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ICS Career Development

Internship Guidelines

Internships are a component of experiential learning that offer students the opportunity to explore career options and gain real world experience.

The following information addresses common questions we receive regarding internships for Master of Computer Science (MCS), Master of Software Engineering (MSWE), Master of Data Science (MDS), and Master of Human-Computer Interaction and Design (MHCID) students. If you are ready to post an internship, visit CODE (bit.ly/code_hire) to create a free account or log in to your existing account.  For new employer registrants, please allow 3-5 business days for the Career Development Team to review your information and requests.

The following guidelines are only applicable to students in the Master of Computer Science (MCS), Master of Software Engineering (MSWE), Master of Data Science (MDS), and Master of Human-Computer Interaction and Design (MHCID) programs, which are four of the few professionally-oriented programs offered by the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS).  

The following guidelines do not apply to undergraduate ICS students or graduate  students who are enrolled in other ICS Master of Science programs, e.g. Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS), Master of Science in Software Engineering (MSSE), Master of Science in Informatics, etc. Employers interested in hosting other UCI students outside of the MCS, MSWE, MDS or MHCID programs, or currently hosting said students, can refer to UCI Division of Career Pathway’s Internship Policies.

Posting on CODE

CODE is the online recruiting platform for the Master of Computer Science (MCS), Master of Software Engineering (MSWE), Master of Data Science (MDS) and Master of Human-Computer Interaction and Design (MHCID) Programs where employers can post internships. All internships are reviewed for compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (see Considerations for Unpaid Internships above). Therefore, each internship must be posted and reviewed individually. Please allow 3-5 business days for the Career Development Team to review your posting.

Once you are in CODE, select “Post a Job” to begin creating a job posting.  In addition to the required fields, please note the following.

Job Description Section:

  • Objectives of the Internship: Describe what the intern will learn and the activities they will engage in to learn. 
  • Skills & Qualifications: Describe the technical skills and other qualifications that the student should possess.
  • Duration of Internship: How long will the internship last? This can be a number of weeks, months, a season, or specific time frame. An acceptable answer may be 12 weeks, 3 months, Summer Quarter, or June – September.
    • Please reference UC Irvine’s Quarterly Academic Calendar to see start and end dates for each quarter, which should align with start and end dates of an internship. 
  • Approximate Hours Per Week: this must be a number or number range, e.g. up to 20, 30-40, or indicate part-time or full-time.
  • Company Information: Any additional information about the company, the people they will be working with, or other information you would like students to know.

Primary Job Contact:

  • When an employer enters contact information, the employer can select whether to make all or some of the contact information visible to students.  
  • If a UCI Alumnus is the primary job contact for a position, please mark “Yes” as students always love to see this. 

Eligibility Section:

  • Student Group: This criteria determines which group or class year of students can view and apply.  
    • “Current Students” includes all currently enrolled MCS, MSWE, MDS and MHCID students, who may be searching for internships and part-time positions throughout the academic year, and full-time positions as they approach their December graduation dates. 
    • “Alumni” includes all MCS, MSWE, MDS and MHCID graduates who may be searching for full time positions after graduation.
  • Major/Academic Program: This criteria determines which programs you would like to recruit from: Master of Computer Science (MCS), Master of Software Engineering (MSWE), Master of Data Science (MDS), or Master of Human-Computer Interaction and Design (MHCID).
  • Graduation Dates:
    • MCS, MSWE and MDS programs end in December, and students will graduate mid-December.  For example, “MCS Class of 2026” represents Master of Computer Science students whose graduation dates are anticipated to be in December 2026.  
    • MHCID program ends in September, and students will graduate mid-September. For example, “MHCID Class of 2026” represents Master of Human-Computer Interaction and Design students whose graduation dates are anticipated to be in September 2026.

Definition of “Internship”

The Career Development Team adopts the definition of “internship” set forth by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE):

NACE defines an internship as a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting (across in-person, remote, or hybrid modalities). Internships provide students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience, develop social capital, explore career fields, and make connections in professional fields. In addition, internships serve as a significant recruiting mechanism for employers, providing them with the opportunity to guide and evaluate potential candidates.

Criteria for an Experience to be Defined as an Internship

To ensure that an experience—whether it is a traditional internship or one conducted remotely or virtually—is educational, and thus eligible to be considered a legitimate internship by the NACE definition, all the following criteria must be met: 

  1. A learning experience with a real-world opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. It must not be simply to advance the operations of the employer or replace the work that a regular employee would routinely perform.
  2. Learned skills and knowledge that are transferable to other employment settings.
  3. A defined beginning and end that is mutually agreed upon and consistent with institutional sponsor guidelines and schedules.
  4. A position description with clear responsibilities and required/desired qualifications.
  5. Clearly defined learning objectives/goals supportive of the student’s academic program goals and institutional requirements.
  6. Direct supervision by a professional(s) with relevant expertise and educational and/or professional experience who provides productive feedback, guidance, and the resources and equipment necessary to successfully complete the assignment.

Considerations for Unpaid Internships

The Career Development Team does not encourage and will not promote unpaid internships unless they have been reviewed and approved by the professional programs.  This is because most internship opportunities for which MCS, MSWE, MDS and MHCID students qualify for will not comply with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act, which includes a seven-factor criteria list that evaluates whether or not an internship can be unpaid. 

Please note that requiring academic credit for an internship does not relieve the employer of the responsibility to abide by federal labor laws set forth by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Academic credit and compensation for work are not synonymous or interchangeable.

If you are seeking MCS, MSWE, MDS or MHCID students to fill an unpaid internship position and believe the position will comply with criteria per FLSA, please contact code@ics.uci.edu directly to discuss.

Academic Credit Options

Students from Master of Computer Science (MCS), Master of Software Engineering (MSWE), and Master of Data Science (MDS) Programs will be enrolled in an internship course and receive academic credit for completing their internships during the summer quarter.  

In order for a student to receive academic credit, an employee from the internship host site (e.g. intern’s manager/supervisor or internship program manager) must verify the student’s employment and attendance at the job site, such that students can receive academic credit for the following courses:

Throughout a student’s internship, there may be course assignments and evaluations that students are responsible for to receive course credit, which may require the student’s manager or supervisor to complete.  The Career Development Team may also be contacting the student’s manager or supervisor during this time to discuss the student’s performance and answer any questions or address any concerns.  We thank all employers hosting our students for their collaboration and partnership in providing a great internship experience for them.  

As a reminder, requiring academic credit for an internship does not relieve the employer of the responsibility to abide by federal labor laws set forth by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Academic credit and compensation for work are not synonymous or interchangeable.

Return Offer Guidelines

We believe it is important to allow student interns adequate time to make thoughtful and informed decisions when comparing and responding to offers.  

For all offers extended for summer internships or full-time employment, we ask that employers provide students at least two (2) weeks from the date of the written offer to respond, without pressure to respond by an earlier date.  

In some cases, students may ask for extensions beyond these deadlines.  We trust that the student and the company can negotiate a mutually agreeable time frame for considering and making a career decision.  

Risk Management

The hiring party will assume liability for interns on their premises. This holds true for both paid and unpaid interns. The University does not accept responsibility for student liability during an internship. No employee or student of the University of California, Irvine is authorized to sign a “hold harmless and indemnification” agreement on behalf of the University or UC Regents. All agreements are between the student and hiring party.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Career Development Team reserves the right to refuse service to those who unlawfully discriminate in the selection of employees on the basis of age, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or any other basis prohibited by applicable Federal and State laws.