Computer Science & Communication Systems. Internships & Master Thesis Projects. Spring 2016

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1 Computer Science & Communication Systems Internships & Master Thesis Projects Spring 2016

2 EPFL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM q Since 2010 engineering internships are mandatory for all Master students. q It is managed by EPFL. q The internship is a wonderful and effective way to connect your academic experience with the professional work arena. It allows you to gain valuable exposure to the workplace, provides the opportunity for skills development and gives you a competitive edge in the job search. q On their side, companies benefit from highly qualified students.

3 INTERNSHIP MODELS Depending on your professional and personal needs, you may choose from three options: q Short internship minimum of 8 weeks during the summer q Long internship minimum of 6 months (not negotiable) q Master Thesis duration of 25 weeks and the dates are defined in the industry by the SAC ( to )

4 WHEN TO START q EPFL BSc Students as of February 2016 q * International BSc students as of September 2016 q Master Thesis Projects from * International BSc students are required to complete a full semester before being able to register for an internship.

5 HOW TO FIND AN INTERNSHIP q It is your responsibility to find an appropriate internship. q The internship portal in IS Academia holds more than worldwide contacts. q Last semester, we had 475proposals published in the database. Today we have 150 projects published. Companies keep posting new projects every day. q You may find your own internship but the subject must be approved by the section before any commitment to the company.

6 SUMMER INTERNSHIPS q Summer internships usually are not published in the portal. q If we receive any proposals for summer internships, we will forward them to you by . q If you find your own summer internship, the topic must be approved by the section before you accept it. Please ask the internship office for the approval form. q Once the topic is approved by the section, you must submit the internship agreement filled in and signed to the internship office before the starting date.

7 SUMMER INTERNSHIPS It is not possible to do a summer internship followed by a long internship of six months!! Because of schedule conflicts, you can only do a summer internship if you are doing an academic semester right after the internship, or your master thesis (which normally does not start before mid-september). The summer internships must start after the exams session, in mid-july. You may start earlier if you do not have exams.

8 SHORT INTERNSHIPS IN THE US Some companies in the USA only offer weeks internships during the summer. In order to allow you to enjoy a unique opportunity to work for some of the best companies in our field, the EPFL agreed to make an exception in our normal internship procedure: q You will be exceptionally allowed to be absent during the fall semester to allow you to complete a weeks internship q You must start your internship by July 15 th

9 COMPANIES This exception only concerns summer internships and the following companies: q Facebook q Google q LinkedIn q Yahoo q Twitter For any other companies, the normal procedure applies. If you have any doubt please contact Ms Patricia Galhardo.

10 HOW TO APPLY TO THESE q Usually these internships are not published in our portal. q You can apply directly on the company's website. q Make sure your profile matches their requirements!

11 Cisco, USA q An internship of one year from July to July only q You will be based in the USA (California) This offer is mainly intended to the students who receive all their credits in June. In this case, i.e. if you finish your studies in June: You will do an internship followed by your master thesis project in the industry (agreement with CISCO). Otherwise, i.e. if you finish your studies in February and still want to join CISCO: you can do one year internship before your last academic semester (which means that you will be absent from July until July the next year), will come back in September to complete your credits and will do your master thesis project in February. If you choose this option, you will have the obligation of doing your master thesis project in a laboratory of the EPFL.

12 REQUIREMENTS General rule: Apply only to companies in whose technical area you excel ex: if you are good in networking, you should apply for a position in the area of networking A few companies require a high GPA, well over 5 The section reserves the right to decline an application that does not correspond to the company s needs and requirements

13 HOW TO SELECT YOUR PROJECT Core course / optional courses Semester projects Language skills

14 MATCHING PROFILE For some companies Qualcomm Inc. IBM T.J. Watson IBM Zürich Google Yandex excellent results are required

15 HOW DOES IT WORK SEPTEMBER 16TH ROUND 1 ROUND 2 ROUND 3 FEEDBACK Ø Access to the database offers Ø First deadline: September 28th, at 2PM Select and register to max. 4 proposals Upload your application file (CV/cover letter) Ø October 14 th, 2015 Second deadline = October 19th, 2015 at 5PM Ø After the 2 nd round, new applications will be sent to the companies every Friday at 2PM. Ø Were you contacted for an interview? Ø Were you hired?

16 RESPECTING DEADLINES q Since September 2012, all EPFL students must do an internship. q As you will compete with students from other sections for some of the projects published in the portal, we strongly advise you to apply for an internship during the 1st round to maximize your chances.

