Criteria for Admission

1. Students applying for an internship placement must be registered as full-time undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Science. Graduate students are not eligible for the program.
2. Applicants must be registered in a 4-year B.Sc. degree program, with a major in Computer Science. Double major students (Computer Science and another discipline) and PDSC students are also eligible.
3. Applicants must have accumulated at least 90 (or 75 with Dept. Head's permission) credit units towards the B.Sc. degree at the time of the internship placement. However if a student is too close to graduation, (s)he might be denied permission to go out on an internship.
4. Students must have obtained a grade point average of at least 65 percent in the previous regular session, in Computer Science courses and over all.
5. Internship candidates must be Canadian citizens, landed immigrants, or visa students with appropriate work permission for off-campus employment when they begin their internship in May (or September).

If you are a full-time Arts and Science student majoring in Computer Science and if you have any confusion or concern about whether you are eligible for CSPIP, feel free to book a consultation appointment with the Internship Coordinator.

Academic Requirements

From the student perspective, it is important that there be formal recognition of the internship experience on the university transcript. The University has deemed that Internship students shall register in their placement as a course, and for the period of the placement they are considered to be full-time students of the University of Saskatchewan, with return eligibility following the placement to their College and program. The program itself, is distinct from the regular program, in that it would require a longer period of study and the degree requirements would include successful completion of the placement.

To this end, internship students register as full-time students in appropriately designated internship courses during the internship placement:

• CMPT 401.0 - Professional Internship Program I
• CMPT 402.0 - Professional Internship Program II
• CMPT 403.0 - Professional Internship Program III
• CMPT 404.0 - Professional Internship Program IV

Each of these courses is four months in duration, to match with the requirements of the Office of the Registrar. The courses are non-credit courses, graded on a ``Pass/Fail'' basis by a faculty member appointed to handle internship students.

Evaluation Process

Evaluation of student performance in the internship program will become an assigned duty of a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science. There will be three main parts to the evaluation of the student:

1. Evaluation of student performance during the first four-month probationary period of the internship placement. This evaluation will be done based on short (2-page) written reports from the student and the employer (if the student is not placed in a local corporation). If the student is locally placed the evaluation will be done on the basis of interviews of the student and the employer. These evaluations may beconducted by phone, by electronic mail, by video conferencing, or by site visit, as deemed appropriate. A student demonstrating unsatisfactory performance in the probationary period of the internship placement may be required to discontinue from the internship program. Students demonstrating satisfactory performance are expected to continue for the full duration of the internship placement.
2. Written or verbal confirmation by the student and employer, at the end of each subsequent four-month period that the internship is proceeding satisfactorily.
3. A detailed report regarding the student's internship experience; to be submitted at the end of the internship term, just before the student returns back to the University.

Students who successfully complete all aspects of the internship program receive formal recognition of such on their university transcript. Students who do not successfully complete all requirements of the internship program may still receive the present B.Sc. degree in Computer Science, providing that all degree requirements of that program are met.

Calendar Entry

In the Computer Science Professional Internship Option, students typically complete 16 consecutive months of supervised work experience with a sponsoring employer in addition to the requirements for a computer science program. Normally, the work placement commences after the student has completed three years of the B.Sc. Four-year degree program. The placement lasts from May 1 of one year to August 31 of the next year. Twelve-month internship placements are also allowed. However, only in exceptional circumstances (e.g. for medical reasons) will a shorter duration work period be permitted. Students should note that an internship is NOT a summer work program.

Benefits to Students: For students who go on internship placements, there are several benefits:

1. Acquiring practical training and valuable experience in their prospective career area, adding strength to their résumé, and thus improving their job prospects upon graduation;
2. Getting the "inside track" on full-time employment opportunities with the same company in which the student interned, through established professional contacts
3. Earning an income to help finance the final year of their university education.

Only a limited number of internship placements will be available in a given year. Eligibility for an internship placement will be decided by the Internship Co-ordinator in the Department of Computer Science, while hiring decisions for internship students are made by the employers.

Students are required to apply by December 1 for admission to an internship in May of the following year. If selected for an internship placement, students must complete CMPT 401, 402, 403, and 404, in addition to the regular requirements of the B.Sc. degree. A student must successfully complete all requirements of the internship option in order to receive the Professional Internship designation on the University transcript.

*Interested students are encouraged to contact the Internship Co-ordinator in the Department of Computer Science for further details about internship opportunities.