In an increasingly competitive global society, today’s graduates must possess more than superior academic knowledge and a desire to succeed. They also must gain hands-on experience in the marketplace.
To support students in their development of this crucial aspect of professional success, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar offers Connections. This program is designed to build long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships with local businesses. Through these partnerships, students will gain practical workplace skills and employers will contribute to shaping the future business leaders of Qatar.
Our Connections team is poised to work closely with local employers to develop the right internship opportunities for our students. The internship, usually a short-term paid or unpaid employment assignment during the summer recess, offers a structured learning experience in a professional work environment. This first-hand experience will give students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations.
Carnegie Mellon students are known for innovative thinking, team work and problem solving. Employers participating in Connections benefit from these skills as well as the enthusiasm and energy of our students.
How Employers Benefit
Connections offers talented students to contribute to your organization with new work ideas, cutting-edge business theory and unlimited energy. By providing additional support to your workforce, our students will enable you to accomplish your organizational goals and missions.
Employing Carnegie Mellon in Qatar undergraduate offers:
- Access to a highly talented pool of motivated and intelligent candidates
- An effective low-risk evaluation and training ground for prospective employees
- A chance to evaluate a student’s skills, work ethics and assimilation into your organization’s culture
- The prospect of hiring a full-time, pre-screened graduate already familiar with the specific needs of your organization
- The opportunity to complete special assignments and projects without over-burdening your existing staff
- The chance for your company to benefit from new perspectives, ideas and theories
- An opportunity to support the values and mission of Qatar Foundation
How We Help
The Office of Professional Development and International Education will work closely with potential employers interested in our students. Our staff will act as guides and facilitators to ensure a smooth internship period for both student and employer. This will assist in satisfying the needs of both you and our students, while at the same time establishing a positive and professional relationship based on collaboration.
Carnegie Mellon in Qatar’s Connections conducts ongoing outreach efforts informing students of the importance career-related experience can have on their future. Our program includes:
- Career days
- Seminars for prospective students
- Advertising vacant positions on Carnegie Mellon’s Web site
- First-stage screening of potential candidates
- Web site access
- A co-coordinator to build a company internship program
We consider you an integral and important partner in this effort.
The Business Program
Carnegie Mellon consistently ranks as one of the top ten undergraduate business programs in the United States. This same standard of academic excellence is followed here in Qatar. While in school our business students explore the fundamental scientific processes underlying management decisions as well as the areas in which managers function. Students complete a core business curriculum that analyzes all of the major business functional areas including:
- Entrepreneurship
- Accounting
- Finance
- Marketing
- Production
- Economics
- Statistics
- Management information systems
The core curriculum is spread across multiple administrative functional areas, so students may excel in leadership positions. After completing the core curriculum requirement, students may pursue concentrations in one of the business functional areas. Upon completion of the four-year curriculum, students receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in business administration.
Our business administration graduates are among the mostly highly sought after young professionals in the world. They work around the globe with companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Co., and ExxonMobil.
The Computer Science Program
In 1965, long before computer science evolved as an academic discipline at other universities, Carnegie Mellon established one of the first computer science degree programs. The university’s pioneering efforts include:
- The science of artificial intelligence
- The science of software engineering
- Robotic science
- Creating the first distributed computer environment– now the model for the World Wide Web
- Creating the first Internet search engine – LYCOS was the first universal Web catalog
- and searcher
Now, four decades later, our computer science students are revolutionizing all aspects of the business. Upon completion of the four-year program, students receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Science.
Carnegie Mellon’s record of innovation and success in computer science is tied to the university’s ability to attract major research funding from corporations and governments throughout the world. Carnegie Mellon already offers a robotics lab in Qatar. And the School of Computer Science will work closely with future tenants in the Qatar Science and Technology Park, a knowledge transfer center. This jointure ensures Carnegie Mellon in Qatar students are ready to hit the ground running in your business.
Microsoft Corporation is the number one professional recruiter of our computer science graduates and leading companies such as BAE Systems, Amazon.com, Intel, Lockheed Martin, GlaxoSmithKline and IBM regularly compete for our graduates.
Getting Started
Beginning an internship program at your business is a straightforward and easy process, and one we can help with every step of the way. Once you decide you would like to participate in Connections, contact our office. We will discuss your needs and arrange for you to interview a selection of students best suited to fill them.
When planning an internship, it is beneficial to have a structured program outlined in advance. Our experience suggests you:
Before the internship:
- Hold an orientation
- Discuss your company’s mission, goals and structure
- Relay information on policies and procedures
- Outline a job description
- Generate a learning agreement (similar to an employee contract)
- Assign a mentor to your intern
- Give a tour of your office
During the internship:
- Provide feedback
- Meet regularly with your intern to assess his or her progress
- Offer advice and reinforcement
- Consult with us on the progress of your student intern
At the conclusion of the internship:
- Discuss if goals were met
- Highlight successes of your intern’s work
- Review challenges your intern was faced with and how they were handled
- Complete Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s survey
Our Business Administration students have been offered internships or employment with:
- Al Fardan Group
- Al Khaliji Bank
- Deloitte
- Doha Bank
- ExxonMobil
- KPMG
- Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority
- Qtel
- RasGas
Our Computer Science students have been offered internships or employment with:
- Cisco
- ConocoPhilips
- Dolphin Energy
- General Electric
- Hewlett Packard
- Horizons
- Microsoft
- Qatar Petroleum
- Sidra Medical & Research Center
Our Information Systems students may be offered internships or employment with:
- Accenture
- Ernst & Young
- Goldman Sachs
- IBM Consulting
- Microsoft
- McKinsey & Company
- Yahoo
For more information visit: http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/studentaffairs/professionaldev
