An internship allows on-campus students to gain valuable professional experience by engaging in employment opportunities while studying at Brown. By enrolling in the Professional Track students must then secure one or more full-time internships of total length 1 to 5 months. To be eligible for the track, an internship must involve work that relates to Computer Science and the chosen individual study plan, and it must take place under full-time employment of at least 140 hours or 4 weeks (@35 hours/week) during academic recess periods in the winter and summer between academic semesters. Potentially a student who takes full advantage of the Professional Track could gain up to 800 hours or 20 weeks (@40 hours/week) of worthwhile internship experience accumulated over the one summer and two winter breaks in the typical two-year program duration.
Such internships are normally done at a company under the supervision of an industry advisor, but they can also be conducted at a university under the supervision of a faculty member. An internship can be paid or unpaid. In the Professional Track the required internship is taken in addition to the 8 courses needed for the master's degree.
Following each internship the student must submit an essay reflecting on the performed work and gained experience and have it approved by the DGS. Upon successful completion of the requirement, students receive the designation "Professional Track" in their transcripts that qualitatively attests their gained extra-curriculum professional experience.
Students may take advantage of the professional development services offered by Brown's Center for Master's Student Excellence for resume preparation, interview practice, and internship search to identify good opportunities aligned with their interests.
Note to international students: Any off-campus employment is subject to work eligibility in the US. Therefore, international students need to obtain work authorization through Brown's International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) and under Curricular Practical Training or Optional Practical Training, as it best applies, for this purpose.
