Internship: DSBA 6400

The internship experience provides students with the opportunity to work in a professional industry or community setting, applying their data science and business analytics skills to real-world challenges. This 3-credit-hour capstone is ideal for students seeking to launch careers immediately after graduation.

Internship Requirements Summary: Students must complete a formal internship experience (3 credit hours), usually in their last semester. Students must identify an appropriate project with an industry or community partner and work with a mentor to develop a formal proposal before receiving authorization to register for the course.

Prerequisites & Registration Requirements

Before you can register for DSBA 6400, you must meet the following requirements:

• Complete a minimum of 18 hours of graduate coursework before registering for the internship course (DSBA 6400)
• Have an approved internship proposal on file before registration. Students cannot register for the course unless they have an approved proposal

Internship Requirements

Before Registration:

• Identify an appropriate project with an industry or community partner
• Identify a project mentor within the organization who will oversee your work
• Develop a formal proposal in collaboration with your mentor that outlines your project scope, deliverables, and timeline
• Submit the Internship Proposal through the required form for Faculty Supervisor approval

During the Internship:

• Complete a minimum of 160 contact hours at your internship organization
• Work on your approved project under the guidance of your mentor
• Document your work and learning throughout the internship
• Maintain regular communication with your Faculty Supervisor to discuss progress and challenges

Upon Completion:

• Complete final project deliverables as outlined in your proposal
• Submit project documentation for Faculty Supervisor review
• Participate in program completion activities (presentations, reports, or reflections as required)
• Receive final approval from both your mentor and Faculty Supervisor

One Month Before Semester Start:

• Internship Proposal: Submit your completed Proposal through the designated form. This must be approved before you can register for HCIP 6400.
• Letter of Agreement: A signed letter confirming the organization’s participation is required from the mentor/preceptor or responsible official. The letter is sent by program staff and must be returned directly to Program Administration for verification.
• Initial Mentor Meeting: Within the first two weeks, students must meet with their mentor to refine objectives and tasks using the syllabus as a guide.
• Project Plan Components: A Project Plan typically includes specific work tasks, timelines, and a Gantt chart with task numbering.

First Week of Semester

• Attend any program orientation or kickoff meetings.

Throughout the Semester

• Complete your 160+ contact hours of work, maintain project documentation, and communicate regularly with your Faculty Supervisor. Attend any required check-in meetings or reflective sessions.

End of Semester

• Finalize all project deliverables, submit documentation, and complete any required presentations or reports. Participate in exit interviews or program evaluations.

Example Internship Projects

Students in DSBA internships have worked on projects including:

• Predictive Modeling: Can third-party data help us better predict who would be a “good customer” before we underwrite their business? Can you build a model that meaningfully outperforms the base model and is easily understood by business stakeholders? How can we synthesize sales data from 4 different tools into a comprehensive view of a potential customer?
• Data Integration & Analysis: How can we synthesize the sales data we get from 4 different tools to form one comprehensive view of a possible customer? What insights can be discovered when data from multiple sources are combined? How should this data be structured and updated in real time?
• Text Analytics: Create a tool that analyzes text to help assign a theme to an incident. What natural language processing techniques are most effective for your use case? How can the model be deployed and maintained over time?
• Machine Learning Improvement: What machine learning models were improved, and why did you feel the need to improve them? How did you train the model (i.e., training set size)? What performance metrics justify the improved model? What was the business impact of the improvement?

Additional Requirements & Documentation

Depending on your internship or thesis placement, you may need to complete additional requirements. Below are standard requirements that apply across capstone pathways. Please consult with your organization’s HR department, your internship mentor, or the Graduate School to confirm which requirements apply to your specific placement.

Criminal Background Checks

Some organizations require that you submit a criminal background check through the University. UNC Charlotte has contracted with Certiphi Screening, Inc. to conduct background checks. No other agency will be accepted.

To secure a background check report, you will need to:

• First and Last Name
• The last 4 digits of your UNC Charlotte student ID
• Birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY)
• UNC Charlotte Email

Once the information has been provided, it will be submitted to Certiphi. They will contact you via email with a link to their Application Station website. The Director of Student Services will authorize registration for DSBA 6400 once the background check is complete and cleared.

Important Note: If you are an international student who has lived in the US for less than 3 years, you may need to pay an additional fee to obtain a Police Clearance Certificate. Please contact your consulate to get instructions on the process and fees. Note that this process should be initiated at least 3 months before your practicum/ internship.

Liability Insurance

Students with a clinical placement may be required to carry professional liability insurance. The companies below offer Liability Insurance to students:

• NSO: 1-800-247-1500
• HPSO: 1-800-982-9491
• MARRH: 1-800-621-3008
• Liberty Mutual: 1-800-837-5254

Drug Testing

Multiple organizations in the vicinity offer drug screening services. Most will require appointments. Contact your internship organization’s HR department for their specific requirements and approved vendors.

Vaccinations

Organizations may require documentation of immunizations (TB, Mumps, Rubella, Rubeola, HBV, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Flu, etc.) before the internship begins. Check with your specific placement organization for their vaccination requirements.

INTERNSHIP FAQs

Who places students in internships?

It is the primary responsibility of the student to find an internship. However, the School of Data Science works hard to assist all students during their search. At the beginning of each semester, eligible students who are actively seeking internship placements can submit their resumes to our resume book. This book is then shared with industry partners and interested employers for consideration. We also share many internship opportunities and recruitment session information with students via email.  We also strongly encourage students to participate in professional seminars, networking and training events, Career Center Meet-Ups, and the annual Women in Data Science Conference.

Are internships paid?

It depends on the organization, but usually graduate students seeking a placement are paid. 

If I am currently employed, how do I complete the internship requirement?

Completing the internship course (DSBA 6400) is a requirement for graduation.  In the past, students who were completing their degree while working full-time have traditionally followed one of three paths:

Community Partners: Students who lack access or team support within their organization have offered their services to a local non-profit or community service organization.  These projects can be professionally rewarding but are more often than not unpaid/volunteer positions.

Project with an Existing Team: Students coordinated with their employers to work with an existing data analytics unit within their company.

Individual Project: In consultation with their supervisor or team, students have developed a stand-alone “proof-of-concept” project.