Graduate Internship Process by Program Area

Graduate students must first secure an internship and then work with their department for approval on course credit. Refer to your program area below to learn the specific process and requirements.

International students must attain Curricular Practical Training (CPT) approval by working with their department and International Student Services.

On this page:

Biomedical Engineering (BME)

Internship Approval Process: Students must submit via Force Registration Portal: BE 596 Graduate Internship Form, Statement of Responsibility, and Internship Description.
Course: BE 596 Graduate Internship
Degree Requirement: This course allows students to obtain credits for their Biomedical Engineering degree while applying the skills and knowledge in an industry position. This is a variable unit course, up to three (3) credits. The number of credits to be earned is designated by the number of credits for which the student registers. For each credit hour, a minimum of forty-five (45) hours at the internship or jobsite must be completed.
Force Registration Contact: Joelle Donius
Internship/Course Components: Students are required to complete 45 hours of work for each credit registered, as well as the Internship Proposal, two progress reports, and one final paper. The internship supervisor will also complete a portion of the progress report and the final supervisor evaluation.

Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE)

Internship Approval Process: Students are able to complete an internship to satisfy the culminating experience of the ME degree. Once an internship offer letter has been receieved, the student should submit it, along with a job description of duties, to CBE Graduate Internship Advisor, Dr. Chong Cheng at ccheng8@buffalo.edu.
Course: CE 596 - Internship/Practicum
Degree Requirement: ME students may use a maximum of six credits of informal coursework, including internship credit and individual problems, to fulfill degree requirements.
Force Registration Contact: Ema Scollo
Internship/Course Components: After enrolling in CE 596, student works directly with CBE Faculty Graduate Internship Advisor, Dr. Chong Cheng, on what is required to successfully complete the course.

Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering (CSEE), Engineering Science MS (Engineering Sustainability)

Internship Approval Process: Students must meet with their faculty advisor and provide a copy of the internship offer letter to determine if experience is relateable to the degree. If approved, students must complete the CSEE Indepedent Study and return to graduate academic coordinator for enrollment. International students must also bring the Academic Advisor Recommendation form to their faculty advisor to complete and provide a copy to academic coordinator.
Course: CIE 501 or CIE 502 Individual Problems
Degree Requirement: MS students may use a maximum of six credits of informal coursework including internship credit and indepedent study. Students requesting credit for a second internship must participate in an internship different from previous internship. Internship credit will not be given to continue internships from a previous semester.
Force Registration Contact: Rosemary Lombardo
Internship/Course Components: Student's internship supervisor will submit an evaluation to the student's academic advisor upon completion of the internship.

Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)

Internship Approval Process: Students must complete internship application form, sign and return to internship coordinator. The form must include a copy of the internship offer letter from company. The internship coordinator will send the signed form to the staff academic advisor to be force registered into the appropriate course.
Course: CSE 598 Internship can be used for all students. CSE 700 or 799 Independent Study/Supervised Research are alternatives for MS and PhDs. PhDs can also use CSE 800 Thesis Guidance.
Degree Requirement: MS students may count a maximum of one internship academic credit toward the MS degree. (Or if they have already used 1 credit of CSE 598 toward the degree, they can use CSE 700 or CSE 799 as an additional elective credit with their faculty advisor's approval).
Force Registration Contact: Kaileigh Kosicki
Internship/Course Components: Student's internship supervisor must complete internship evaluation form and submit to CSE Internship Coordinator by last day of internship. 

Electrical Engineering (EE), Engineering Science (Internet of Things, Clean Energy, Quantum Science and Nanotechnology)

Internship Approval Process: Graduate Students should work with EE Academic Coordinator Kathie Bartelo through the process of obtaining, registering for, and completing an internship or co-op.
Course: EE 609 Graduate Internship
Degree Requirement: The EE department does not offer internship credit towards a degree. EE 609 is a CPT credit used only for international students and does not count towared their degree.
Force Registration Contact: Kathie Bartelo
Internship/Course Components: N/A

Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE)

Internship Approval Process: Students will need to find an ISE Faculty member to supervise the internship, as students will be registered for project guidance credits with them. Once you have selected a faculty member, meet with them and bring the offer letter and academic advisor letter (for students requiring CPT) to fill out together.
Course: MS Students - IE 591 Project Guidance, ME Students - IE 592 Project Guidance
Degree Requirement: Satisifies the Project Track Culminating Experience requirement.
Force Registration Contact: Geraldine Hedrick 
Internship/Course Components: After enrolling in IE 591/592, student works with their advisor directly on what is required to successfully complete their coursework. 

