The Integrated Study-Work Programme (ISWP) offers students the opportunity to spend a year in relevant, full-time employment before entering their final year of studies. Also known as a sandwich option, it is open to all students pursuing the BEng(CompSc) degree and BBA(IS)/BEng(CompSc) double degree programmes. Following successful completion of Year 3 (BEng(CompSc)) or Year 4 (BBA(IS)) of their programme, participants enter the IT sector for a period of 6-14 months as full-time interns. Students who take this opportunity gain substantial practical experience - a valuable supplement to their formal education.

Information for Participants

Study-Work provides excellent preparation for your future career. We encourage students to seriously consider the option.

While engaged in your full-time internship, you are effectively on leave of absence from the University. There are a number of implications you should bear in mind:

• You are not permitted to register in HKU courses or projects while participating in the ISWP. You will work under the direction of a supervisor from your employer's organization and will be paid a salary by that organization. Like any employee, you will be required to observe the rules and regulations of the organization.
• ISWP participants cannot live in Hall. You will not be able to receive any scholarship or bursary from the University, nor any grant or loan from the Government (these resume automatically when you return to your studies). You will, however, retain student status, together with access to University library, health, counselling and sports facilities. For this the Finance Office charges a small, non-refundable Registration Fee for the year (at the moment it is 3% of the composition fee).
• If you leave your internship before completing it, or if it is terminated early, we may try to find an alternative placement for you. In the event that an alternative cannot be secured and teaching has already started, you will be granted leave of absence until the beginning of the following semester.

Procedures

Participation in the programme is purely voluntary. Details of 6-12 months internships will be posted on the summerjob newsgroup and Placement Database as we receive them from employers. Typically, opportunities will start popping up on January of each year. Students shall apply directly to the companies concerned and will be invited for interview before being offered a position. Successful applicants will be notified before the end of semester and, if the internship is approved by the Department, will begin work in June or July. The salary paid to the student is determined by the employer in negotiation with the student.

Students are welcome to seek their own internships. As with all placements, these must be approved by the Department to ensure they meet the standards of the programme.

Students may start work before their exam results are published. They must, however, withdraw from the programme if their results are such that they cannot proceed to their final year of studies.

Supervision and Assessment

Students may use their sandwich internship to satisfy the Industrial Training requirement of the BEng(CompSc) degree. The same set of criteria is used to screen and approve the internships. Students have to report to us by updating the placement record once they secured a placement. At the end of the training, they need to submit a Industrial Training report as well as the supervisor's report for assessment.

Any guidance or advice required by students during the sandwich year will be provided by teaching staff of the Department.