can be a great way to gain experience and, in some instances, earn credit towards an SCI degree. As seen below, policies can vary by degree program. To better understand the various course options, please visit the Experiential Learning Course page here.
Participation
Undergraduate students are eligible to earn credit for internships if they:
- Are a declared Computer Science or Information Science major (CS 1900, INFSCI 1720) or in a related major looking to gain technical experience (CS 1901)
- Are in good academic standing (GPA 2.0 or above)
- Have successfully completed 60+ credits prior to the internship, as well as all 400 level CS courses with a C or better, CS 1501 with a C or better (CS 1900) or successfully completed five Information Science courses with a C or better (INFSCI 1720)
- Have not previously completed 3 credits in the same internship course
- Have submitted an internship for credit application via Handshake prior to working
- Have an application approved and be enrolled in the internship course before add/drop ends – preferably submitted and approved a semester before working
Any questions regarding eligibility should be directed to a student’s academic advisor.
Expectations
Students are expected to:
- Secure an offer for an internship that is technical in nature and will contribute to their career growth
- Request work authorization if they are on an F-1 visa
- Acknowledge they represent the university when they are off-campus and must act in a professional and ethical manner
- Alert the Manager of Experiential Learning if their duties have substantially changed
- Complete a final evaluation and report at the end of the internship
Internship employers are expected to:
- Provide a meaningful and relevant work experience to students with technical supervision
- Provide a safe, inclusive work environment
- Complete a final evaluation regarding the student’s performance at the end of each rotation
Learning agreements for each internship course (CS 1900, CS 1901, INFSCI 1720) can be found here. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Manager of Experiential Learning, Emily Bennett, especially if they involve an unsatisfactory or unsafe work environment which needs to be dealt with in a prompt manner.
Securing an Internship Offer
Position requirements vary by course, but generally:
- Internship positions can be paid (average $20-25 an hour) or unpaid, as well as full-time (32-40 hours a week for 12-15 weeks) or part-time (32 hours or less). The work can be done on-site or remote. The work should be integral to the student’s field of study and/or allow them to explore technical skills and disciplines of interest.
- While the school is responsible for building employer relationships and directing them to post positions on Handshake and the SCI opportunities board, students are responsible for applying and interviewing for positions. Pitt’s Career Center provides 1:1 resume reviews and mock interviews, as well as employer events and workshops (many times in collaboration with SCI). All Pitt and SCI career-related events are posted in Handshake. There are also self-guided career resources on the SCI Career Services site.
Please keep in mind that it can take 3-4 months to secure an opportunity, so students should plan accordingly.
Position Requirements
CS 1900:
- 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 roles in 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
- - Internship employers from CS 1901 cannot be used for CS 1900 credit unless it's a drastically different role and departmental approval has been granted
CS 1901:
- 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. Suitable examples include roles in 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
- - Internship employers from CS 1901 cannot be used for CS 1900 credit unless it's a drastically different role and departmental approval has been granted
INFSCI 1720:
- 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. Suitable examples include roles in 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
Applications
Once a student secures an offer, they must log into Handshake (via the my.pitt.edu portal) and submit an application by completing the following steps:
- Navigate to the Career Center menu in the upper-right corner, click on Experience, and then Request an Experience
- Select the relevant course (CS 1900 or CS 1901 for Computer Science or INFSCI 1720 for Information Science) and follow along closely with its related application guide (CS 1900, CS 1901, or INFSCI 1720). Failure to include all the required information will result in the application being paused or declined
- Navigate back to the Experience to upload the offer letter after clicking Request Experience
- Immediately notify the internship site/supervisor that they will be receiving an email from Handshake to complete a form, and if they do not complete third-party forms, email the Manager of Experiential Learning letting them know
- Please review the Course Learning Agreement and Tips for Success pdfs located under Attachments in the side column
The application now goes through a series of approvals: academic advising (to confirm the student is eligible to enroll in capstone when applicable), the internship site (to confirm work details), the faculty sponsor or the course instructor (to confirm the internship is credit-worthy), and then the Manager of Experiential Learning.
Once the internship application has been approved by academic advising (if applicable), the internship site, and the faculty sponsor or course instructor, a permission code email will be sent by the Manager of Experiential Learning, which will be used by the student to enroll in the appropriate course. Be sure to enroll before the experience begins or at the very latest, before add/drop ends.
Students can check the status of their application at any time in Handshake under the Experiences module and are responsible for following up with their approvers if progress isn’t being made after two weeks. Students can direct any questions they may have to the Manager of Experiential Learning, Emily Bennett.
Please note that students requiring work authorization must not begin working until an application is approved, they’re enrolled in the course, and a CPT request is processed and approved through OIS. The request requires proof of course enrollment and an offer letter with all the information listed in ‘How to Apply for CPT, Section #2’ in this document.
The internship application approval process can take up to a month, so please plan accordingly. Students should make every effort to apply and be approved at least a semester in advance of working.