Materials Design and Innovation (MDI)

Internship Approval Process: Internships will be approved on a one-off basis at the discretion of the chair.
Degree Requirement: The number of credits, course and how the internship will count towards the degree requirement will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Force Registration Contact: Laurie Barszcz

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)

Internship Approval Process:

Students must submit an internship credit request form for MAE 598 prior to the semester in which the internship will take place. Internship is considered an informal course and a maximum of 6 credit hours can be used towards the degree.

 

The form requesting internship credits should be completed and submitted by full-time students only. One (1) academic credit will be provided for every 90 hours of work performed during the internship, with no more than three (3) credits earned during each internship period. Internships during the Fall and Spring semesters, in addition to the 12-week Summer Session may be up to the three (3) credit limit. Internships during the Winter Session may only earn up to one (1) credit.

Course: MAE 598 Graduate Internship
Degree Requirement: MS students may count a maximum of 6 credits of informal course work (individual problems, graduate internship) towards their degree requirements.
Force Registration Contact: Philomena Marinaccio
Internship/Course Components: Students submit written report outlining what they have accomplished during their internship, which is then signed by their direct supervisor.

Computational and Data Enabled Sciences (PhD)

Internship Approval Process: Students are able to complete an internship to satisfy their elective requirement, as it pertains to their research. Once an internship offer letter has been received the student should submit it to their major advisor for approval. Approval should be forwarded to the graduate coordinator to force register the student into CDA 601 under their major advisors section.
Course: CDA 601 Indivudal Problems
Degree Requirement: Up to 6 credits can count as general electives.
Force Registration Contact: Kaeleigh Peri
Internship/Course Components: Students major advisor will send scope of any written reports needed for credit.

Data Sciences and Applications - MPS

Internship Approval Process: Students are able to complete an internship to satisfy their master's project requirement. Once an internship offer letter has been receieved the student should submit it, along with a job description of duties, to the graduate coordinator. The graduate coordinator and program director will approve and force register the student in the appropriate project course.  
Course: CDA 571 Project Guidance
Degree Requirement: 3 credits count towards the project culminating experience requirement.
Force Registration Contact: Shannon Okonczak
Internship/Course Components: Students will submit final technical report to program director and internship supervisor will be sent an evaluation to fill out about the students' performance.

Engineering Science (Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Data Science)

Internship Approval Process:

Students are able to complete an internship to satisfy their master's project requirement. Once an internship offer letter has been received the student should submit it, along with a job description of duties, to the graduate coordinator. The graduate coordinator and program director will approve and force register the student in the appropriate project course.

Course:

EAS 560 Data Science Project

EAS 561 Robotics Project

EAS 563 AI Capstone

Degree Requirement: 3 credits count towards the project culminating experience requirement.
Force Registration Contact: Engineering Science Graduate Coordinators
Internship/Course Components: Students will submit mid-term and final technical report to program director. 

Sustainable Transportation and Logistics (STL)

Internship Approval Process: Students can complete an internship for credit towards their Master's Project requirement STL 559, or if completing a thesis can enroll in STL 558 for an elective. An internship offer letter with description must be submitted to the graduate coordinator prior to the semesters add/drop deadline. Once the student's primary advisor approves, the student will be force registered into the appropriate course.
Course: STL 558 Internship or STL 559 Master's Project 
Degree Requirement: 3 credits max can be used to satisfy either project requirement or elective, for students completing a master's thesis.
Force Registration Contact: Kaeleigh Peri
Internship/Course Components: Students will submit final paper to their major advisor.