Industrial Scholar Interns Program

• Goals of the Program
• Recruitment
• Program Requirements
• Scholarships and Internships
• Program Eligibility
• Application and Selection Process
• Program Benefits

Program Overview

The Industrial Scholar Interns Program (ISIP) is the premiere academic excellence program of the University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering. The Industrial Scholar Interns Program (ISIP) is a highly selective program offering students a professional advantage throughout their educational experience. The ISIP program has had challenges with respect to meeting the workforce needs of corporate partners. This proposal seeks to outline a framework that will support increased recruitment and identification of qualified candidates for ISIP by leveraging the recently-formed PROMES Plus community and by clearly outlining the benefits to all students who opt to join the ISIP program.

Goals of the Program. Students enrolled in this program will benefit from a unique academic experience that develops the skills necessary to become socially, academically and professionally successful in their respective career paths. ISIP Scholars will be guided in their matriculation at the College of Engineering and directed in every juncture of their academic career in order to support the scholars in their professional pursuits. The ISIP model will support scholars by creating a learning community that will positively impact the student's development. Over the student's academic career he/she will engage in training, workshops and community activities to enhance the overall educational experience. These activities include:

• First year : Involvement in academic success training, personal enrichment workshops and community building activities
• Second year : Participate in leadership and enrichment workshops and mentor training
• Third year : Provide participants with internship and research opportunities, students must be within 45 – 50 hours to graduation and participate and assist with enrichment workshops
• Fourth year : Connect with key speakers in the engineering, academic and professional community through Executive Sessions (breakfast/lunch/dinner/tea)

Recruitment. The Cullen College of Engineering seeks to attract the most talented students into ISIP and thereby will specifically recruit from the Engineering Merit Scholars and PROMES Plus student populations. These students have been pre-qualified based upon high school performance (in the case of Engineering Merit Scholarship Recipients) and commitment to academic and personal excellence (in the case of the PROMES Plus participants).

Program Requirements. Engineering scholarship recipients and PROMES+ students must meet the requirements of their scholarship during their first two years of the Cullen College of Engineering curriculum and participate in the mandatory activities. Students who have been accepted to be a part of the Industrial Scholar Interns program must meet the academic and third and fourth year requirements.

• First year : Involvement in academic success training, personal enrichment workshops and/or community building activities, 2 per semester
• Second year : Participate in leadership and enrichment workshops and/or mentor training, 2 per semester
• Third year : Participate in internship or research opportunities, and/or assist with enrichment workshops, 2 per semester
• Fourth year : Attend Executive Sessions with engineering, academic and industry professionals, 2 per academic year
• Meet academic requirements 3.3 CGPA and 3.0 MGPA, every semester

Program Eligibility. Director of the ISIP program will track and monitor a student's participation in program activities and workshops and report GPA to the dean at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Participants must meet the program requirements for the third and fourth years in the Cullen College of Engineering to maintain their scholarship and internship.

If a student does not meet the program requirements action will be taken up to and including dismissal from the ISIP program. Dismissal from the program will result in loss of scholarship award and internship with an ISIP industry partner.

Application and Selection Process

Application Process. ISIP candidates must submit a program application after completion of the second year of coursework. They will participate in an ISIP Panel Interview and also participate in corporate interviews to establish qualification for internships with partner companies. ISIP Panel Interview will involve the ISIP Program Director, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and PROMES Director.

• ISIP Panel Interviews
• Complete application and interview
• Submit resume
• Write a 500 word essay
• Return application, essay and current resume to ecareers@central.uh.edu

Selection Process. Program participants will be selected based upon scholastic achievement, leadership potential, and seriousness of purpose and commitment to fulfilling the scholarship and internship requirements.

Program Selection Guidelines

•  Engineering Merit Scholarship Recipients

• GPA: 3.3 CGPA and 3.0 MGPA
• Students with a minimum SAT of 1300
• Participation in Professional organizations/societies
• Involvement in student success activities offered by ISIP
• Participation in first and second year Engineering Merit/ISIP program activities

•  PROMES Plus Participants

• GPA: 3.3 CGPA and 3.0 MGPA
• Recommendation from PROMES Director
• Participation in Professional organizations/societies
• Involvement in student success activities offered by ISIP
• Acceptance is based on availability of internship slots
• Participation in PROMES Plus program activities

Program Benefits

Program Benefits. ISIP Scholars will receive scholarship funding over and above merit scholar awards. They are introduced to internship with ISIP partner companies and engineering research opportunities.

Additional scholarship awards will be provided through ISIP based on the student's academic record, involvement in professional organizations and societies, and participation in student success activities.

Scholarship Awards. Students selected to be a member of the ISIP community receive an additional $2,500.00 in scholarship funds an academic year ($1,250.00 for fall and spring) and internship and research assistance.

Internship Selection. Once students have completed 2 full years of engineering curriculum and are within 40 - 50 hours of graduation student application packets are presented to ISIP industry partners. The industry partners will select and contact students directly for internship opportunities. Students are committed to the employer and internship opportunity until graduation.

*Note: All submitted materials need to be word documents (.doc)