Internships & Independent Study

Guidelines for Internships and Independent Study

1. All independent studies must be approved by the student’s advisor and the MSE Undergraduate Coordinator (Frary).

2. All internships must be approved by the MSE Academic Programs Manager (Economy).

3. Students can receive 1 to 3 credits for internships and 1 to 4 credits for independent study. The number of credits will be determined by the advisor and/or Undergraduate Coordinator and will depend on the scope of the project proposed.

4. For students on the 2019-20 catalog or earlier, up to 3 credits of MSE 293/493 (Internship) or MSE 188/496 (Independent Study) can count toward the technical emphasis requirement.

5. University requirements (from the 2020-21 Undergraduate Catalog):

• MSE 293/493: Internships (credits vary): Internship credits are earned in supervised fieldwork specifically related to a student’s major. To enroll in courses numbered 293 or 493, a student must have attained a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher. No more than 12 credits of internship and/or Work U may be applied towards graduation requirements. Additional information, requirements, and application procedure are described on the Career Center’s website.

• MSE 496: Independent study (1 to 4 credits): Upper-division students may earn credits in independent study, usually through directed reading or by completing a special project. Students may earn no more than 4 credits in a semester and no more than 6 credits during a single academic year, and no more than a total of 9 credits may be used to meet degree requirements or university graduation requirements. An independent study cannot be substituted for a course regularly offered at Boise State, nor can independent study credits be used to improve a grade in a course the student has already taken.

6. MSE Department requirements:

Internships: if using to meet degree requirements

• Students must submit a 2 page (at minimum) proposal to both the academic advisor and Jessica Economy (MSE internship coordinator) which:

  • Describes where they will work, the details of the internship project, how the project is related to the field of materials science and engineering, the goals of the internship, and the contact information for the student’s direct supervisor.

  • Includes a description of any previous work carried out with the same employer prior to applying for internship credit.

• Jessica Economy will determine if the internship is approved for MSE credit and to fulfill degree requirements.

• Students will earn 1 internship credits for every 50 hours worked.

• By the last day of regular classes in the semester (prior to finals week), the student must submit a final report (5-10 pages, using 1.2-1.5x spacing) to Jessica Economy and the undergraduate coordinator. The report should include the following:

  • A log of the time worked

  • A list of the tasks performed, training received, deliverables produced, etc.

  • A summary of the expected goals of the internship (from the proposal), and an analysis of what was accomplished (even if not originally planned), and an explanation of any divergence between the two (at least one page long)

  • An analysis of the technical and professional skills you learned or strengthened, specifically highlighting knowledge in MSE (at least one page long)

  • Insights you gained about working in industry or at this company / type of company (about one page long)

• Determination of the student’s grade will be done by Jessica Economy and the undergraduate coordinator who may consult the student’s direct supervisor at the internship.

Internships: if NOT using to meet degree requirements

• If the internship credit will not count toward MSE degree requirements, then internships need to meet only the university’s requirements.

Independent Study: if using to meet degree requirements or if taken for a letter grade

• Students must submit a 2 page (at minimum) proposal for independent study which:

  • Describes the topic of study and at least three learning outcomes (learning outcomes should describe the things that you will be able to do at the end of the semester as a result of completing the independent study)

  • Identifies the deliverables associated with the project as agreed upon with the independent study supervisor,

  • Includes a timeline; the deliverables should be spaced throughout the semester instead of requiring only a single report at the end of the semester.

• The proposal should be submitted to the undergraduate coordinator (Dr. Frary) with a note from the faculty member who will supervise the independent study endorsing the proposal. Before enrolling in the independent study, approval must be obtained from the MSE undergraduate coordinator, acting on the recommendation of the instructor who will be supervising the independent study.

• For 3 credits of independent study, the student is expected to work a minimum of 10 hours per week (as would be expected for a 3 credit course).

• By the last day of regular classes in the semester (prior to finals week), the student must have completed and submitted all of the deliverables described in the project proposal.

• Determination of the student’s grade will be done by the independent study supervisor.