Carnegie Mellon University

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February 28, 2024

Innovate in the Wild: Partner with the INI as a 2024 Practicum Project Sponsor

The INI announces open call for project sponsors for the Fall 2024 Practicum

INI communications

Through this capstone experience at CMU, the INI's brilliant graduate students partner with corporate and government sponsors to apply their knowledge and build professional experience. Practicum projects range widely, from building dashboards to improve transparency in local government to bolstering the security of Web3 applications. The INI Practicum is a cornerstone of our two bicoastal programs: the M.S. in Information Technology – Information Security (MSIT-IS) and the M.S. in Mobile and IoT Engineering (MSMITE).

Practicum: Students solving real-world problems

Practicum is a hands-on, immersive experience in which teams of INI students tackle problems, pilot new ideas and establish proofs-of-concept for non-profit, government agencies automotive technology and more. Projects can span a variety of topics in computing, mobile systems and security and range from fundamental research to software development.

A pipeline of talent

Sponsorship is a fantastic recruitment opportunity, granting companies early access to exceptionally qualified INI students. Companies who are searching to hire talent use practicum projects to fill the gap for their short-term needs.

Guided by faculty from the College of Engineering, INI bicoastal students help develop novel approaches to a project that will have a meaningful impact on their sponsor's organization. Other reasons to sponsor:

  • Find highly qualified interns
  • Connect with top students for full-time employment after Practicum
  • Help move projects forward during a labor shortage
  • Reach a wide audience as many Practicum projects are published in research papers or shared at conferences
  • Develop ongoing partnerships with expert graduate students, with many Practicum collaborations continuing after the semester ends

Propose a project today

We welcome proposals from corporate, government and research sponsors. Want to learn more? Visit our sponsor webpage to view recent sponsors and project summaries, as well as how to submit a proposal.

Learn how to become a sponsor

Sponsorship of INI Practicum is conducted under the CMU Educational Project Agreement and requires a financial contribution to offset the project cost; the amount is dependent on the type of sponsoring organization.

Fall Sponsorship Proposal Deadline: May 24, 2024

Practicum By The Numbers

3-6 Students per Team

The INI matches 3 to 6 master's students to each project team according to their skill sets and interests.
14 Weeks

The INI's practicum takes place during CMU's fall or spring semester, which is typically 14 weeks.

1400+ Hours of Work

On average, teams of 5 log approximately 1400+ hours of work on the practicum project.