Summary:
This course provides the opportunity for IS majors to earn academic credit while employed in a professional position focused on information systems under the Internship program. The course is repeatable to a maximum of six credits. Course grading is Pass/Fail only.
Note – This course cannot be used to fulfill the major requirement for an upper-level IS elective.
Prerequisites: You must be concurrently enrolled in the Career Center’s Internship Practicum Course, PRAC 098 or PRAC 099. A GPA of at least 2.5 is required. Students must have earned a minimum of 30 credits. Requires IS Department permission.
Enrollment Procedures:
- First, arrange your internship with the UMBC Career Center. Register your internship for PRAC 98 or 99 on Handshake using these instructions or schedule an appointment with Michelle Breen, mbreen1@umbc.edu, online or by calling 410-455-2216. Once registered, the Career Center will send you an email confirmation for your enrollment in PRAC 98 or 99, with instructions for requesting credit.
- Once your PRAC email confirmation is sent, contact the IS 399 instructor, Dr. Jennifer Carter, jcarter@umbc.edu, to confirm your interest by sending your job description, dates, number of hours per week, and number of credits requested.
- After your student eligibility and position information has been verified, you will be provided with email confirmation and permission to enroll in the course.
- You need to then register for IS 399.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. How do I get an Internship?
A. There are two primary methods to getting an internship: If you have no job or placement you should meet with a staff member at the UMBC Career Center and discuss resources for your search and learn about current opportunities. If you already have a job in the IT field you should visit the Career Center or complete the online PRAC registration in order to link your current position to the internship program. If you have a position and you are not sure if it qualifies for IS 399 credit, contact the IS 399 instructor.
Q. The Career Center has sent me an email confirmation for my enrollment in PRAC, now what do I do
A. Contact the instructor for IS 399 by email. The instructor will make sure you are eligible for the class and give you the syllabus. If you are registering prior to the last day of the regular add date for the term, you will be given electronic clearance and you can then go online and register. If you are registering for IS 399
Q. I have been given electronic clearance to register and I have tried adding the class but it doesn’t show up on my course list with the number of credits I thought I would get.
A. IS 399 is a variable credit course available for 1, 2, or 3 credits. To complete your registration, you must indicate the number of credits you want. Go back and try again and pick the credits and add the class. (You may have to try a drop/add.)
Q. I notice there is a PRAC class listed on my class list, is that the same as IS 399?
A. No. You must be concurrently enrolled in PRAC and IS 399. PRAC is also a Pass/Fail class and is separately noted on your transcript. PRAC has its own set of requirements/assignments. Contact the Career Center for questions about PRAC and see the Intern/Co-op/Service/Research tab on Handshake for more information.
Q. Do I have to pay for IS 399?
A. If you are part-time student, then you pay by credit count as usual. If you are a full-time student and are taking it as part of your Fall or Spring semester then the price is included in your full-time tuition.
Q. Why would anybody pick less than the full 3 credits?
A. For some students they are taking the IS 399 class as part of finishing their degree and only need 1 or 2 upper level credits to graduate. Some students have limited internship hours and only qualify for a smaller number of credits. Some students are more interested in getting their current internship posted to their transcript and don’t want to pay for the extra credits.
Q. IS 399 was the greatest course I ever had, can I do it again?
A. Sure – up to a point. The limit is 6 credits no more than 3 per semester. You do need to think about your transcript. It is great to have 1 internship listed but how much value does it add for an additional internship course. Would it be better to consider another structured elective course or to potentially improve your GPA? Contact your IS Advisor for advice.