Exciting summer of internships for our Applied Study students

ESTP’s Applied Study Energy Master’s Degrees combine professional development and an internship experience with our Foundational Energy Degrees. The ESTP Applied Study (two semesters) and ESTP Applied Advanced Study (three semesters) programs were launched in the Fall of 2020, and this past summer, our second cohort of students was hard at work in a variety of exciting internships. Students worked in internships across the United States, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, Arkansas, and Washington. Additionally, they worked in a wide array of energy industries— companies are listed in the sidebar; of energy sectors— including green aviation and mass transit, grid operations and reliability, sustainable buildings, thermal storage, computational fluid dynamics, and solar farm construction; and of internship roles— as analysts, programmers, project managers, engineering consultants, and more.

Applied Study students begin their program by taking the course “Career and Professional Development for Engineering Masters” during an academic semester before their summer internship. This course prepares College of Engineering graduate students to identify, create, and manage career opportunities. “As an international student new to the United States job market, the Career and Professional Development course provided me with the necessary knowledge and helped me with a successful job search. Taking the course helped me prioritize my job search alongside my academic coursework, as the course deliverables directly supported the search. It covered all aspects of the process in a structured manner, including resume, cover letter, networking, interviewing, negotiation, and the transition to employment,” said Gokul Krishnan, a current ESTP Applied Advanced Study student.

All ESTP Applied Study students, whether starting in the Spring or Fall semester, are eligible to pursue an internship in their first summer semester, during which they take the Master’s ESTP Internship course. The requirements for the internship course include securing an internship, writing an internship proposal, meeting with academic and faculty advisors, and writing reflections and a final report that communicates different aspects of their experiences. Many students had incredible experiences with their companies. “The education and experience I received from it was invaluable,” said Jeffrey Yin, a current ESTP Applied Advanced Study student. Another student expressed that she had an exceptional experience due to the company’s positive working environment. “The internship helped me collaborate with various departments of the company, and it helped me understand working in a corporate environment,” said Madhumithaa Vellingiri, a current ESTP Applied Advanced Study student. Overall, ESTP Applied Study students had an educational, exciting, and fulfilling summer.

In the fall semester following an internship, the Applied Study students participate in a course entitled Communication of ESTP Internship Experience. Amongst other requirements, they will present their internship experiences at our annual Internship Panel Sessions on Friday, October 7^th. Students in the course share their myriad experiences with the program faculty and staff, with each other, and with the new cohort of ESTP students just beginning their internship search. Based on the experiences of our first two cohorts, we are excited to see the next group continue to excel in energy internships.