Experiential Learning

Experiential learning consists of educational experiences that involve individual student-to-employer activities that are credit-bearing. All undergraduate Computing students are required to complete an internship prior to graduation. 

The course catalog description of our CIS 490 course is as follows: Internship in a computing situation with individual faculty supervision to allow students to apply academic knowledge to actual and professional experience. A minimum of 16 hours of actual fieldwork per week under the supervision of a work supervisor is required. Prerequisites: CIS 290, junior standing, and permission of instructor. 

In addition to the above course description in the GVSU catalog, the Undergraduate Academic Policies and Regulations section of the catalog specifies that an Internship is experiential learning for credit taking place outside the classroom and directed by a field supervisor and a Grand Valley State University faculty member. A student may enroll up to a maximum of 15 credits of Internships. An Internship must be planned the semester before it takes place.

Internship Benefits

• Enable students to gain valuable practical experience related to their academic field and to enhance their opportunity for employment upon graduation.
• Enable employers to maintain closer liaison with the School and the University and to evaluate and train student interns as prospective full-time employees.
• Provide the Computing Department with a source of input on the current problems and needs of business and industry.

Resources for Finding an Internship:

GVSU Career Center  

Handshake 

Complete The Prerequisites

Prerequisities for CIS 490 are:

• CIS 290
• junior standing
• permission of instructor

Find an Acceptable Internship Position

Work that Qualifies for the Internship: In order to meet the objectives and maintain the integrity of the internship program, the following guidelines will be followed strictly by the department in deciding whether a position qualifies as an internship.

1. The work assigned to the intern must be commensurate with his/her academic qualifications.
2. The student must work in an environment where the immediate supervisor and other team members have the technical expertise that will enable them to: (1) act as mentors to the student and (2) be able to give an informed opinion about the performance of the student.

Hours Worked Per Week and Credits Earned: The number of credit hours earned depends, as detailed below, upon the number of hours of work during the semester.

• To earn 2 credit hours, the student must work a minimum of 16 hours per week on the average.
• To earn 3 credit hours, the student must work a minimum of 20 hours per week on the average.
• To earn 4 credit hours, the student must work a minimum of 24 hours per week on the average.
• To earn 5 credit hours, the student must work a minimum of 32 hours per week on the average.

Duration of the Internship: The duration of the internship must satisfy the following requirements:

1. An internship must begin on (or before) the first day of classes.
2. An internship must end on (or after) the last day of classes.
3. An internship period must span the fall semester, winter semester, or the 13-week spring/summer semester.
4. An internship cannot span only one of the two 6-week spring or summer sessions.

Complete the Online Registration

To request credit for your internship, please log-in and complete the Online Internship Agreement form. If you do not see your major listed, please contact your academic department for information on obtaining internship credit specific to your major.

Please note that this form is to be completed AFTER you have secured an internship. Please ensure all information is correct, as you will NOT be able to edit your agreement form upon submission. If you have questions about course requirements, number of credits, etc., please refer to your academic department's website or faculty internship coordinator.

Meet with the Internship Coordinator

The semester prior to starting your internship, you are going to need to meet with the Internship Coordinator, Mr. Rodd Lowell. You can contact him via email at [email protected].

***DO NOT Submit an override request for CIS 490 prior to this meeting. Mr. Lowell will issue an override for the class, after you meet with him, and your online registration is complete. You will receive an email indicating the override is done, and you can register for CIS 490.

Work at your Internship

The time has come, you put in the time and effort to find the internship, now its time to put those skills to use in industry. You have got this!

Complete Deliverables

During the course of the internship, students are required to complete specific documentation of what they are learning. These deliverables are as follows: 

• Biweekly Journals
• Professional Ethics Assignment
• Internship Experience Report
• Student’s Evaluation of Internship

Finalize the Internship

The semester has come to an end and it is time to wrap up your experience at your internship. This includes the following:

• Ensuring your Supervisor submits the Site Supervisor Evaluation of Intern Report.
• All previously mentioned deliverables have been turned in and received by the Internship Coordinator.