Policies and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Summer Training
The application process for summer internships consists of two stages:
This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about internships.
It is important that the questions are directed to the correct people. That is:
- If you have a question regarding the requirements by the CS Department
(as explained in our guidelines document) or the procedure for having a
new company approved for an internship (as explained below), these questions
should be directed to the CS Department coordinators by using the email
address staj[at]cs.bilkent.edu.tr.
- If you have a question regarding the procedure for entering your internship
details in the mfstaj system or regarding the administrative details such as
starting dates, acceptance letters, insurance forms, specific details regarding
this particular year, and any other related documents or paperwork, you should
contact the Dean's Office by using the email address mfstaj[at]bilkent.edu.tr.
Please read the following pages and documents first:
- CS Department links
- Dean's Office links
GenAI Policy:
If students use content generated by AI tools in their reports, they must provide appropriate attribution to the AI system and any human contributors. They should not submit reports which include AI-generated content without giving proper attribution to avoid academic misconduct. They should learn how to cite the content generated by AI tools correctly. Maintaining comprehensive records of the usage methods and rationales behind GenAI tools will contribute to transparency and accountability in students’ academic lives. When using AI-generated information, it is crucial to critically assess its accuracy and credibility. In summary:
Students are responsible for the correctness of the information written in their summer training reports;
Copying text verbatim from GenAI tools is prohibited;
If GenAI tools are used, they must be appropriately cited in the report.
You can find answers to most questions about summer training (ST) below.
Is remote internship allowed?
Out of your two internships, remote internship is allowed for one of them only if the internship position is based outside of Turkiye.
Otherwise, remote/online/hybrid internship is NOT allowed this summer.
How can I add a new company to the STS database?
- You must create a new entry in the
STS database and add all the required information about the company (in Justification for Approval box).
Do NOT send an email, use the STS!
Make sure that there is no duplicate entry. If the company is approved for
another department, you do not need to make a new entry; however, you need to
follow the remaining steps below to get that company approved for the CS
Department.
- You must submit the information explained below in Justification for Approval box during your STS company approval application. Then the coordinators will review the
information and will decide to approve or disapprove the proposed STS entry.
The coordinator may require additional information. Please make sure you
provide the complete information and required details in your first
request.
- Information to submit:
- What is the name of the company, phone number, postal address and web address?
- Is the company doing computer engineering work? Explain.
- Will your supervisor be a person with a computer engineering degree? Explain.
- Will the tasks that will be assigned to you satisfy the Performance Criteria
listed in this document?
Explain.
The word "Explain" in any question above means that you are really required
to explain. For example, simply writing "The tasks will satisfy the Performance
Criteria" will not be accepted as an answer. You need to talk to the company
and get information about how the internship they are planning will satisfy
these criteria.
- Once the company is approved in the system, the rest of the
process will be handled by the Dean's Office. Thus, if you have any
questions about the remaining procedure, you should contact the Dean's
Office directly.
- Note that the approval for the company and the application to the Dean's
Office must be done before you start any internship. We cannot make any
exceptions for internships that were arranged for past dates. Make sure that
you are aware of the deadlines announced by the Dean's Office.
Can I do two Summer Trainings in one summer?
Only one ST can be done per summer: either CS299 or CS399, but not both.
But in some special cases, an exception may be granted and two STs can
be done in one summer. If you need to do two internships in the same summer
(for example you could not pass CS202 before the last summer and could not
do the training that summer, but you can graduate before the next summer if
you do two training this summer), you need to write a petition letter to the
department and describe your legitimate reason to request approval for two
internships.
Note that you must explain why you need to do two trainings in the same summer.
You must also provide a legitimate reason about why you could not do the
CS299 training in the previous summer.
Send this letter to staj[at]cs.bilkent.edu.tr together with records of your
transcript and your curriculum list (downloaded from the SRS system). If
your request is approved, it will be forwarded to the Dean's Office.
They will help you with the rest of the process. Thus, once you receive
confirmation that your request was approved by the CS Department coordinators,
you need to contact the Dean's Office for the rest of the process.
Can I do a Summer Training before passing CS 202?
Passing CS 202 is a prerequisite for taking CS 299. Thus, you cannot apply
for or do an internship without passing CS 202. There is no exception to this.
