How do I get course credit for an internship?

First, you need to talk to the CS Department chair, as all internships need to meet certain safety and supervision requirements. If your internship qualifies as one that can receive course credit under the number CS 497, then you need to fill out an CS497 learning contract.

The following CS497 Policy is effective as of March 2024:

This policy is intended to clarify the department’s position on what educational opportunities are appropriate for CS497. Students may get credit for either volunteer or paid work, either off-campus or on-campus, related to their major. Students should be engaged in real-world problems, working hand in hand with professionals in their disciplines, of benefit to their transition into a professional workplace or a future graduate program.

1. CS497 must be taken concurrently with the internship (i.e., it is not possible to get CS497 credit for prior internship experiences) and the CS497 Learning Contract must be fully approved before starting the internship.
2. Only the CS Department Chair (or their designee) may be the faculty instructor of record for CS497, and they will verify CS497 internships are approved via SSU’s risk management process.
3. Your CS497 site supervisor should be engaged in technical work and/or possessing deep technical expertise on topics complementary to the BS CS program and appropriate for college credit.
4. Internships involving potential conflict of interests are not appropriate (e.g., internships at an organization where a family member is your site supervisor or holds a related supervisory role are inappropriate).
5. For each unit taken, you are expected to complete a minimum of 3 hours service each week or 45 hours per semester.
6. You are responsible for the following deliverables:
   1. A 2-page report describing your duties and the value of this experience as it relates to your education and career goals, by the end Week 15; consult with your faculty instructor for guidance.
   2. If required by your faculty instructor, present a poster (e.g., at the Undergraduate Research Symposium) highlighting your site sponsor and summarizing your internship experience, before Week 15.
   3. If required by your faculty instructor, a 5-10 minute talk in the same venue where students report on their CS 496 projects, before Week 15.