Internships
“Work Experience” has become a vital component of a
Computer Information Technology education. A Computer
Information Technology internship provides you with an
opportunity to apply what you have learned from
lectures, readings, and technical assignments in a
practical work environment. The benefits of a Computer
Information Technology internship include:
- Gaining solid experience in the
work place while earning credits in your major
- Learning additional computer
concepts and skills
- Earning income where appropriate
- Developing and improving
communications and job search skills
- Personal growth and independence
Description
Computer Information students who are working towards
a two-year degree may earn up to 3 credit hours by
working in the field. All internships must be
pre-approved by one of the Computer Information
Technologies Coordinators Ty Fogle, Mary Insabella, Jeff
Mellman or Patricia Opong. The Coordinator you are
working with will determine if the internship is
appropriate and deserving of credit. It will also be the
Coordinator’s responsibility to work with the employer
to ensure all requirements have been met. At the end of
the internship, the Coordinator will issue a grade thus
granting or denying the credit.
Finding an Internship
When looking for an internship
position students should locate positions.
Internships are greatly affected by
the Columbus marketplace and the availability of jobs.
The most common method for obtaining an internship is to
respond to a posting when an employer requests for an
internship at their company or organization. Students
will be interviewed by the requesting Manager and a
final decision will be made after the interview process
is completed. In this case students may or may not be
paid for the work.
Another method is where a student
may already be working in a related field and wants to
use their work experience for internship credit. It will
be the responsibility of the student to bring the
internship request to the Coordinators.
When looking for an internship
position students should locate positions that relate
directly to their careers in computer information.
Examples of related work would be programming, network
technician, PC/Desktop specialists, database specialist,
software engineering, web design, server management,
systems analysis, or other related work that applies to
their program of study. Routine jobs such as data entry
or computer operations will not be accepted as
internship positions.
Credits
Student may earn 1 to 3 credit hours based on the
number of hours per week worked in the field. The
Coordinator will determine how many credit hours will be
applied prior to approval of the internship. 3 courses
are used as follows:
CPT 297 Computer Science Internship/Field
12 hours/week 1 Credit Hour
CPT 298 Computer Science Internship/Field 24
hours/week 2 Credit Hours
CPT 299 Computer Science Internship/Field
36 hours/week 3 Credit Hours
These courses are set up as Temporarily Closed
classes each quarter. Once the internship has been
approved, the Coordinator will register the student into
the course. It will be the student’s responsibility to
pay for the course.
Pay
Virtually all internships are paid positions, but it
is not a requirement. Some internships may not be paid.
It will be the student’s decision as to whether they
want to work an internship without pay. The hourly rate
for an internship that is paid will be negotiated
between the student and the company for which the
student will be working.
Minimum Requirements for
Credit
Once an internship has been identified for a student
the following must be completed before credit will be
awarded:
- Employer
Internship Agreement:
The employer will submit a form to the Coordinator
that will identify the type of work the student will
perform, hours worked per week, hourly rate, and any
other specifics relative to the job. The Coordinator
will determine if eligibility for the internship has
been met and file the form.
-
Enrollment: Once that
eligibility for the internship has been met, the
Coordinator will add the student to the appropriate
course. The student will then pay for the course. If
the internship takes place outside the normal
boundaries of a quarter, then the student may enroll
in the course the following quarter.
-
Satisfactory Work Performance:
The student must perform the work for the internship
position to the satisfaction of the employer.
Employer Letter of
Evaluation: At the end of the
internship, the employer will provide the Coordinator
with an evaluation of the student. This form will be
sent to the employer by the Coordinator. The student
must also complete the student evaluation form and
submit it to the Coordinator at the end of the
internship. This form is provided by the Coordinator.
Once these two evaluations have been returned and
reviewed, the Coordinator will issue a grade for the
course.
Department Chair, Mary Vaughn
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