Master of Science Fieldwork

Internships

Students in the IEOR Department have often been attracted to engaging in part time internship opportunities during the academic year (and full time opportunities during the summer).  Scheduling permitting, students may work maximum of 20 hours per week during an academic term.

Internship & Industry Project for Academic Credit

IEOR graduate students may earn up to (3) three credits (letter grade) of IEOR E4999 Fieldwork towards the MS degree through internship engagement.  The student is responsible for the cost per credit, charged as regular tuition.

In order to commence, the student must adhere to the following guidelines:

Students must complete one of the following Fieldwork Request Forms for Departmental Review:

We begin processing applications starting on the following dates:

  • Summer CPT/Fieldwork: The Monday after Spring Break
  • Fall CPT/Fieldwork: The second week of July
  • Spring CPT/Fieldwork: The Monday after Thanksgiving 

For Internships & CPT

Obtain an employer letter.  The employer letter must have the following in order to be processed and it must follow the same formatting as this sample offer letter template. The Department will not process the Fieldwork request if any of the above items are missing or if the letter is not in the correct format. 

For Industry Projects

Obtain project assignment approval from the IEOR Career Team on an industry project with an employer or alumni partner.

  • Be on official company letterhead
  • Have a specific start date and a specific end date
  • Include the complete street address where the work will be performed
  • Include the number of hours per week
  • Include a detailed description or list of position duties (should be related to the IEOR degree and it's applications)
  • Signed and dated by the employer 

Employment may not exceed 20 hours per week during the academic Fall or Spring semesters. 

If the Summer semester is the last semester, summer employment can not be full-time and may not exceed 20 hours per week.

Students enrolled in Fieldwork during their last term must registered for a minimum of 3 credits of on-campus coursework.

Adhere to the following schedule and deadlines:

This schedule also pertains to F-1 students requesting Curricular Practical Training during the academic terms.  J-1 students may submit their application for Fieldwork if they wish to obtain academic credits after obtaining approval from the J-1 Sponsor and ISSO.  Please refer to SSOL for work eligibility: F-1 Students | J-1 Students.

Students may also engage in unpaid internships and volunteering.  For more information, students should consult with their Career Placement Officer and ISSO.

In order to earn a grade for the internship performed, the Department requires: 

  1. The employer must submit an IEOR Supervisor Internship Evaluation Report, stating your responsibilities, performance, time frame, and number of hours worked.
     
  2. The student must submit an IEOR Student Internship Report, elaborating on the experience, projects, and relevance to degree program.

The letter and report must be received by the IEOR office by the following deadlines (failure to comply may result in incomplete or failure in the course.):

*If the employer does not allow for any written reports or evaluations to be submitted, students may submit an exemption request for the Department's consideration at the start of the Fieldwork internship.