The Computer Science Department at SFSU is committed to supporting students in their professional development. This page provides a comprehensive list of internship and job opportunities, career preparation resources, and hands-on training programs to help students gain industry experience and build their careers. Explore the resources below to find opportunities that align with your career goals.
Not sure where to start? The Career Services & Professional Development Center (CSPD) supports students in navigating their career paths through advising.
Job Search & Interview Resources
Handshake
Connect with employers looking for SFSU students and access exclusive on-campus and off-campus job listings.
Learn how to build your professional network, showcase your skills, and find job and internship opportunities in tech.
CS Job Boards
Explore job boards tailored for computer science roles, from software engineering to AI and cybersecurity.
Prepare for Your Interview
On top of preparing for behavioral interviews, technical interviews are a key part of landing a job in computer science, often requiring candidates to solve coding problems in real time. To prepare, you can practice coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeSignal, which offer problems similar to those asked by major tech companies. Explore how to ace your interview below, and get practice with coding challenges.
Big Interview
Use Big Interview to learn and practice your interview skills, whether you’re interviewing for a job or graduate school. When preparing for a job interview, it's not enough to only read advice — you need to put that advice into practice! That's why Big Interview isn't just a training course. You'll also get hands-on practice with mock interviews tailored to your specific industry, job and experience level.
Build Your Experience
There are many valuable ways to gain experience outside of traditional roles. Explore opportunities like workshops, industry sponsored programs, and personal projects that showcase your abilities. These experiences can help you develop key skills, grow your network, and stand out in your career journey.
Google Summer of Code
Google Summer of Code is a global, online program focused on bringing new contributors into open source software development. GSoC Contributors work with an open source organization on a 12+ week programming project under the guidance of mentors.
CTI Accelerate
Hosted by CSU Monterey, students can enhance their portfolios by contributing to open-source projects, working in teams under industry mentor guidance to develop professional-quality solutions.
NSF I-Corps Training
The Bay Area I-Corps Program helps students and researchers turn innovative ideas into marketable products through entrepreneurship training and mentorship.
Hackathons
Hackathons are a fun and exciting way to learn new skills, meet peers, and boost your portfolio. You'll get to work with other students, tackle real-world challenges, and build creative solutions — all in a fast-paced, hands-on environment. Plus, many hackathons offer prizes, mentorship, and great networking opportunities, making them a great way to gain experience and stand out to future employers.
2025 Hackathons:
- TreeHacks: Stanford University's premier hackathon, TreeHacks 2025, is scheduled for February 14-16, 2025, offering participants 36 hours to develop solutions to global challenges across various sectors.
- HackHayward: Hosted at California State University, East Bay, on March 1-2, 2025, HackHayward is the first collegiate hackathon in the Hayward area, expecting over 250 participants to tackle real-world challenges.
- SF Hacks: Scheduled for April 4-6, 2025, at San Francisco State University's Annex 1, SF Hacks 2025 promises to be bigger and better, offering participants opportunities to collaborate and innovate.
- UC Berkeley AI Hackathon: Taking place on June 21-22, 2025, this event invites participants to engage in AI-focused projects, with mentorship and judging opportunities available.
- CalHacks 11.0: Co-hosted by Google and Fetch.ai, CalHacks 11.0 is set for October 3-5, 2025, in San Francisco, bringing together student hackers for a weekend of innovation and collaboration.
Fellowships & Research Programs
Google STEP (Student Training in Engineering Program) - A 12-week summer internship program for first and second-year undergraduate students with a passion for computer science, focusing on providing exposure to software engineering and professional development.
Microsoft Explore - A 12-week summer internship program specifically designed for first and second-year college students, offering a rotational experience to gain exposure to different software engineering roles, including Software Development Engineer (SDE) and Program Manager (PM).
Kleiner Perkins - Connects students with opportunities to work with innovative companies, offering deep technical skill development and mentorship from executives through internships at portfolio companies.
