Student Internship Programme
Information for Students

Programme Overview

The Student Internship Programme (SIP I and II), courses CP3200/CP3202 are unit-bearing full-time internship programmes that are offered once a year during the Special Term. The programme will give students the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to industry skills.

Programme Structure

Internship periods are a minimum 12 consecutive weeks* from May to July/August. In order to count an internship under SIP, your internship job scope has to be computing related and able to add value to your degree programme. The internship period has to correspond with the School’s internship periods (please refer to the Internship Timeline for the official dates of internship). Breaking the internship into separate periods will not be permitted.

Assessment

Students’ progress on projects will be monitored during attachment and an assessment of their performance will be made (on Completed Satisfactory/ Completed Unsatisfactory (CS/CU) basis). 

Students will be awarded 6 units upon successful completion of the attachment programme.
Students will be awarded a Completed Unsatisfactory (CU) grade if they:

  • Do not fully complete the attachment programme.
  • Do not submit their monthly and/or final reports without valid reasons.
  • Withdraw from the internship mid-way without valid reasons and/or without consulting the School.
  • Withdraw their acceptance from the host organisation without valid reason.

Pre-Requisites and Student Eligibility

  • Students must complete a minimum of 70 MCs to be eligible.
  • Internship eligibility typically begins in the second year, second semester, and continues through the fourth year, first semester, provided all programme prerequisites are met.

Application

Eligible students need to apply via TalentConnect. Please note that if a formal offer/acceptance of an approved position is not completed on TalentConnect, the internship will NOT be recognized as unit-bearing.

Internship Application Checklist

  • Ensure that you have fulfilled the necessary pre-requisites
  • Fill in the correct Experiential Learning Application form on TalentConnect

*More details can be found here.

Please note that:

  • Students will be contacted directly by employers directly if they are shortlisted for interviews
  • Students should take note that some companies have restrictions for certain positions, including but not limited to requiring the student be a Singapore citizen.
  • All offers by employers MUST be made through the TalentConnect portal in order to be recognized by the school. Students will then have up to 5 working days to respond before these offers are withdrawn by the system.
  • Students MUST accept their offers on the TalentConnect portal in order for their internship to be formally recognized.
  • Once a project has been accepted, NO changes will be entertained.

Important

Students who have accepted an internship and subsequently withdraw their acceptance (including verbal, written or on TalentConnect), or do not complete their attachment with their host organization will receive a “Completed Unsatisfactorily’” (CU) grade for CP3200 / CP3202 on their transcript.

Self-sourced Internship Application

Students who have sourced their own internships and wish to convert their internship into a unit-bearing one should inform the company to post the internship position on TalentConnect.

If the company does not have an existing account on TalentConnect, please get them to register an account here. Account creation and other queries about the portal can be channeled to talentconnect@nus.edu.sg.

Once the employer’s account has been approved, they will be able to submit a posting for review. (Do note that submission of the form does not indicate approval. Students will have to obtain the 6-digit posting ID from the company and submit the self-sourced internship form. (Note: This form will only be accepting responses when the viewing/application period opens)

Internship Timelines

May to August

Internship Period: 12 May 2025 – 1 Aug 2025

Processing of Internship Submissions is done on a fortnightly basis

SIP

SIP Dates Notes
Students viewing and application on TalentConnect
13 Feb 2025 – 11 Apr 2025
Non-self-sourced Internships
17 Apr 2025
Deadline to accept an offer
5 working days from date of offer

Assessment Criteria and Deliverables

Students will have 2 supervisors for the duration of their internship who will assess their progress.

  1. Work Supervisor
  2. Academic Supervisor (Students will be notified by email when their Academic Supervisor is assigned)

Please refer to the following PDF for details on the assessment and deliverables.

Internship during Final Semester

Students in their graduating semester who require SIP during their final academic term/semester need to submit an appeal. Grades will only be awarded in the Special Term which means your degree will be only be conferred on 31st August and students will only join the Commencement ceremony in the following year.

Please use http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/academic-activities/graduation as a reference for more details.

