Are you a CIT major about to graduate? This page has information about internships and capstone experiences for CIT majors.
Registration in these classes is handled by permission of the department. To be ready, you need to plan to graduate within 12 months of the beginning of the internship or capstone. In both types of class, each student needs a Learning Agreement that describes what they will do. More details are below.
- About capstones and internships in CIT
- How to register for an internship
- How to register for a capstone
About capstones and internships in CIT
Every undergraduate student at Marshall has a capstone or internship experience class as part of their degree. In CIT, there are two options:
- Internship: a structured work experience where the student gains practical knowledge and skills outside the traditional classroom setting. Each internship involves cooperation between the sponsoring organization (employer), the student, and the CIT chair. A 3-credit internship requires 120 hours of supervised experience with the sponsoring organization.
- Capstone: a semester-long project in which the student pulls together knowledge from several courses. Each capstone project is mentored and assessed by a CIT faculty member.
Each semester, students in internship or capstone classes make presentations about what they have accomplished. These presentations are typically the Wednesday of final exam week. The CIT department can provide more information each semester. We encourage all students to attend these presentations to learn more about what their peers have done.
Registration for internship or capstone requires approval from the department. You must be planning to graduate within the next 12 months. The following sections have more information about how to register.
How to register for an internship
The CIT department publicizes information we receive about internship opportunities, but we cannot place students into internships. A student who wishes to have in internship must typically apply to an internship position and be accepted by the sponsoring organization.
To register for capstone, the sponsoring organization, student, and CIT chair agree on a Learning Agreement that lists the goals, intended products, and responsibilities for the internship. Once this agreement is complete, the CIT department will enroll the student in CIT 470 – Internship.
When you have been accepted for an internship by a sponsoring organization, the department can provide details and a template for the learning agreement.
How to register for a capstone
To register for capstone, the first step is to contact a CIT faculty member about a project. Many CIT faculty supervise capstones, and the department chair can provide a list of faculty for each semester. It is wise to approach faculty well before registration, to allow time to discuss possible projects.
Once a student and faculty member agree on a project, they complete a Learning Agreement that describes the goals, intended products, and responsibilities for the capstone. Once this agreement is complete, the CIT department will enroll the student in a section of CIT 490 – Capstone taught by the faculty mentor.
The Learning Agreement for a capstone is a short document, agreed on by the student and capstone mentor, which includes:
- The overall goals of the project
- The products the student will produce
- A schedule stating when drafts or final products are due
- Criteria for assessment
- A schedule for how often the student and mentor will meet during the semester