ECE PhD Career & Professional Development

Internships

An approved internship is a valuable opportunity for a student to gain practical experience integral to their program of study, thereby allowing them to develop additional technical and professional skills. Many PhD students engage in summer internships in the post-prospectus dissertation phase of their program of study.

Students find internships in a variety of ways, most often through their research advisor’s professional network, including alumni and industry connections. Students may also work with the College of Engineering Career Development Office to find other opportunities. Handshake is the Career Development Office’s online system for job and internship listings, which is exclusively for BU undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni.

Requirements and Grading
All students must have completed 2 full semesters before registering for EC810 and embarking on an internship. The internship site and project must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and the PhD Associate Chair*. Students are registered for the EC810 Internship course by the Academic Program Manager. After completion, students submit an ECE PHD Internship Summary to be graded Pass or Fail. Student internships will be highlighted in the Student Spotlight section on the ECE website.

International Students *
International Students need to be authorized for Career Practical Training (CPT) for an internship placement. In order to apply for CPT authorization, international PhD students need to follow these steps prior to going to ISSO:

Secure a job offer and obtain a written offer letter.
Complete a CPT Form (sections 1, 2, 3 only and the Student Acknowledgement page)
Submit the completed CPT form along with a supporting letter (Sample Support letter from Advisor) to the Academic Programs Manager

The support letter must include:

Topic of thesis and expected defense date,
Start and end dates of internship (keep in mind that CPT must follow semester calendar dates and can only be authorized one semester at a time),
Explanation of the research objectives of the placement as they relate to the student’s thesis or dissertation and why they cannot be accomplished using Boston University facilities,
Name of the faculty advisor, who will monitor the progress of the off-campus research,
Signature of faculty advisor AND co-signature of ECE PhD department chair, Anna Swan
Once your CPT recommendation is complete, the College of Engineering will review notified to pick up your application at Graduate Programs Office, 44 Cummington Mall and may proceed to ISSO. You will be registered for EC810 by the Academic Program Manager.

You may request CPT authorization from the ISSO in one of two ways:

Call the ISSO at 617-353-3565 to schedule a CPT appointment with your ISSO advisor, or
Students bring the completed and signed CPT Form and Acknowledgement along with F-1 immigration documents to request drop-off processing of the CPT request. Completed requests will be evaluated for approval within five business days.

After CPT Authorization
Once you have been granted CPT authorization for a specific placement, make certain to read ISSO FAQs for CPT, which answers many frequently asked questions related to the limits of CPT authorization, fair labor standards for unpaid internships, and rules for employment verification and taxation for paid placements.

Career Development

Professional Development

Current Department Listing of Employment, Scholarship and Internship Opportunities