What is an IT Internship?

The goal of an internship is to provide work that is both of value to the organization and also augments the formal Information Technology (IT) education of the student. Internships fall into two general categories: Internship Projects and Apprenticeships.

Internship Project

An internship project has a predefined objective that is to be accomplished by the end of the internship period. The project should result in a deliverable to the organization and should include a presentation or report of the results given by the intern. The work should expose the intern to real-world IT problems and challenges and on-the-job learning opportunity.The intern should be expected to make an individual contribution to the results of the project and present these to the organization. Organizations are encouraged to assign a mentor to provide such guidance and direction when needed.

Apprenticeship

Not all work situations can be organized into an internship project. In an apprenticeship, the intern is assigned to work with an accomplished IT professional or mentor. The apprentice will work under direction of the mentor to provide assistance and support commensurate with the capability and current level of training in the specialty. At the end of the apprenticeship, the intern is expected to make a formal report of lessons learned and personal observations and recommendations relative to the assigned area of work.

Length of an Internship

Internships are one semester in length, nominally sixteen weeks. Ideally, internship projects and apprenticeships start and end on a semester boundary. This may not always be practical, so the start of an internship may vary based on work requirements but its duration should equate to roughly one semester in length.

If the scope of a potential project is longer than a semester, consider dividing it into phases such that it could be accomplished by successive internships. The initial internship project could address requirements assessment, design and planning with a succeeding internship project to address a continuation of the work involving implementation.

UCF also sponsors a co-op program to fulfill needs for part-time student employment. Co-op students are a good way to address needs that extend beyond the scope of the internship program.

Amount of Work

Students receive 3 credit hours towards their degree for an IT internship. As a general guideline, students can expect to put in 3 to 4 hours of work for each class credit hour. Thus, an intern should be expected to work roughly 10 to 15 hours per week on a schedule consistent with both work and educational requirements.

A project may require more than one intern, but projects requiring a team larger than two or three interns are discouraged. This is another situation in which co-op positions can be considered.

Cost of an Internship

Interns receive credit towards their degree. Pay is not a requirement.

Upon completion of the internship, successful interns should receive a formal letter of recommendation as a reference for potential future employers.

Host organizations are encouraged to reimburse interns for excessive commute expenses and other work related costs that exceed the normal expenses of a student. Such reimbursement is at the discretion of the host. If offered, the amount should be established in advance with the student to avoid possible misunderstandings.

Qualification and Assignment of Interns

The program will assign candidates to fill internships. Interviews and acceptance of a candidate are at the discretion of the hosting organization. Students must be actively enrolled in their junior or senior year of the IT curriculum and have a 3.0 grade point average or better to qualify as a candidate for internship. As such, interns are expected to offer any organization an able contributor right now and the opportunity to evaluate a prospective future employee.

Guidelines for a successful internship

Requesting an Internship

To request an internship, simply fill out our company interest form or call us for more information at 407.823.1594