The ACI Residency program is an immersive experience designed for GVSU computer science majors.  It involves working on sponsored projects for external organizations within ACI’s Applied Computing Services Laboratory (ACSL).  ACSL projects typically involve GVSU CS faculty members, CIS graduate assistants, undergraduate developers/researchers and domain experts from the sponsoring organization. While project content will vary, students can expect to be exposed to many of the concepts encountered in upper level CS courses, but will likely also gain advanced knowledge that goes beyond what they might receive in a conventional required course or elective.  ACI Residents are expected to have and maintain a GPA at or above 3.25.  In addition to demonstrating software-related proficiencies, they should also have excellent communication skills and perform well in a highly collaborative multidisciplinary team environment.

Undergraduates computer science majors who are awarded an ACI residency (as early as the end of their second year) will receive a competitive wage for the hours they work on ACSL projects. In addition, they will receive credit for a number of required courses in their degree program:

• CIS 350 – Introduction to Software Engineering (3 cr)
• CIS 467 – Capstone Project (3 cr)
• CIS 490 – Internship (3 cr)
• One or two computing electives depending on the project content.

The ACI director will work with CIS faculty and the resident to establish an exact course of study, depending on that particular student’s interests and the work content of the project(s) they are assigned to.  The duration of the residency program will depend on the student’s circumstances at the time of the award, as well as project availability.

Undergraduates interested in applying for an ACI Residency should email their CV to Dr. Engelsma at least one semester in advance, indicating their interest in the program.