Applied and Applied Advanced Study Options
Through the Applied (3 semester) and Applied Advanced (4 semester) study options, you will complete a required internship during the summer following your first full academic year.
This experience is designed to grow your professional skills and test your technical development in a real working environment, complementing the coursework you complete at the INI. Internships can be completed with a variety of organizations, from top technology companies to startups, government agencies, research labs or nonprofits.
While the INI offers resources to support your internship search — including a dedicated Director of Career Services, referrals from our global alumni network and networking opportunities each semester — you are responsible for applying to and securing a relevant internship. The INI does not guarantee any student an internship, but we will do our best to prepare you with resume support, mock interviews and recruiting events.
Requirements
- Your internship must be approved by the INI Internship Team before you accept any offer.
- You will be enrolled in the 3-unit INI Internship course for the summer in which you complete your internship. Note that enrolling in summer courses will incur tuition fees at the summer per-unit rate.
- Your internship must align with your degree program and meet a high standard for learning outcomes set by the INI.
- Completing an approved internship and academic assignments in the INI Internship are degree requirements, meaning you must successfully complete both to graduate.
About Applied Advanced
For students in the Applied Advanced study option, you will complete your program in four semesters. In addition to the required internship outlined above, you will choose to complete a research-based master’s thesis, development-based project or Area of Concentration (AoC).
See more information about the Advanced study process and options, including proposal requirements, declaration forms and sample AoC curricula.
Cohort Eligibility
Only students beginning their studies at the INI in Fall 2027 and later will be able to enroll in the Applied and Applied Advanced study options. We understand that this restriction may be disappointing for MS38 students, and we know how valuable internship experiences are to your professional development. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer these study options to students prior to Fall 2027.
According to CMU’s Office of International Education (OIE), current international students who want to pursue an internship are advised to apply for pre-completion OPT. The INI will be providing support to cover the current standard online filing fee ($470) for MS38 students. More information will be shared via Canvas.
Please email the INI Internship team (ini-internship@andrew.cmu.edu) with questions about departmental internship process and email OIE (oie@andrew.cmu.edu) for guidance on applying for pre-completion OPT.