RISING STAR INTERNSHIPS
Application

Description

USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI) is pleased to offer Rising Star Internships to a select, highly competitive group of Master's of Science applicants in Computer Science, Data Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and similar disciplines.

ISI is a world leader in research and development of advanced information processing, computer and communications technologies. Rising Star interns may pursue work in a range of technical areas, based on their interests and the current research environment at ISI. Representative technical areas of interest available to our interns include:

Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Technologies
Data Science and Machine Learning
Natural Language Understanding
Cybersecurity
Networking and Networked Systems
Novel Computer Architectures and Systems
Microelectronics and Electronic Systems
Quantum Computing

2020-21 Rising Star interns Erin Szeto and Nicholas Klein

Meet Our Interns

Learn More

Did you know? ISI helped conceive, design, and implement the Internet. It also invented the Domain Name System (DNS) essential to Internet functionality. Learn how ISI is paving the future >>

Benefits

Benefits of this part-time, paid internship include:

Work directly with top USC faculty and researchers
Secure an internship for the duration of your MS program, subject to a periodic review of progress
Enhance your graduate experience by actively contributing to research at a world-class institute
Distinguish yourself with a visible, concrete record of accomplishment: development of significant software systems, publications, contributions to the open-source software community, and more
Earn a partial tuition scholarship in addition to internship salary

Applicant Criteria

The Rising Star internships are open to all U.S. and International students applying to a full-time, on-campus Master's program in the Viterbi School of Engineering. Other criteria:

Preference given to students applying to Computer Science, Data Science, and Electrical & Computer Engineering MS programs
Strong academic background. Undergraduate GPA of 3.6 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) is recommended
Undergraduate degree must be in engineering, math, or a hard science such as physics or chemistry
Some research experience preferred
Strong interest and demonstrated ability in one or more of the career tracks described below

Tracks

For students seeking a career as a Research Software Engineer – an emerging career path that integrates deep understanding of the research environment with advanced expertise in programming and software engineering.

Opportunity to participate as an active team member in an ongoing research project, working directly with faculty and senior research staff.
Opportunity to significantly and visibly contribute to the development of a major research software system or prototype.
Opportunity to engage directly with emerging software technologies, develop advanced software engineering skills, and to teach and mentor others in your own areas of expertise.

For students seeking a career as a Data Scientist in a research, academic, or commercial setting with complex, cutting-edge, rapidly evolving data analysis needs and objectives.

Opportunity to participate as an active team member in an ongoing research project, working directly with faculty and senior research staff.
Opportunity to apply data science theory and tools to problems of real-world significance, importance, and visibility.
Opportunity to contribute to the development of new, state of the art data analytics tools, approaches, and software, captured in open-source and high impact research prototypes.

For students seeking a career as a Research Electronics or Systems Engineer – an emerging career path that integrates deep understanding of the research environment with advanced expertise in computer and electronic systems engineering.

Opportunity to participate as an active team member in an ongoing research project, working directly with faculty and senior research staff.
Opportunity to significantly and visibly contribute to the development of a novel hardware system or prototype.
Opportunity to engage directly with emerging electronics and electronic fabrication technologies, develop advanced engineering skills, and to teach and mentor others in your own areas of expertise.

For students interested in a career as a researcher, and potentially seeking credentials needed to support admission to a Tier-1 research PhD program.

Opportunity to participate as an active team member in an ongoing research project, working directly with faculty and senior research staff.
Opportunity to develop and publish peer-reviewed research papers in highly ranked conferences and technical journals, as a named author or co-author.
Opportunity to develop and present talks and seminars on your research and results.

Apply

Below are the steps and deadlines for Rising Star applications:

Submit your online Graduate Application for Admission and all required materials, including transcripts, test scores and supplemental materials (if applicable), by the Fall 2024 deadline of December 15, 2023
Complete and submit the ISI Rising Star Application Form by January 1, 2024
Final candidates will be interviewed by one or more potential faculty supervisors in late March or early April. **Due to the competitive nature of this internship opportunity, only students who have submitted their Statement of Intent by April 1, 2024 will be considered.

Published on September 20th, 2021Last updated on October 3rd, 2023

RISING STAR INTERNSHIPS Application