<p>Hi, I’d like to know how active/effective the career placement office is, whether Bama alums network with new grads, how is recruiting on campus, etc. Any information is welcomed. Thanks, and happy new year.</p>
<p>My DS1 was able to get a paid Engineering internship his first summer, which has continued to following summers and Christmas breaks.</p>
<p>There is something around Jan or Feb for engineering students that helps them get summer jobs in their fields.</p>
<p>Others can chime in here for how it works for other majors…</p>
<p>We’ve learned the that this is true at virtually every school we’ve visited. Engineering and computer science internships and co-ops get snapped up very quickly in the school year. At one school, we heard a story where comp sci kids have assignements by Thanksgiving! We will be very interested to hear if the same is true at UA. (By the way, our Christmas, empty campus visit was interesting. DH and I were surprised by the beauty of campus. We liked it better than we thought we would. The few tourists we met were busy taking pictures and could not stop gushing about their time at school. DD and I will return for CSD and are looking forward to seeing the campus teemng with student life.)</p>
<p>DH and I were surprised by the beauty of campus.</p>
<p>That’s what I always notice when I’m there. I just love the way it looks. :)</p>
<p>Are you from OOS? </p>
<p>Did you get to take a tour? Or did you “self-tour”? Did you visit Shelby Hall and the new Science and Engineering Complex? </p>
<hr>
<p>Internships, etc</p>
<p>Each College (Engineering, B-school, etc) handles these differently.</p>
<p>My son got his (paid) internship as a student engineer early in the spring semester of his freshman year. He actually had more than one opportunity and chose the best one for him. </p>
<p>He also had another paid internship with a math prof. That opportunity came through an email that was sent out, and my son responded, interviewed, and was hired. That was a short-term internship (a semester); this prof needed an ass’t for his research and publication. Frequently, my son receives emails sent out from the dept with internship opportunities.</p>
<p>Eng’g Co-op Program - [Cooperative</a> Education Program - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://coop.eng.ua.edu/]Cooperative”>http://coop.eng.ua.edu/)</p>
<p>[The</a> Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration](<a href=“http://www.cba.ua.edu/]The”>http://www.cba.ua.edu/)</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.cba.ua.edu/students/internships]Internships[/url”>http://www.cba.ua.edu/students/internships]Internships[/url</a>]</p>
<p>I’m not sure how the other departments handle their internships.</p>
<p>We are from OOS. Chicago suburbs. We listened to the podcast tour. I must say UA has an amazing marketing department. I don’t know why more schools have not taken advantage of this technology. We have appreciated all efforts to woo our DD. From the many mailings, returned phone calls from engaged people in the Honors dept., the additonal College of Engineering scholarship, & admissions friendliness, we are seriously considering UA. Our prospective student is in contact with others on Facebook and we are really looking forward Capstone Scholars Day. If we hear that their Comp Sci department is as good at placement and opportunities as other schools say this field demands, DD may finally make up her mind.</p>
<p>So glad to hear there are internship/coop opportunities at Bama. We are hoping that son can get started the summer after his freshman year as well. He will be an engineering major as well. Are there internships available for all engineering majors, or just specific ones?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I have never heard that internships are not available for a variety of engineering majors. Isn’t your son considering mechanical engineering? I know that there are internships for that.</p>
<p>However, if I was concerned that my child’s unique engineering program might limit his internship opportunities, I would suggest not declaring a specific specialty right away. I believe that freshmen can just choose general engineering (or something like that) until they choose a specialty. By not being specific, a student might have more choices. </p>
<p>For instance, my DS1 started out in Chemical engineering and got his internship. But he’s changed to Mathematics. He’s been able to keep his internship, even though he changed majors. So, the same could happen with a student who starts in “general engineering,” and then later selects a less popular eng’g major. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>Thanks, mom, for the encouraging words. One thing I’ve heard from many engineers on this forum is the importance of internships/co-ops when looking for jobs after graduation, even more so than a degree from a highly ranked school. I’m not surprised that your son kept his internship, even though he changed majors, because he no doubt worked very hard and made a good impression on the company he is working with. Even though he may not specialize in that company’s field in the future, the experience he is gaining is invaluable and will be a springboard for his future endeavors.</p>
<p>If son is interested in interning as early as summer after his freshman year, how should he go about pursuing that? Does he go to the career placement office, the engineering department, the Honors college, or is he left to find it on his own?</p>
<p>*If son is interested in interning as early as summer after his freshman year, how should he go about pursuing that? Does he go to the career placement office, the engineering department, the Honors college, or is he left to find it on his own? *</p>
<p>[Cooperative</a> Education Program - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://coop.eng.ua.edu/]Cooperative”>http://coop.eng.ua.edu/)</p>
<p>He should participate in the above link. I have known other freshmen to get their summer placements that way.</p>