If you would like to expand your knowledge-base by accepting an engineering internship, you must complete a series of tasks prior to receiving Departmental approval for your internship.  The Industrial Engineering (IE) Graduate Program has provided a flowchart with written instructions that are meant to help facilitate and expedite the approval process for graduate students.

With that in mind, we realize that not every situation is identical which means that this process might not present options for every student’s unique needs.  In the event that you do have questions, please contact the IE Graduate Program Coordinator for clarification of this process.

The flowchart below is meant to help diagram the overall process from start to finish, for both international and domestic students.  Each step in the process is numbered which means there are instructions accompanying each option in the flowchart.  Please use the written instructions (below the image) and the flowchart in order to fully understand the process.  When possible, external links have been provided.

***Written instructions continue below the image.

Before you make the decision to go on an engineering internship, you must first speak with your major professor to ensure you are on track to completing your degree.

Step #1

Whether or not you are an international or domestic student, the approval process is almost identical, with one exception:  international students must also work in conjunction with the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) in order to obtain the necessary work authorization.  Therefore, before you may proceed to the next step you must determine whether or not you are an international or domestic graduate student.

  • YES: Proceed to Step #2
  • NO: Proceed to Step #3

Step #2

If you said “YES” to Step #1, your next task is to enroll in ISSO’s Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Workshop (F-1 students only).  This workshop is required and ISSO will not approve your request if you do not enroll in and complete this session.  Please speak with the ISSO staff for further information regarding these workshops.

Step #3

Permission to add IE 697 to your schedule is granted by the instructor of the course and in our department, the instructor is the Director of Graduate Education (DOGE).  Before the DOGE will approve your request, you must complete a one-page summary which will also serve as your syllabus for IE 697.  This report may be single-spaced but it must adhere to the following guidelines:

  1. In the header:
    • Your name
    • Your job title
    • Company name
    • Major Professor’s name
    • The exact Start/end date as it applies to the current semester you are requesting approval for, not the entire duration of the internship**
  2. In the body
    • What will you be doing?
    • IE 697 Engineering Internship is a course that is expected to be a learning experience for the student.  As such we need to document the learning outcomes to be achieved by the experience.  Please list 4-6 learning outcomes expected from the internship experience in the following bulleted form:
      • I will learn how to x
      • I will learn how to y
    • List all courses that will apply to your co-op experience.

At the completion of the internship experience you will be expected to summarize these learning outcomes.

**Please see item #3 in the “Special Notes” section at the end of this procedure for further information.

This report must be submitted to the IE Graduate Program Coordinator who will forward it to the DOGE for review.  Do not forward this document directly to the DOGE– doing so may delay approval of your request.

Step #4

The DOGE will review the student’s syllabus and contact the student’s major professor to ensure they are aware of their student’s internship request.  There is no set time frame for this stage of the process.  Do not contact the DOGE with questions regarding Step #4– please direct all inquiries to the IE Graduate Program Coordinator.

Step #5

Once the DOGE has completed the review process, they will notify the IE Graduate Program Coordinator, who will then notify the student.

  • If you answered “YES:” Proceed to Step #6
  • If you answered “NO:” If your request is denied you will also be told why it was denied.  If you are still interested in participating in an internship you will have to begin this process from either Step #2 or Step #3.

Step #6

If your request has been approved you are then able to complete an add slip using the add/drop procedure in AccessPlus.

Please fill out the form and list the DOGE as “Instructor” and your major professor as “Advisor.”

Step #7

If you replied “YES:” Proceed to Step #8.

If you replied “NO:” Proceed to the “END.”

Step #8

If you answered “YES” to Step #7, you may now initiate a CPT request via CyStart.  You will be required to upload a copy of your job offer letter in the Cystart eforms.

As part of your CPT request you will be required to fill out two e-forms.  When completing these forms you will be asked to enter your major professor’s name so the request can be routed to them; however, only one of these forms is routed to your major professor, the other is routed to the DOGE.  If you are unsure of who the DOGE is, please contact the IE Graduate Program Coordinator for help.

Routing instructions

  • Student Request eform: route to the DOGE
  • Verification of Academic Purpose eform: route to your major professor

Please review the image below for a visual example of the forms in Cystart.  Please click on the image to view it in fullscreen.

Step #9

Once your eforms have been received by the DOGE and your major professor, they will either approve or decline your request.  There are several factors that are considered when making this decision so please be aware that the review may take more than a day or two.

  • Please note: Once your DOGE and major professor have approved your CPT Cystart eforms, your request will be forwarded to an International Student Advisor (ISA).  The ISA will review your application and, if approved, will issue a new I-20/DS-2019 with a CPT authorisation.  You may not begin working during the CPT authorisation period until you receive your new I-20/DS-2019.  Once you have received your new I-20/DS-2019 with CPT authorisation, you have now arrived at the “END.”

Step #10 (not listed in flowchart)

This course requires the submission of a Final Report (IE 697) which is due approximately two weeks prior to the end of the semester.  The Graduate Program Coordinator will notify the student(s) and provide them with enough time to submit their report.  If a report is not submitted by the due date, a grade of F may be assigned.

**Please see item #3 in the “Special Notes” section at the end of this procedure for further information.

Special Notes

  1. Only IE 697 will be permitted for use in conjunction with a full-time internship and/or CPT request.
  2. You may only request registration for IE 697 for one Summer/Fall OR Spring/Summer combination per year. A Fall/Spring combination is not permitted.
  3. If you are requesting permission to add IE 697 for any of the permitted combinations in #1 you must complete the request process for each semester you are registered.  Further, you are not permitted to complete these requests simultaneously.  Finally, if you are requesting one additional semester of IE 697 you must submit your Final Report before the IE DOGE will review any additional IE 697 requests.  Failure to do so will cause a delay in this approval process.
  4. If you are a Systems Engineering (SYS E) or Engineering Management (ENG M) student interested in taking IE 697 the process is the same with the exception of the following adjustments:
    • Step #3: Email your syllabus to the IE Graduate Program Coordinator.  They are the support person for the IE DOGE, who is the instructor for IE 697.
    • Step #4 & 5: The IE DOGE will approve/decline the syllabus and the IE Graduate Program Coordinator will notify you regarding the decision.
    • Step #6
      • Instructor: IE DOGE
      • Advisor: SYS E/ENG M DOGE
    • Step #8
      • Student Request eform: IE DOGE
      • Verification of Academic Purpose eform: SYS E/ENG M DOGE
  5. This course is available as Satisfactory (S)/Fail (F) only.  In order to obtain an S-grade, you must submit a one-page write-up at the end of the semester.  The IE Graduate Program Coordinator will communicate with you throughout the semester regarding this report, please watch for those emails.

If you have any questions about this process please contact the IE Graduate Program Coordinator:

imsegradprogram@iastate.edu

**The information on this page is current as of 6/6/2023