General FAQ
What is the purpose of the Engineering Internship Program?
We strive to develop students who will graduate with not only technical expertise and classroom knowledge but workplace skills that are desirable to employers. A strong work and professional ethic, adaptability, resourcefulness, ability to communicate, analyze, learn, and work well in a team or individually, excellent problem solving and project management expertise are just some of the qualities that students gain by participating in the program.
Who is qualified for internship?
To participate as an intern in the program, students must have completed all first, second and third-year course requirements and achieved a GPA of at least 2.0 during the past academic year. Students must be registered full-time, in good academic standing following second year and at the time of internship application and placement. Students in any engineering discipline can participate, including visa students.
What is the participation rate of students? 
Participation rate of qualified students - 70 to 80 percent
Placement rate - up to 99 percent of students who actively search employment
Number of employers who annually participate in the program – approximately 200
Where do interns work geographically?
Calgary - 60 to 70 percent
Rest of Alberta - 10 percent
Rest of Canada - 10 to 15 percent
International - 10 to 15 percent
Do interns get credits for completing the internship requirements?
The internship is a registered academic program and interns receive a grade (Credit or Fail) for each four-month work term they undertake. Successful interns will receive "with internship" on their parchment, however, interns do not receive credits to complete their degree.
What are the benefits of an internship program?
When an academic/work experience program was launched by the University of Calgary at the request of industry, an internship model was chosen because of the clear benefits to interns and employers alike. Unlike programs based on short, alternating work terms, internship provides the opportunity for a continuous 12 to 16-month placement. Placements of this duration afford interns an in-depth exposure to the engineering industry, building technical knowledge in a specific field and the potential to make quality contributions to the employer. The clear advantage for employers is the ability to hire enthusiastic students who are there long enough to be trained and then given responsibility for actual projects with accountabilities that extend to that of a junior engineer. There are several other benefits to arranging sixteen-month internships that extend over the second summer (May-August) at the end of the internship. These include: maintaining continuity of certain projects or work programs; having additional staffing resources available during the summer vacation period; providing an opportunity for the outgoing intern to orient and train the incoming intern which partially relieves the supervisor of this requirement. Many employers use longer internships as a recruitment strategy and offer their interns a permanent position upon graduation, or even before they return to school for fourth year.