The following table reflects the course arrangements for SIP:

SIP (CP3200 / 3202) Period

Course Arrangement

Remarks

*Special Term I 

*Special Term II 

May – July / August

CP3200/ CP3202

(IP Grade)

CP3200 / CP3202

(Graded)

Grades will be backdated to Special Term II and reflected by mid of Semester I of new AY.

*Note: You do not need to pay the NUS Special Term Fees for having the SIP course registered during the Special Terms.

Students are to note the following important points for SIP.

  1. Students who are already on ATAP are NOT allowed to reduce its duration to convert it to SIP.
  2. SIP has a minimum duration of 12 consecutive weeks.
  3. CEG students should follow the internship guidelines for CEG students. Please refer to https://ceg.nus.edu.sg/ia/
  4. Students should carefully consider their study plans (e.g.: SEP/NOC) before accepting any offer because any withdrawal after acceptance will result in a CU grade.
  5. Students who have started FYP projects in January are to get written approval from their FYP supervisors if they intend to participate in SIP from June to Aug in the same calendar year.

Additional Courses

SIP is a full-time attachment programme so students on attachment are NOT allowed to take other courses offered by the University during the attachment period.

***Do note the only exception to this would be the Communities and Engagement pillar requirement.

Students from Cohorts 2021-22 and after who are required to fulfil the Communities and Engagement pillar under the University Level Requirement (such as GEN% or related courses offered by UTCP, NUSC) will be allowed to co-read these modules alongside SIP if their service hours are carried out during evenings and weekends during the internship period.

Students may be allowed to carry out service work during the day (3-4 hours a week) on weekdays whilst on internship, subject to the employer’s approval.

Kindly note that:

  • Students who are graduating in Semester 2 in May are NOT allowed to take SIP during the vacation period in the same Academic Year.
  • Students who are already on ATAP are not allowed to reduce its duration to turn it into a SIP attachment.

Internship Support Letter

We will only be able to issue internship support letters for unit-bearing internships under School of Computing.  (Please note that only requests for unit-bearing internships under the School will be entertained.)

For off-cycle or non unit-bearing internships, please contact CFG (hire@nus.edu.sg) directly. Note that NUS does not issue internship support letters for non-unit-bearing internships during the academic semester. Do also note that letter requests will only be processed AFTER a formal offer/acceptance on TalentConnect is completed.

Administrative Matters

Leave and Time-Off to attend to School Matters

Students may be granted leave at your employer’s discretion. For non-official outside of the scope of project work with the organisation, your employer has the right to pro-rate your pay. (This policy may vary between organisations). Students are advised to abide by the Human Resource practices of their employer.

Supervisors

Each student project will be co-supervised by their work supervisor and an academic supervisor
assigned by the school.

Dress Code and Reporting Procedure on the First Day of Attachment

Students are expected to dress appropriately in office attire and have their Identification Card, Bank Account Number, Bank Name and Branch with them.

Reservist

Students who are required to fulfil their reservist obligations will need to inform the school (AskIR@comp.nus.edu.sg) and their employer when notified about their training. Students who receive notification prior to accepting an internship offer must inform the Industry Relations Office and their potential employer before accepting the internship offer.

Medical Leave

Students must inform their work supervisor if they are unwell or need to consult a doctor. They are not to take any leave without their supervisor’s prior knowledge. A relevant medical certificate will also need to be submitted to their supervisor.

Allowance

Students will be paid a minimum of S$1,200/- per month*. Organisations are exempt from CPF
contributions.
*This minimum requirement is waived for self-sourced internships.

Insurance

Students are strongly encouraged to purchase their own coverage before going on internship. It is
compulsory for students going overseas for their internship to purchase more comprehensive
insurance coverage

Overseas Visa

Students going overseas for their internship may need to apply for a visa from the host country. Students should request for an offer letter from that organisation which should be submitted to the local embassy/high commission/consulate with any other relevant supporting documents.

Disclaimer of Liability

The School will not be held responsible for any damage to properties and/or injuries suffered during the student’s internship attachment period.

