Undergraduate Internship Program (UIP)
Providing STEM Students Analytical Skill Sets in Preparation for Industry Jobs
The ARC contributes directly to the professional development of CSU’s STEM students in a realistic and technical customer-driven environment through its Undergraduate Internship Program. The UIP program offers undergraduate STEM students advanced operational and preventative maintenance training from professional service engineers and ARC staff while collaborating with industrial partners and developing valuable team science and soft skills. These internships are designed to prepare students for placement in analytical labs or to qualify for service engineer positions following graduation while exposing them to industrial applications of ARC instrumentation.
ARC UIP students have been recruited into service engineer and product specialist positions by ARC- instrument vendors in large due to the experiences gained through this program.
Unique Learning Environment in a University Core facility
The program will offer the following components:
- Obtain Hands-On Experience in the ARC Core facility
Student interns will work approximately 15-20 hours weekly, with a flexible schedule based on project needs and the constraints of their undergraduate curriculum. Interns will work directly with highly skilled and professional ARC staff scientists on (1) routine instrument maintenance, (2) sample preparation, (3) troubleshooting and repairing instrument issues at the level of service engineers, (4) collecting, processing and delivering data, and (5) developing and optimizing analysis and characterization methodologies. This learning experience will provide valuable, real-world technical and analytical skills that can ultimately be applied to industry jobs in STEM. Interns will be evaluated based on proficiency testing in these categories with industry-recognized certification when applicable upon successful completion.
- Develop Valuable Team Science and Soft Skills for the Workplace
Student interns will attend weekly team meetings that help foster non-technical ‘soft’ skills, including but not limited to:
- Data integrity – How to obtain confidence, reliability, and trust in your workflows and data.
- Time management – How to manage and prioritize tasks and operate efficiently in a research service environment.
- Communication – How to communicate professionally to different stakeholders. How to communicate with colleagues. Learn about email etiquette and professional use of social media in and around the workplace.
- Identity and Inclusion – To give students a shared experience and shared language to understand their identities and to build communication skills and ability to collaborate, learn, and work in diverse environments.
- Matrix organization and teaming effectiveness – How to function in multiple, cross-disciplinary teams.
- Job search – Resumes, cover letters, and mock interviews
- Networking Opportunities
Regular ARC socials will allow interns to come together, share experiences, and socialize in a venue outside the facility. Interns will have the opportunity here to interact with professional staff scientists from different disciplines within ARC.
ARC UIP interns will also be encouraged and supported to attend one scientific conference that focuses on relevant analytical technologies and instrumentation. This will offer interns professional networking opportunities through interactions with potential employers while advancing their knowledge about the latest technologies, applications and new directions in instrument design.
Advantages of being an Industrial Partner
Imagine having the opportunity to directly contribute to the professional development of CSU’s highest caliber STEM students in a realistic and technical customer-driven environment. Through investment in our program, you will benefit from:
- Contributing to the learning experience of the students through customized training and proficiency testing relevant to any future employment.
- Being able to participate in the selection process of sponsored interns based on qualifications and other requirements of value to the company.
- Working directly with dedicated students on industry-relevant applications and challenges driving new technology advancement.
- Cost-effective outsourcing of preliminary data gathering in industry-led proof-of-principle research projects.
- Having access to a pool of highly skilled employment-ready STEM students with real-world experience, who are guaranteed to thrive in any relevant industry job.
Internships would reflect and acknowledge the industrial partnership through branding of the internship or certification, upon completion and approval by the partner.
How to become an Industrial Partner
Contributions to this program could be in the form of a paid scholarship, or through contributions to the actual training of the interns. This could include on-site advanced training beyond the training offered by the Core staff, such as service engineer level hands-on training or classroom teaching.