If you are taking CS 202 in the summer semester and want to start the
arrangements for your ST before the announcement of the letter grades,
you can do so by asking the CS 202 instructor to send an email to the Dean's
Office indicating your possibility of passing CS 202 in the summer school.
Then, the Dean's Office may decide to initiate your application process
and start handling your paperwork. However, you still cannot arrange an
internship that starts before the official announcement of the letter grades.
Can I do a Summer Training and simultaneously register for CS 399
during the summer school?
If you are planning to graduate by the end of this summer semester,
you need to register for CS 399 in the summer school, complete your
internship, submit your report, and have it evaluated by a faculty
member. This needs to be finished before the fall semester starts. Note
that you may have to get an incomplete grade if this process cannot be
completed during the summer school. This incomplete grade needs to
be converted to a passing grade before the fall semester starts.
Normally, you register for CS 299 and/or CS 399 during the first semester
(that is the Fall semester) after your internship. Registration for CS 399
(and maybe simultaneously for CS 299) during the summer semester applies
only to those that are trying to graduate in that summer semester.
I did two internships in one summer. How can I register for both CS 299
and CS 399 in the fall semester?
If you got official permission to do two internships in the same summer,
the Dean's Office will help you register for CS 399 simultaneously with
CS 299 in the fall semester.
Can I do two Summer Trainings in the same place?
CS299 and CS399 must be done in two different companies - doing them
in the same company is not allowed. This means that, for example, doing
CS299 and CS399 in two different branches of a company (like TUBITAK) or
different departments of a company (like ASELSAN) is not allowed.
One purpose of ST is to get perspective and experience outside the
university. You should see the working world, experience real-life
projects, etc. Just writing code is not the aim. Seeing and working with
two different sets of people, environments, organizations, teams,
management, polices, products and services, etc. is important.
Can I do an academic Summer Training?
Doing an academic ST (for example at a university or research institution)
is only allowed if the position is abroad - and you can only conduct one of your internships abroad.
Can I do a Summer Training during the winter break?
Doing ST in the winter is not allowed. One exception is for a
student that will finish all courses at the end of the Fall semester,
and for some legitimate reason could not do both required STs earlier.
Then such a student can do ST in January.
Another exception is when a student goes to an exchange program that starts
later in spring and lasts during the summer. If there is sufficient time
between the ending date of the fall semester at Bilkent and the starting
date of the exchange program in spring, the student may be allowed to do
an internship during this break.
Can I do my ST for longer than 4 weeks (20 working days)?
Yes you can. The minimum is 20 days, but longer work experiences are
often better. Doing more than 4 weeks is optional, but it is encouraged.
The University can provide health insurance. Consult the Dean's Office
for details.
Can I do a summer internship which is not CS299 or CS399?
Yes you can do this. Such a voluntary internship is completely up to
you. Of course, it would be in addition to the required CS299 and CS399.
You can do such an internship whenever you like, even in a summer when
you also do your mandatory ST. In some cases, the University can even
provide a health insurance for this voluntary internship. Consult the
Dean's Office for details.
When is the earliest date that I can start my summer training?
Normally, you can start the ST after the final exams and submission of grades
for the spring semester. Consult the Dean's Office for the exact date.
When is the latest date that I can finish my summer training?
Normally, you must finish the ST before the first day of classes in the
Fall semester. Consult the Dean's Office for the exact date.
Who should contact I regarding the ST insurance forms?
The insurance forms are prepared by the Dean's Office and are distributed by
the department's administrative assistant. Please contact them if you have
any questions about insurance.
What do I need to submit after my internship ends?
You should submit your summer training report to the CS Department.
Please follow the guidelines and deadlines announced by the Department.
Your supervisor from the company should send the Training Evaluation Form
(Staj Degerlendirme Formu) to the Dean's Office. This form must have been
given to you after your application to the STS was accepted and
processed by the Dean's Office. This is the only form that needs to be
sent in addition to the summer training report.
If you still have a question that is not answered above, contact the
CS Department summer training coordinators at staj[at]cs.bilkent.edu.tr for
department related questions and the Dean's Office at mfstaj[at]bilkent.edu.tr
for questions regarding the topics handled by them. Make sure that you ask
the right question to the right people so that you can get a correct answer.
Also make sure that you use the email addresses given above to direct
your questions. Please do not send separate emails to individual people.