Deadlines
Specific deadlines vary by course, but the internship application approval process can take up to a month, so students should plan accordingly. They should make every effort to apply and be approved at least a semester in advance of working.
CS 1900:
- 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
CS 1901:
- Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends for the term interning
INFSCI 1720:
- Students must be approved and enrolled before add/drop ends for the term interning
Please note that students requiring work authorization must allow at least 2 weeks for OIS to process their request for CPT. Students must be enrolled in the course before the request can be reviewed.
Enrollment
Specific enrollment details vary by course, but students must have their internship experience approved before enrolling in the relevant course. No retroactive credit will be given.
CS 1900:
- Fall/Fall option: student interns in the fall and enrolls in CS 1900 in the fall
- Spring/Spring option: student interns in the spring and enrolls in CS 1900 in the spring
- Summer/Fall option: student interns in the summer and enrolls in CS 1900 in the fall
- Summer/Summer option: student interns in the summer and enrolls in CS 1900 in the summer (requires departmental permission, even if CPT/work authorization is needed)
CS 1901:
- Students must be enrolled in the course while interning
INFSCI 1720:
- Students must be enrolled in the course while interning
While working, students on an F-1 visa must be on approved CPT or pre-completion OPT. Please note that full-time CPT authorization cannot extend beyond 12 months or OPT is negated. Participation in internship credit within the Computer Science department can consist of up to 3 credits of CS 1901 and 3 credits of CS 1900. Within the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems (DINS), students are permitted to take 3 credits of INFSCI 1720. Student should discuss their plan to intern with the Office of International Services (OIS) prior to securing an offer.
Deliverables
Successful completion of internship credit involves the following:
- Students are responsible for completing a final evaluation (with related report)
- Internship site supervisors are expected to complete a final evaluation for their student supervisee
- Both final (student and internship site) evaluations and reports must be submitted prior to the end of finals week (regardless of the experience end date) to ensure a ‘Satisfactory’ grade
For a complete list of evaluation questions, please view the learning agreement under the relevant course dropdown listed here.
Capstone Option
Successful completion of CS 1900 or INFSCI 1720 and a summary paper can be used to satisfy the capstone graduation requirement.
The written paper must be submitted via Handshake and Canvas before the end of finals week for each class regardless of when the internship experience ends. Requirements are detailed in the internship learning agreements under each course’s dropdown here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to most of your questions can be found in the information listed above, however, here are the most frequently asked questions about internships:
What is the difference between an internship and co-op?
Internships are standalone, short-term work experiences, which can be full or part-time. They are typically full-time in the summer and part-time in fall or spring. Full-time student status cannot be maintained if the internship for credit occurs in any semester other than summer and is the only class a student is enrolled. While students may be asked to return to their internship on a part-time basis, it’s by no means standard practice. Students must complete one internship (minimum of 120 hours for CS or 180 hours for IS) to fulfil the capstone requirement.
Co-op is an officially recognized program held in conjunction with external industry partners and the university. It provides students with full-time work experience directly related to their field of study. By alternating work and school terms, the program enables students to complement classroom studies with practical experience, technical knowledge, and financial gain. Students must complete two rotations with the same employer with increasing job duties during the second rotation. Students must complete two rotations to fulfil the capstone requirement.
Can I switch an experience from a co-op to an internship or an internship to co-op?
No, this determination must be made in advance of any work done for the employer. Once you have committed to an internship with an employer, your experience with that employer must remain an internship. If you have committed to a co-op with an employer, your experience with that employer must remain a co-op.
Am I able to take classes while interning?
Students interning in the fall or spring should take classes to maintain their full-time status, but must be realistic regarding the number of hours they can work in addition to attending classes. Students interning in the summer typically do not take classes since they pay additional tuition on a credit fee basis, but this can be discussed with an academic advisor beforehand.
If I’m an international student studying in the U.S. on an F-1 visa, what work authorization issues do I need to consider?
Students on an F-1 visa must be enrolled in a course at the same time they are interning. If interning in the fall or spring, additional course enrollment is needed to maintain a full-time status. If interning in the summer, students pay tuition for the internship course, but no additional courses are necessary to maintain full-time status. Work must be related to the degree. If it’s the student’s final semester, work can only be done on a part-time basis. Work can be achieved with CPT or pre-completion OPT, but CPT is most common. Please note that full-time CPT authorization cannot extend beyond 12 months or OPT is negated. Students should discuss their plan to intern with the Office of International Services (OIS) prior to securing an offer.
How can I secure an internship offer?
While the school is responsible for building employer relationships and directing them to post positions on Handshake and the SCI opportunities board, students are responsible for applying and interviewing for positions. Keep in mind that it can take 3-4 months to secure an opportunity, so students should plan accordingly. Please see ‘Securing an Offer’ above for resources and position requirements.
For More Information
Please direct any questions or concerns to the Manager of Experiential Learning, Emily Bennett.