Master of Science Fieldwork

CPT Update: The U.S. government has issued recent advisories on the eligibility requirements for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for F-1 students. ISSO has reviewed affected authorizations and will contact students directly. Our ISSO team will work closely with Education Deans and Deans of Students across schools to support affected students and identify available academic alternatives.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) issued advisories regarding Curricular Practical Training (CPT) for F-1 students (message on August 12, and another message on August 24). The guidance limits the circumstances under which CPT may be authorized and affects current and future CPT eligibility for some Columbia international students.

Columbia will only authorize CPT that is integral to the academic curriculum, required of all students in the program, and documented with a cooperative agreement.  

All other CPT authorizations are currently paused  for programs in which CPT is not a mandatory degree requirement of all students in the program.

Please reach out to ISSO for further guidance or clarification regarding this policy. We advise reviewing the ISSO website for more information.

The University will continue to assess its approach as additional information or guidance becomes available.

Internships

Students in the IEOR Department have often engaged in part time internship opportunities during the academic year (and full time opportunities during the summer).  Scheduling permitting, students may work maximum of 20 hours per week during an academic term.

Students may also engage in unpaid internships and volunteering.  For more information, students should consult with their Career Placement Officer and ISSO.

Internship & Industry Project for Academic Credit

Domestic IEOR graduate students may earn up to (3) three credits (letter grade) of IEOR E4999 Fieldwork towards the MS degree through internship engagement. The student is responsible for the cost per credit, charged as regular tuition.

In order to commence, the student must adhere to the following guidelines:

Students must complete one of the following Fieldwork Request Forms for Departmental Review:

We begin processing applications starting on the following dates:

  • Summer Fieldwork: The Monday after Spring Break
  • Fall Fieldwork: The second week of July
  • Spring Fieldwork: The Monday after Thanksgiving 

 

For Internships

Obtain an employer letter.  The employer letter must have the following in order to be processed and it must follow the same formatting as this sample offer letter template. The Department will not process the Fieldwork request if any of the above items are missing or if the letter is not in the correct format. 

Only active domestic MS students that are not on any form of leave of absence can apply.

For Industry Projects

Obtain project assignment approval from the IEOR Career Team on an industry project with an employer or alumni partner.

  • Be on official company letterhead
  • Have a specific start date and a specific end date
  • Include the complete street address where the work will be performed
  • Include the number of hours per week
  • Include a detailed description or list of position duties (should be related to the IEOR degree and it's applications)
  • Signed and dated by the employer 

Employment may not exceed 20 hours per week during the academic Fall or Spring semesters. 

If the Summer semester is the last semester, summer employment can not be full-time and may not exceed 20 hours per week.

Students enrolled in Fieldwork during their last term must registered for a minimum of 3 credits of on-campus coursework.

Adhere to the following schedule and deadlines:

In order to earn a grade for the internship performed, the Department requires: 

  1. The employer must submit an IEOR Supervisor Internship Evaluation Report, stating your responsibilities, performance, time frame, and number of hours worked.
     
  2. The student must submit an IEOR Student Internship Report, elaborating on the experience, projects, and relevance to degree program.

The letter and report must be received by the IEOR office by the following deadlines (failure to comply may result in incomplete or failure in the course.):