Termination of Internship

Students and employers should complete the entire internship period or the mutually agreed upon
period. In the event of early internship termination by either party, notice must be given to NUS School
of Computing before a termination notice is issued. With the termination, the student would receive a
‘CU’ grade for the internship unless special considerations are applied.

Students need to consider their study plans (going for SEP, NOC etc) carefully BEFORE they accept
any offer because any withdrawal after acceptance is unacceptable and will result in a ‘CU’ grade
reflected on their transcripts.

NUS School of Computing reserves the right to initiate early termination of an internship at its
discretion.

FAQ (SIP)

Internship Duration & Structure Guidelines

Q: Will I be allowed to break up my internship?

A: No, you will need to complete a single internship with a minimum duration of 12 consecutive weeks.

Q: Can I do a few months with one company and then another few months with a different company and count it under SIP?

A: No, you are not allowed to break up the attachment period. Your attachment should be with a single employer for the entire duration of the internship.

Q: I have secured an internship but it does not fall within the stipulated internship periods, can I count it under SIP?

A: No, all unit-bearing internships have to fall within our recognized timelines. (We do allow some variance up to 1-2 weeks for the start date) Off-cycle internships will not be recognized by the School. Internships should not interrupt the academic semesters before and after the stipulated internship periods.

Q: What does computing-related mean?

A: All unit-bearing internships must have components that relevant to your degree programme. If the job is largely non-technical in nature (whereby a student from a different faculty could just as easily perform the role), then it will not be suitable.

Q: I started an internship last semester and have since completed it. Can I count it under SIP?
A: No, the School does not allow any retroactive conversion of internships.

Eligibility & Pre-requisites

Q: Can I apply for SIP if I have not fulfilled the pre-requisites?

A: No, you may not. You must complete the required 70 unit pre-requisite before embarking on your internship. You may apply for internships whilst completing the pre-requisites, but must have cleared them before starting the internship.

Q: Can I take an internship in my final semester?

A: Yes, but you will need to submit an appeal to do so. Please note that you will need to provide a reasonable justification when making an appeal.

Q: I have already taken SIP I (CP3200), can I take it again?

A: Yes, you can take SIP II (CP3202).

Internship Approval & Recognition Process

Q: I have secured an internship position but the company has not posted on TalentConnect, can it count as SIP?
A: No, the position will need to be reviewed and approved on TalentConnect and a formal offer/acceptance must also be completed in order for the position to be registered as unit-bearing.

Q: Does submitting the Self-sourced Internship Form mean my internship is approved?
A: No, the School will still need to review and approve the posting on TalentConnect, and a formal offer (from the company)/acceptance (by the student) MUST be completed on TalentConnect within the stipulated timelines in order for the internship to be recognized as unit-bearing.

Q: Why do I need to submit the Self-sourced Internship Form?
A: The School batch processes internship submissions fortnightly. Submitting the form will accelerate this process by bringing it to our attention so that we can review it more quickly.

Q: I have already secured an internship and completed the formal offer/acceptance on TalentConnect. Do I still have to fill in the Self-sourced Internship Form?
A: No, it is not required.

Q: I have accepted an internship offer but it is past the deadline, can I still count it under SIP?
A: No, you are required to adhere to the specified deadlines.

Q: I was given an offer, but I did not respond within 5 working days and my offer is now expired, what can I do?
A: Please ask the company to write in to us at internship@comp.nus.edu.sg to reset the offer for you.

Q: How do I get an internship support letter?
A: Do note that we will only be able to issue internship support letters for unit-bearing internships under School of Computing. Please submit your request here. (Please note that only requests for unit-bearing internships under the School will be entertained.) For off-cycle or non unit-bearing internships, please contact CFG (hire@nus.edu.sg) directly. Note that NUS does not issue internship support letters for non-unit-bearing internships during the academic semester. Do also note that letter requests will only be processed AFTER a formal offer/acceptance on TalentConnect is completed.

Other Information

Q: As an international student do I need to apply for a work permit?
A: International students on unit bearing internships are allowed to work full-time during the semester. No additional work permit/visa is required.