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Beyond the Classroom

Undergraduate student resources

Individual study (CIS 4905)

CIS 4905 Individual Study allows students to register, for credit, for a faculty-supervised customized independent-learning plan using written materials in an area of Computer Science over the duration of a semester. In order to be considered for CIS 4905, the proposed project must:

  • Be in an area of computer science
  • Involve a plan of study about the selected topic(s) through faculty-curated learning materials
  • Be approved by a *CISE/ECE faculty supervisor using the CIS 4905 registration form.
  • Offer 1-4 credits, depending on the amount of work agreed upon

*A student may use a non-CISE/ECE faculty member at UF:

  1. If that faculty member has appropriate expertise and can oversee a Computer Science-related plan of study, and
  2. The student has a CISE faculty member approve and ultimately take responsibility for the project.

The faculty member will establish and guide the study plan as well as assign a letter grade at the project completion.

For students who are interested in CIS 4905, there may or may not be a faculty member willing to oversee the desired project. Students should not assume a faculty member will be interested or have time to oversee. Therefore, students should start by respectfully asking if a faculty member with expertise in the area of interest would be open to discussing the possibility of Individual Study. If so, students would need to have a conversation about interests, and then follow the faculty member’s lead on how to proceed. If the student and faculty member come to an agreement, they would need to complete the CIS 4905 Registration Form and email an academic advisor by the end of the drop/add week of the term for which the study will be completed.

Note: The difference between CIS 4905 Individual Study and EGN 4912 Undergraduate Research is that CIS 4905 is learning about something via a planned program of study (“book learning”), whereas EGN 4912 is hands-on application where students are participating in the research project of a faculty member.

Internship/co-op (CIS 4940)

While it is not required, CISE encourages students to participate in one or more internships. An internship gives students the opportunity to explore hands-on academic and vocational interests, gain valuable experience in the chosen field prior to graduation, and earn income that can be used to defray college expenses. The work experience is conducted under approved industrial, business, institutional, or governmental agency supervision.

CISE internship policy

Computer science-related internships may be registered for variable credit according to the guidelines below. Students may not register past internships for credit.

CIS 4930 Practical Work is a variable credit course (1 to 3 credits) with a maximum of 3 credits to be earned and applied towards CISE technical electives. The number of credits assigned for this course is determined by a minimum number of weeks and total hours the student works during the internship/co-op over the semester. It may only be taken S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).

Minimum of 6-week internship required

  • 1 credit = work at least 6 weeks and 160 hours
  • 2 credits = work at least 8 weeks and 300 hours
  • 3 credits = work at least 10 weeks and 400 hours

Fall/spring terms

Part time employment + part time academic credits

  • 1 credit of intern, 9 credits of regular
  • 2 credit of intern, 6 credits of regular
  • 3 credit of intern, 0 credits of regular

To successfully complete CIS 4930 Practical Work with a grade of Satisfactory, a 2-4 page post-internship summary report written by the student, and a formal evaluation letter written by the student’s supervisor(s) must be emailed to an academic advisor one week prior to the end of finals week.

The summary report should result from the student’s reflection on the internship and should include:

  • A summary of the role the student played in the company (no need to include sensitive details),
  • How the student believes they did in the role,
  • And most importantly, how the student feels the internship/co-op contributed to their own learning and professional development in the field of computer science.

In short, the report should address how the internship contributed to the student’s overall educational experience.

The evaluation letter must include:

  • Dates worked
  • The role the student played and nature of the work (in brief, no need for sensitive or technical details)
  • Evaluative comments (brief is fine) about how the job was performed and how the intern’s work contributed to the company

Registration for the course is handled through CISE academic advising.

If your internship qualifies for registration based on the guidelines above you may register here.

Email an academic advisor with questions about internships. 

Undergraduate research (EGN 4912)

UF and CISE offer numerous opportunities for students to pursue undergraduate research for credit under the direction of a faculty member. These intensive research opportunities personalize the academic experience and challenge students to strengthen their writing and analytical skills.

Interested students should:

Resources to help students pursue an opportunity for undergraduate research

Once a potential faculty member(s) is chosen, students must discuss and finalize the work they are agreeing to do. Students will then need to complete the registration form, to be registered for credit. Please note that any research done must be registered for 0-3 credits.

Students may also be interested in applying for the University Scholars Program.