Formation Fellowship - Offers personalized mentorship and training to help aspiring software engineers from diverse backgrounds bridge the gap between education and a successful tech career.
Google Tech Exchange - This program provides students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) with the opportunity to spend a semester at Google's campus, engaging in computer science coursework and professional development.
MLT Career Prep - Management Leadership for Tomorrow's Career Prep program equips Black, Latinx, and Native American college students with the skills, coaching, and connections necessary for career success in various industries, including tech.
Rewriting the Code (RTC) - A nonprofit organization that empowers women in tech globally by providing support, mentorship, and education to help pave the way for sustainable careers, professional advancement, and equal opportunities.
ColorStack - A nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting minority students in computer science through mentorship, academic advising, and career development opportunities, aiming to improve diversity in computing.
Uber Career Prep - A seven-month fellowship program emphasizing technical growth, mentorship, and professional development, designed to prepare students from underrepresented backgrounds for careers in software engineering.
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) - Supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any area of research funded by the National Science Foundation, involving students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in projects specifically designed for the REU program.
F-1 Students Opportunities
OIP Information for International Students
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
Purpose: CPT is a program that allows temporary employment authorization for International students in F-1 Student visa status. CPT is an alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education or other type of required practicum that a sponsoring employer offers through cooperative agreements with your college or university. CPT is only available for F-1 students when it is part of an established curriculum within a school. CPT must be integral to your program of study.
Length: CPT is semester based. CPT will begin no earlier than the first day of instruction and must end no later than the last day of final exams for the semester. Please note the process on average can take up to 10 working days.
Eligibility:
- GPA >= 2.0 for undergraduate students; GPA >= 3.0 for Graduate Students
- Good academic standing, student must not be in probation at the time CPT is required
- Valid F-1 status
- Enrolled full-time. Minimum 12 units for undergraduate students or 8 units for graduate students. Waitlisted classes will not be counted towards full time requirement.
- Fulfilled one year full-time requirement. You must have been enrolled full-time for at least one full academic year prior to submitting a CPT application. One year full-time enrollment may be fulfilled at SF State, a previous university, or between multiple universities
- Internship offer letter from employer
- Enrollment in CSC 694 (for undergrads, Cooperative Education) or CSC 893 (for graduate students, Supervised Industrial Research) in the same semester in which you are employed
Please note: Graduate students enrolled in Culminating Experience courses must have their committee chair send an email to Professor Shah Rukh Humayoun approving the request for CSC 893 enrollment.
CSC 694 and CSC 893 can be taken for 1 unit, up to three times total, and cannot be used as an elective or to fulfill minimum course load requirements. CS Department requirements are in addition to any requirements dictated OIP
The Department does not support students to take a full-time internship during the academic semester.
Students who qualify for CPT are eligible to work full time in the Summer semester.
Summer CPT applicants will follow the same steps as required for Fall/Spring CPT.
OPT/CPT - for International Students Only
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
Practical training is very valuable for all students’ educational experience. International students need to get proper permits to get external jobs. This program (OPT and CPT) allows them to work during their time as a full-time student (working part-time in Fall/Spring and full-time in the Summer) in what is called the Curricular Practical Training (CPT). For details on how to obtain the CPT permit, visit: Masters Culminating Experience. After graduating with a B.S. or M.S. degree, students can work under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) Program
In both cases, students must work with the SF State Office of International Program (OIP) and with the CS faculty. It is the responsibility of the student to look for and secure jobs as well as following these rules - failure to follow rules for CPT/OPT may result in loss of student visa privileges.
Undergraduate Students
Student must be very close to graduation, please speak with Professor Shah Rukh Humayoun.
Graduate Students
OPT is applied when student is about 95% finished with his/her culminating experience work or later. To participate in OPT the student must follow the following steps once he/she obtains the job offer:
- Student’s mentor and CS Chair determines if 95% or more of culminating experience work has been completed and has signed the necessary OIP forms.
- Student visits the SF State Office of International Program (OIP) to get necessary permissions.