Practical Training

The Department of Computer Science Master of Science program strongly encourages students to participate in extensive practical training as an enhancement to the required curriculum. Practical training can be achieved by any of the following methods:

  1. Off-campus Internship or Co-Op position with an employer in the computer science industry is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED as the most preferred method of Practical Training following the first year of enrollment. ALL students who participate in an internship or co-op, regardless of citizenship or visa status, must register in the 16:198:844 Research Internship course for each semester, including summer, in which their position occurs. The position should be related to the Computer Science curriculum with a minimum duration of four weeks. The student is required to write and submit a report and provide a signed letter of participation from their employer at the end of each semester.
  2. On-campus research, or research project participation, where the research or project is related to Computer Science under the supervision of a Rutgers faculty member (regular or adjunct). If pre-approved by the program director, students should register for either 16:198:604, 16:198:605, or 16:198:606 Independent Study so that such research or project participation may be applied towards an elective course and earn credits towards a degree. A detailed written report on the research or project participation must be submitted and approved by the supervising faculty member who will provide the final grade.
  3. Participation in MSCS practitioner's seminar series or career workshop series. Students are encouraged to attend a variety of seminars and workshops presented by the Department of Computer Science as well as those from closely related fields. Seminars and workshops are intended to illuminate an array of contemporary issues within the field of Computer Science and their corresponding problems, ideas, approaches, and results as well as inspire further reading and research of the topics.

International students should be aware of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services rules governing off-campus employment in the United States for students with F-1 visas. Please consult staff members at the Center for Global Services for advice well in advance of internship search and employment. Also, international students should attend an Off--Campus Employment Workshop early in the semester prior to their beginning CPT employment. These workshops are offered twice a month by the Center for Global Services - check here for the schedule. In addition, depending on the availability of the MSCS Global Services Center advisor, a customized CPT workshop for MSCS students will be scheduled in each semester.