Launchpad Internships
Students can gain the necessary hands-on experience to enter the workforce though internships.
Students are encouraged to take advantage of an internship opportunity to improve skills and knowledge. The Launchpad Leadership Academy program is an excellent way to get experience from working professionals in the technology field. Internships are required for BIT students.
Through the Launchpad Leadership Academy each Launchpad Leadership Academy Scholar will be placed with a company in the industry to complete an internship. Scholars will have weekly on-site meetings at the Company’s place of business as well as a companion class that will meet on campus at Clayton State University.
Procedure to Enroll in Internship Courses
To complete an internship, you will need to complete the following:
- Internship Learning Agreement (ILA).The ILA is a contract between you, your internship supervisor, and Clayton State University. It must be signed by you and your site supervisor before submitting to Internship Coordinator. Access the CSIT ILA form.
- Learning Objectives.The Internship Learning Agreement (ILA) document should contain at least three (3)
learning objectives. Learning objectives describe what you are going to be able to
learn by participating in this internship. There are guidelines and a sample to help guide you when writing your own learning objectives. Here are a few things
to keep in mind:
- Be sure to work on your learning objectives with your site supervisor as they can help you figure out what you will learn from this experience.
- Keep your learning objectives professional; that is, well organized and free of spelling and grammatical errors.
- A good rule of thumb: If you wouldn't want to submit this document to your supervisor, then don't submit it to the Internship Coordinator.
- Make sure you look over them before you submit to the Internship Coordinator. The ILA will not be approved by the Internship Coordinator until these are correct.
- A copy of your resume.
Deadline for Submitting Paperwork
- Fall: August 1
- Spring: December 15
- Summer: May 1
Tips for Writing Learning Objectives
Learning objectives are goals. They're what you aim to learn by the end of your internship. These are not tasks, but they are drawn from the tasks that you will complete in the internship. Here are tips for writing acceptable learning objectives:
- Read over them before submitting them to the Internship Coordinator. You may feel that you're pressed for time and just want to get them done and submitted, but if you submit them without looking over them, you run the risk of having them sent back to you for revisions or rejected.
- Make sure there are no grammatical or spelling errors.This can be done by following the first tip; look over them before submitting. Consider having another person look over them for you. We may over look errors in our own work and read them as they are intended, not as written. Having a person who hasn't spent time writing and revising the document may help find errors that you initially missed.
- List your learning objective, then use a short paragraph to describe how you're going to meet that objective. Follow the format of the sample that was given. There are additional sample paragraphs below for more help.
- Consider starting your learning objective with action words.These action words should signify learning or expansion of knowledge. Some examples are develop, gain, expand, enhance.
Additional Samples
Learning Objective 1: Gain an understanding of a new programming language
ABC Incorporated uses C++ to create their software. At Clayton State, I have been exposed to the Java programming language, so the transition to C++ should not be too difficult. Ms. X will provide materials and tutorials for me to use to familiarize myself with C++.
Develop first-hand knowledge of the software development process
All of the experience that I have so far with software development has been through projects in class. This internship will allow me to experience how it works in the industry. I will work with Mr. Z and his team to find software solutions for Software Limited's clients.