17 HOW TO APPLY q Registration in the internship management (portal) ü choose your project ü 4 registrations for the 1 st round q Upload your CV q Upload your cover letter ü Specify the model: internship or master thesis project? ü Specify the dates q Upload your transcripts (not mandatory but recommended) q Provide Ms Patricia Silva with recommendation letters if any

18 INTERVIEW q Be prepared for the interview. q Demonstrate a professional attitude. q If the living allowance is mentioned in the description, do not bargain; if not mentioned, inquire for it. (min. wage in Switzerland for an internship should be CHF ) q Follow up with the company and the internship office.

19 MASTER THESIS IN INDUSTRY q Clear definition objectives, content. q Confirm the eligibility of the project as a Master Thesis project. ü Contact the professor who will supervise the project before any commitment ü A much smaller fraction of projects do qualify as Master Thesis than as Short or Long internships. q Verify the confidentiality procedures of the company. q All projects offered in the internship portal must be validated by an IC professor. Do not accept a position without having confirmed the eligibility of the the project and settled all the details with the EPFL supervisor. Master Thesis project s registration form: Communication Systems : Computer Science:

20 MASTER THESIS IN UNIVERSITY q To join some of the most eminent universities, you must have an average grade of 5.2 even if a professor supports your application. q The following universities are concerned: * MIT, USA * Cambridge, UK * Berkeley, USA * Imperial College, UK * Stanford, USA * Oxford University, UK * Carnegie Mellon University, USA q You can only do your master thesis project in an university if you already did an internship in the industry (short or long). q The duration for a master thesis in an university is 25 weeks.

21 WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU GET AN OFFER. q You MUST decide to accept or reject it within 3 working days q You MUST inform Ms Patricia Silva of your decision q Once you accept the offer ü ü No withdrawal Notify by the other companies you applied to of your decision q Supervisors for the Master Thesis Project ü You must introduce the 2 supervisors to each other (IC Professor and the company s supervisor) q It is YOUR responsibility to find an IC supervisor BEFORE committing for an external MSc Thesis q Confidentiality agreement (inform all the parties involved)

22 HOW TO REGISTER q If you find your internship through the portal At the end of the semester, you just need to register on IS Academia as doing an internship q If you find your own internship please submit a description to the internship office for approval. Once it is accepted, register your project in IS Academia: Go to Internship portal Register the new internship

23 SIDE EFFECTS OF YOUR CHOICE q Change of residence relocation q Time-consuming formalities ü Visa ü Work permit ü Residence permit and / or return visa q Internship agreement - > submit this document duly filled in and signed before the starting date the latest! Internship agreement: q Master thesis registration form -> secretaries will send you an in due time explaining the procedure q Validity of your passport THESE PROCEDURES ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

24 EPFL ATTESTATION This information only concerns students from outside EU countries! As an EFPL student you received a B Permit. Before leaving for an internship / master thesis project, you must request an attestation from the Master s administrative office INN 111 (IN Mrs Veltro / SC Mrs Dahmouni-Martin). q If you leave Switzerland, you must submit it to the local immigration office (contrôle des habitants) when informing them of your departure.

25 EPFL ATTESTATION q If you stay in Switzerland, you must give this document to your employer. The company must complement it with the work permit request to be given to the local immigration office (contrôle des habitants) where you will do your internship / master thesis project. q You can request for this attestation by . q Make sure you provide the following information: ü Name & Surname ü B Permit number ü Location of your internship / master thesis project ü Dates

26 STATUS During the internship You must register in IS Academia as doing an internship (practical project) Internship office enters the details of your internship During the master thesis project You still register at the EPFL Internship fee CHF 53. Master Thesis Project fee CHF 633.

27 IMPORTANT INFORMATION Once you obtained all the required credits for your MS, you must do an internship or your master thesis. You cannot take extra credits or take a semester off. Be very careful when selecting your project(s). Make sure that the project matches your academic and professional needs, especially if you are considering joining the doctoral school. Fewer projects qualify for MS thesis + a professor must agree to be the supervisor in this setting. To avoid such limitations on your choice for MS thesis, a short or long internship is recommended. If you commit with a company for an internship or a master project, you can no longer change your mind and cancel the project. If you fail a course and are not allowed to do your master thesis, then you must do an internship instead and postpone your master project.

28 LAST BUT NOT LEAST q As one of our students, you will act as an EPFL ambassador in the industry. q Thanks to your hard work and positive attitude, you will leave a positive impression within the company. q This is not only important for your future professional career but also for the EPFL internship program which will benefit from your commitment and will grow from it. q It is your responsibility to be perfectly aware of the internships & master thesis rules and regulations. No exceptions will be made!

29 USEFUL INFORMATION q Our blog ü Motivation letter ü Curriculum vitae ü English test ü How should I name the documents q Our webpage ü Computer science : ü Communication systems : q Our office ü INN 131, every day from

30 ANY QUESTIONS? Thank you for your attention!