Computer Science Department

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

COURSE SYLLABUS FOR CO 493

I. CATALOG DESCRIPTION

CO 493 Internship in Computer Science 12 credits

Prerequisites: CO 105, CO 110, CO 220, CO 300, CO 310, CO 315, CO 319, CO 380, Other courses depending on type of internship position desired, Completion of application, and Selection by a faculty committee.

Positions with participating companies provide students with experience in Computer Science under supervision of the companies and faculty. Requirements include three on-site consultations, two university consultations, completion of progress reports, presentation of final cumulative paper, and an oral cumulative presentation. Offered only to students during the second semester and summer of their junior year or the summer and first semester of their senior year. No more than 4 semester hours of CO 493 may be applied toward the semester hour requirement for a major in Computer Science.

II. COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

1. Apply what they have learned in the classroom.

2. Learn concepts in the computing field that are difficult to teach in the classroom, such as user interaction, testing, etc.

3. Experience the business and industrial environment in which a computer professional must learn to function.

4. Grow professionally, emotionally, socially and intellectually.

5. Sharpen their focus on career goals and course selection to reach those goals.

6. Develop writing skills that are necessary in the professional world of computing.

III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

In Order To Be Considered and Approved For An Internship:

1. The student must have completed or be enrolled in the following courses: CO 105, CO110, CO 220, CO 300, CO 310, CO 315, CO 319 and CO 380. A student preparing for a specialized area of computer work may offer a different set of courses than those listed above provided a suitable internship is available. Such cases will be decided individually.

2. To be approved unconditionally, a student must have an overall QPA of 2.75 or better and a QPA in Computer Science courses of 3.0 or better and meet the other requirements fully. To be conditional the student must have an overall QPA of 2.5 or better and a QPA in Computer Science courses of 2.5 or better and have met the other requirements with the possible omission of not more than one of the courses listed in requirement 1. Internship candidates will be identified by category to potential employers. Other students will not be eligible for an internship.

3. The student who is applying should be in the first or second semester of their junior year and must have completed or be enrolled in a total of 57 credits or more. A student may not apply for an internship in the first semester of their senior year to go out their last semester.

4. The student must complete an Application for Internship and submit this with an appropriate resume.

5. The student must be approved by the Computer Science Faculty.

While On An Internship

1. The student must work a normal work week (usually 40 hours) for a minimum of 23 consecutive weeks.

2. The amount the student is paid should be at least seventy-five percent of the salary paid by the employer to an entry-level programmer/analyst, but no less than one hundred-fifty percent of the current minimum wage.

3. The student must host the university supervisor at three on-site visits (two if site is over 300 miles from IUP) and come back to campus twice (once if site is over 300 miles from IUP) for a campus visit (the extra visits for students over 300 miles away are substituted with phone calls).

4. The student must keep a Daily Log of the internship experience including work assignments and learning experiences.

5. The student must write a comprehensive paper which details the internship experience.

6. The student must make a professional oral presentation of the internship experience.

7. The student must maintain a writing portfolio that contains copies of all writing done including business letters, memos, and software documentation.

After An Internship

1. The student must be enrolled at IUP as a full time student the semester immediately after an internship.

2. During this semester the student must successfully complete an upper-level elective Computer Science course.

Special Features of the Computer Science Internship Program:

1. All internships are paid at least seventy-five percent of the salary paid by the employer to an entry-level programmer/analyst, but no less than one hundred-fifty percent of the current minimum wage.

2. The internship is for a minimum of 23 weeks.

3. The student applies to the Computer Science Department and the department places them. (Student may supply the department with leads for an internship site and may then be the primary candidate for that site.)

4. Formal presentations of the internship with company representatives and family present are given.

5. The student receives 12 credits for the internship work and is graded using the normal grading system.

IV. EVALUATION METHODS

The final grade for the course will be determined as follows:

5% Intern Expectation Paper

30% Site visits in consultation with supervisor (includes Intern Log Book)

10% Writing Portfolio (memos and letters)

15% Documentation

5% Resume Writing

15% Final Paper

15% Oral Presentation

5% Administrative maturity

V. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS, SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS AND READINGS

The student normally does not purchase any books, but must read books that include corporate standards manuals, language and software package manuals, reference manuals, users manuals, etc.

VI. SPECIAL RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

Each student will be required to:

Purchase or generate a Daily Log/Internship Booklet

Utilize computerized presentation software for the professional oral presentation.

VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Not applicable.