Internships are a chance to apply classroom learning to the real world, gain valuable industry experience, and explore careers of interest before graduating. Students in all SET undergraduate majors may earn senior-level academic credit for paid or unpaid internships.

We strongly encourage all students to pursue internship opportunities, whether you choose to earn academic credit for the experience or not.

  • Take a maximum of 5 internship credits in one quarter. 
  • Take a maximum combined total of 10 credits of 497/498/499 to apply to your degree. Learn more on the Academic Policies page.
  • If you register for additional credits, they will not count toward degree requirements or total credits for graduation.
Earning 497 Credit

Once you've secured an internship, you must complete all of the following steps to register and earn credit:

  1. Check that you've met the prerequisites and are eligible to register for 497:
    • Civil Engineering: TCE 307, TCE 327, TCE 357, or TCE 367
    • Computer Engineering: TCES 330 or 372
    • Computer Science: TCSS 360
    • Electrical Engineering: TCES 330
    • Information Technology: Completed all junior-level courses
    • Mechanical Engineering: TME 345
  2. Identify a faculty advisor to supervise the academic portion of your 497 work.

    You will want to talk with a prospective faculty advisor before filling out the registration form. Generally, your faculty advisor should be someone who has taught you in a class and is familiar with your work and career interests.

    • For CSS majors, the instructor listed for 497 will be your faculty advisor.
    • Students in CivE, CES, EE, IT, and ME will need to ask a faculty member to supervise their work.

       
  3. Complete the internship registration form for your major.

    Follow all instructions and obtain the approval signatures of your employer and faculty advisor. Make sure you are clear on the grading rubric and all requirements you need to complete to earn credit. The registration form asks for detailed information on your internship including:

    • A complete project description and scope of work. What is the intended outcome of this internship project? What are your deliverables?
    • Required skills and knowledge for this position
    • Learning objectives of the internship
    • Competencies and demonstrable skills you expect to develop 
    • Explanation of how this internship fits with the curriculum in your major and meets a senior level course requirement

       
  4. Submit your approved form to the SET Program Coordinator

    You will receive your add code to register by email. It is your responsibility to register yourself for 497. You can earn between 1 and 5 credits per quarter. Make sure you and your faculty advisor have agreed on the appropriate number of credits for your internship. 1 credit = 4 hours per week of effort on the project for a 10-week period (e.g. earning 5 credits requires 20 hours of effort on the project for a ten-week period — a total of 200 hours).

     
  5. Complete the requirements outlined in the syllabus or grading rubric determined by your faculty advisor.

    This may include submitting status reports, attending weekly class (CSS 497) or individual meetings, completing a final report, submitting evaluations from your work supervisor, presenting on your internship experience, and any other requirements established by your faculty advisor.

     
  6. Meet with your Faculty Advisor and submit your colloquium presentation materials at the end of the quarter

    Include title, abstract, and company sponsor information (including contact information for post internship surveys).

     
  7. Present your final project at the End of Quarter Colloquia.

The final grade will be determined by your faculty advisor based on the grading criteria outlined in the approved internship proposal and/or syllabus.  Grading criteria will include the quality of the final report and presentation. 

NOTE: A copy of your final report will be kept on file in SET, and a copy will be made available for anyone who requests it. It is essentially a public document.

Internship Registration Forms