Internships & Co-Ops for Credit
Announcements
Summer 2026: Internship Registration
The Summer 2026 Internship Course for Credit Application opens at 9AM (PST) on Monday, April 6, 2026. To start your application process, please log in to myviterbi.usc.edu. You can also view the following guides on submitting your application on our new process.
Summer 2026: Application Info Sessions
Would you like an overview of obtaining Internships and Co-Ops for Credit? These sessions are ideal for students seeking an overview of the entire application process for an internship course and will cover all internship courses (395/596/597/598).
- BS Info Session: Recording is here.
- MS Info Session: Recording is here.
- PHD Info Session: Recording is here.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE SESSIONS WILL NOT PROVIDE STATUS UPDATES ON CURRENT APPLICATIONS IN PROGRESS.
In-Person Learning Requirements
All International Students must adhere to In-Person Learning Requirements.
Please review the In-Person Learning Requirements for Viterbi Students Participating in CPT. Viterbi will only approve fall or spring CPT applications for out-of-area internship opportunities after students agree to the conditions identified in the memo. In addition, internship offer letters for out-of-area full-time internships must state remote to get approval. Offer letters must indicate a minimum of one remote day for out-of-the-area internships. Offer letters for out-of-area in-person internships will not be approved.
Internship Course/D-Clearance Drop-In (Spring 2026)
Do you have quick questions about one of our Internship courses 395, 596, 597, 598/ or D-Clearance? We offer drop-in two days per week.
Mondays & Thursdays 1pm-2pm PST join Virtual Drop-in hours.
You can also email engrinternshipcourses@usc.edu your question, however they may re-direct you to attend a drop-in session if it is not a frequently asked question.
Drop-In will NOT be available on the following dates:
- May 21, 2026
- May 25, 2026 (Administrative Holiday)
- June 29, 2026
Dates & Deadlines
|
Summer 2026 |
Fall 2026 |
Spring 2027 |
|
| Application Start Date |
April 6, 2026 |
TBD: July 2026 |
TBD: Nov 2026 |
| Application Deadline |
July 1, 2026 |
TBD: Oct 2026 |
TBD: Mar 2027 |
|
Internship duration: (If it is your final semester) |
May 18 - Aug 11 |
Aug 24 - Dec 16 |
Jan 11 - May 14 |
| Internship duration: (If it is NOT your final semester) |
May 18 - Aug 21 |
Aug 24 - Jan 8 |
Jan 11 - May 14 |
*The Application deadline - Students must submit their Internship Course Request (ICR) Application in myViterbi by this deadline. You will not be able to submit a new application in myViterbi after this date. The system will automatically close after this date.
Internship Courses
Please click on the appropriate section below to obtain information based on your academic level.
International Student Resources
CPT/OPT & Work Authorization
Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a type of work authorization that allows F-1 international students to participate in paid off-campus academic internships during their degree program. The purpose of CPT is academic, not just for employment purposes, and the internship must be considered an integral part of a student’s degree program. For more information about CPT please visit the website for the Office of International Students (OIS).
Department Support
Viterbi Career Connections (VCC) Office assists with:
- Career & Internship Advising
- Navigating the US Job Search
- Interview Preparation
- Internship Course Management (Offer Letter Review, D-Clearance, Grading)
Viterbi Student & Academic Services Office assists with:
- General USC or Viterbi-wide questions
- DEN D-clearance
- Ph.D. Exam/Defense
- Grad School Fellowship
- Leave of Absence (domestic and international)
- Academic Eligibility for: Internship Courses for Credit (Curricular Practical Training (CPT))
- Optional Practical Training (OPT)
- Program Extension (PE)
- Academic Difficulty Reduced Course Load (RCL)
- Leave of Absence (LOA)
The Office of International Services assists with:
- Immigration Services & Advising
- Providing Resources Related to Visa Status
- Obtaining US Work Authorization
- Providing Final Approval for CPT/OPT
- Issuing I-20 Documents
Career Resources
Finding Jobs/Internships
Handshake - Handshake is a career-related resource that allows you to search for engineering internship/co-op and full-time jobs and gives you access to information about Viterbi-specific events and resources.
Job & Internship Tool Kit - Use the online toolkit for job search quick tips and additional internship and career resources.
Career Advising - Not sure how to answer questions about your status during an interview? Attend Drop-in Advising by joining the waitlist or log in to Viterbi Gateway to make an appointment.
Interstride - It is an interactive career platform for international students to enhance their career exploration and job-search experience. Students can access Interstride through by logging in with their USC NetID and password.
USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub - Provides information to the public on employers petitioning for H-1B workers. The data hub allows the public to search for H-1B petitioners by fiscal year (back to FY 2009), NAICS code, employer name, city, state, or ZIP code.
Online Resources
Accessible through Handshake
- Going Global
- Career Beam
- Candid Career
- Career Access Resource Library (CARL)
- Versatile Ph.D.
- Viterbi Link
External Resources: