Internship Courses for Credit (Master's Students)
Overview
Student Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to enroll in ENGR 596, 597, and 598 please review below:
Hours
- In the Fall/Spring semester, the internship must be a minimum of 10 hours but can not exceed 20 hours
- In the Summer, the internship can be 40 hours per week
Internship Length
To ensure a rewarding internship experience and earn academic credit for your internship course, internships must be
- At least 12 weeks during Fall and Spring semesters
- At least 10 weeks during the Summer semester
- Internships shorter than 10-12 weeks will be considered on a case-by-case basis please email engrinternshipcourses@usc.edu
International Students
- Time at USC
- Maintained full-time F-1 student status for at least one academic year (fall and spring).
- If you attended undergraduate or Master's programs at a U.S. institution and were issued a Transfer I-20 at USC, you may be eligible for CPT earlier.
- Please see a VASE advisor in OHE-106 and OIS CPT Website for more information.
- GPA
- Fall/Spring CPT: 3.0 +
- Summer CPT: 2.75+
Domestic Students
- Time at USC - no requirement
- GPA
- Fall/Spring CPT: 3.0 +
- Summer CPT: 2.75+
- If a student has a GPA of 0.00, VGAS will process if the student is meeting satisfactory academic progress. Meet with a VGAS advisor if you have questions.
Course Options
Master Students can enroll in ENGR 596, 597 or 598, there are some eligibility requirements for some courses. Here is a breakdown of each course
- ENGR 596 (1 unit)
- Needs faculty approval on Myviterbi
- Supervised by faculty member in their department
- AME, ASTE, BME, CE, ISE, SAE students who are interested in taking ENGR596 course for credit must consult their department advisor to confirm that the course fits into your course plan and must find a supervising faculty member
- If you cannot find a faculty supervisor and don’t want to take the course for credit, please take ENGR 597
- Can be repeated
- Taking ENGR 596 does not waive ENGR 597 for ENGR 598. Students can not take 598 after ENGR 596 without first taking 597
- ENGR 597 (.5 unit)
- Pre-requisite for 598
- Does not count toward degree requirements
- All Viterbi Master's students can enroll
- International Students in Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering should take ENGR 597 for their first internship. You will concurrently gain practical work experience in an internship and participate in class to develop your communication skills.
- Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering Master’s students must successfully complete the Professional Writing and Communication for Internships course.
- Cannot be repeated
- ENGR 598 (0 Units)
- This is only available to International Master's and Ph.D. students who have successfully completed ENGR 597
- Does not count toward degree requirements
- Can be repeated
Still Not Sure What to choose???
The following videos will explain which options you have based on your major.
CS/DS, ECE, and Mork Students
AME, ASTE, BME, CE/ENE, ISE, SAE Students
Application Process
Step #1 Obtain Offer Letter (Sample Offer Letter)
Obtain an offer letter that includes all of the following (If you are unable to obtain all of the information in one document, please combine all documents or communication from your employer in one pdf document):
- The offer letter must feature the company’s letterhead
- Student’s full legal name (a nickname or alias will not be accepted
- Physical location of where the student will be working
- All remote or hybrid internships must include the employer physical address, remote address, and state if it is hybrid or remote.
- Job Description of what you are doing in this job, and it must align with your major
- How many hours will you work per week, it must include precisely a number, or a range, such as 20 hours or 30-40 hours (it can not simply state part-time or full-time)
- Start and End dates that align with course registration dates
Step #2 Student Determines Correct Course:
It is the student's responsibility to check in with their academic advisor and discuss how each course will or will not impact academic progress, including credits needed for graduation.
Step #3 Identify Faculty (For ENGR 596 ONLY):
The student is responsible for seeking out a faculty within their academic department that agrees to grade their report. Please make sure you know which faculty has agreed to grade your report prior to submitting your application. If the faculty member you choose denies your request in the system you will need to start all over and submit a new application.
Step #4 Submit Internship Course Request (ICR) Application on myviterbi.usc.edu
Students must complete their ICR application in myviterbi within the deadlines listed below.
Step #5 Register for Course
Once you obtain d-clearance, register for ENGR 596, 597 or 598 immediately. You will not be able to download the pdf for Trojan International without first enrolling in the course you are approved for. Please login into myviterbi.usc.edu and review notes left by staff to see which Section # to register for.
Additional Step for International Students:
Step #6 Complete the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Form: International students must submit a CPT I-20 Request Form to the Office of International Services' (OIS) Trojan International System. Students must be enrolled in the internship course before submitting the request to OIS.
Dates & Deadlines
|
Spring 2025 |
Summer 2025 |
Fall 2025 |
|
| Application Start Date |
November 4, 2024 |
April 7, 2025 |
July 14, 2025 |
| Application Deadline |
March 25, 2025 |
July 2, 2025 |
October 24, 2025 |
|
Internship duration: (If it is your final semester) |
Jan 13 - May 16 |
May 19 - Aug 12 |
Aug 25 - Dec 17 |
| Internship duration: (If it is NOT your final semester) |
Jan 13 - May 16 |
May 19 - Aug 22 |
Aug 25 - Jan 9 |
*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.
CPT & International Student Information
- International students must register for an internship course during the semester if they wish to do an internship and obtain CPT.
- Follow the internship course syllabus and contact the Viterbi Career Connections (VCC) at engrinternshipcourses@usc.edu for your questions regarding the internship course.
- If you cannot continue the internship, please contact engrinternshipcourses@usc.edu as soon as possible.
- Remove your application from any pending recruiting processes after you accept one offer.
NOTE: As part of your agreement for CPT, you agree not to accept additional job offers after submitting a CPT application for the semester. Internship offers from new employers will not be approved. If you have received an additional internship offer after submitting for CPT, the VCC staff will do their best to assist you with negotiating and retaining both internships. We also encourage you to visit the Job & Internship Tool Kit for Evaluating & Negotiating Offers or schedule an appointment with a career advisor on Handshake for tips on negotiating a start date for next semester with the second employer. Successful completion of the course is required to be considered for future CPT authorizations. If a student receives a No Credit (NC), they will be ineligible for future CPT.
Hours and Location
If it's your final semester, you can work full-time if your course enrollment is no more than 4 credits (not including CPT credit). 10-20 hours per week is considered part-time and 21-40 per week is considered full-time.
If it's NOT your final semester, you can only work part-time with full-time course enrollment
**Students cannot take academic difficulty RCL with CPT simultaneously.
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, job offer letters for out-of-area full-time internships must state hybrid or 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.