Experiential learning
Experiential learning, the cornerstone of Virginia Tech's Bridge Experiences Program, builds skills, knowledge, and resumes. Find your bridge to the future through undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, co-ops, and other real-world experiences.
Students presenting their research as part of the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research in Computer Science (VTURCS). Photo by Peter Means for Virginia Tech.
Undergraduate students have many opportunities to conduct research with faculty across Virginia Tech. The College of Engineering maintains a database of projects offered in all engineering departments. Our students are encouraged to explore interdisciplinary projects in engineering education, FinTech, and data science, among others. Learn more at the Virginia Tech Office of Undergraduate Research.
Students can do research for a course grade by being enrolled in CS 4944, CS 2974, or CS 4974. They can also participate as a volunteer or be paid. Undergraduate research differs from independent study.
- Independent study: Typically delves deeper into a topic covered in a regular course, and allows students to study topics of particular individual interest.
- Undergraduate research: Typically creates an artifact such as a paper, presentation, or technical product as a result of research done with faculty supervision.
To be eligible for undergraduate research course credits: CS 4994, students will need:
- Overall GPA: 2.5 or higher
- In-Major GPA: 3.0 or higher
- Completion of CS 3114 with a grade of a C or better
To be eligible for independent study course credit: CS 2974 or 4974, students will need:
- Overall GPA: 2.5 or higher
- In-Major GPA: 2.5 or higher
- Completion of CS 3114 with a grade of a C or better to enroll in CS 4974
Participation in independent study or undergraduate research for course credit is a multi-stage process that begins with applying and being accepted onto a research project under faculty supervision. If the faculty member will be offering course credit for participation, their project must be submitted for approval before you can be enrolled. The College of Engineering manages the submission, approval and enrollment processes and updates information often on the Independent Study and Undergraduate Research Resources page.
The Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research in Computer Science (VTURCS) program encourages students to participate in research. Each Spring, the VTURCS program holds a research symposium where students work with a team to present their research to faculty, industry partners, and other students to share their knowledge and gain valuable feedback. Faculty list their research opportunities for students to review and apply in the fall semester.
CS Job Hub is one-stop shop for students to review professional development opportunities, internship and job postings, research projects and create profiles to be matched with as new items are added. This system was built as part of the software engineering capstone class final project by a group of graduating seniors and continues to grow in functionality.
BURGs' mission is to recruit, retain, and develop an undergraduate research cohort to cultivate a work environment that reflects our community, empower individuals to meaningfully contribute computer-driven solutions in service to society, and promote the progress of computer systems research.
Under faculty direction, students that participate in BURGs can work on a variety of projects including Computer Systems Genome, Internet access, computing performance for machine learning, security and privacy in augmented reality systems, and ransomware detection.
IDPro and IDC are led by the Department of Engineering Education and bring together students from across the College of Engineering to participate in research that spans various engineering disciplines.
The IDPro Program, designed for students in their sophomore and junior years, allows students to contribute to client-based projects that span multiple semesters, gaining valuable professional skills and experiences. Students engage in hands-on work that includes design, development, and implementation, all while making a difference in the community and beyond. To ensure student success, the program offers project funding, designated workspace, and mentorship from academic and industry professionals. Brief training sessions, structured support, and feedback from public sector or industry liaisons guide students through the design process and enhance the learning experience.
The IDC Program, designed for graduating seniors, allows students to collaborate with peers from different disciplines, reflecting their future work environments. Teams of students work on projects sponsored by industry, faculty, collegiate competitions, or community and nonprofit groups. Typically, IDC lasts for two semesters, and computer science students can earn up to six credits to use toward their capstone and technical elective degree requirements.
Our faculty lead ground breaking research in a number of areas. Students are encouraged to get to the know our research areas, centers and institutes to find faculty mentorship.
The Department of Computer Science hosts research-focused seminars presented by students, faculty, and guest lecturers. Learn about the work computer science does to solve complex global problems through transdisciplinary and experiential approaches.
The full schedule of seminars and lectures is updated often.
Study abroad and student exchange
Our students can participate in a variety of programs to expand their understanding of the global aspects of the computer science field. Our department currently offers two study abroad options. Computer science students can also choose to participate in programs offered through other colleges and departments at Virginia Tech, or even other institutions.
CS|Source, the department’s membership-based industry partnership program, seeks to develop lasting relationships with a range of companies that benefit from technological innovation and computer science.
CS|Source offers its industry partners opportunities to connect with our undergraduate and graduate students through career fairs, technical workshops, information sessions, professional panel discussions, tech challenges, and myriad social events.
Information about upcoming workshops, events, career opportunities, and engagements with industry partners are sent out to students on Wednesdays.
Career and Professional Development [CPD] provides Virginia Tech students and recent graduates with an array of career preparation resources and guidance. CPD provides a multitude of resources including professional photos, a professional clothing closet, practical skills for searching, applying, interviewing, and negotiating, in-depth exploration of career pathways as well as frequent workshops and one-on-one career counseling appointments.
Handshake is a resouce provided and managed by Virginia Tech's Career and Professional Development to organize and advertise available career and research opportunities.
Much like CS Job Hub, students will need to create an account, and build their profile to be matched with new and existing opportunities. CPD offers a how-to video to get setup on Handshake.
The LinkedIn Learning training library offers more than 17,000 on-demand courses and learning paths designed to help users gain new skills and knowledge. New content is added weekly to ensure that user needs are met as technology and software rapidly evolve. Selected topics span productivity, multimedia, web and interactive software, and include design principles, digital photography, digital video production, and editing, 3D and animation, audio, print, and web design, mobile app development for Android and iOS, and other development platforms such as Java, HTML5, Javascript, WordPress, CSS, Flash, and Python. Other unique content includes documentaries and shorts on the creative approaches used by various professionals who use these software tools. Additional topics focus on start-up business issues such as entrepreneurialism and business models.
Access is free to current Virginia Tech students and employees when they log in at linkedinlearning.vt.edu using their VT username and passphrase. Users who are logged in to LinkedIn using a personal email address need to log out and log back in using their PID@vt.edu email address to access this free service.
We recognize that career preparation is incomplete with technical interview practice. The Computer Science Department offers technical interview prep workshops led by CS|Source member companies in the fall and spring semesters. There are a myriad of technical prep workshops and courses. As more information about additional opportunities is received, this page will be updated. The Computer Science Department does not guarantee the efficacy of the training opportunities shown below.
CodePath is reprogramming higher education to create the most diverse generation of engineers, CTOs, and founders. We deliver industry-vetted courses and career support centered on the needs of Black, Latino/a, Indigenous, first-generation and low-income students. Our students train with senior engineers, intern at top companies, and rise together to become the tech leaders of tomorrow. CodePath courses, such as the Pathway: Technical Interview Prep, are open to students of all backgrounds, fostering a learning environment where emerging engineers can develop the skills, support, and connections needed to secure the most competitive technical roles.