Internship and Deep Dive
Internship
The program requires students to participate in a 240-hour internship. It represents a significant investment of time and a significant opportunity to gain targeted, real-world experience in a setting that matches where students want to go.
Students are placed individually, not as a cohort. Program faculty work with each student to identify a site that aligns with their professional background and future goals. Internship placements can take place in a range of settings, including:
- Hospital and rehabilitation systems
- Outpatient AT clinics
- School settings
- Community organizations
- Device manufacturers and suppliers
- Start-ups and industry partners
For some students, the right placement is a clinical setting where they can deepen practice in a specific population or technology area; for others, it is an opportunity to work alongside an organization they hope to join after graduation, or to explore a sector they have not worked in but want to understand before making a career move.
The right fit depends on the right conversation. The program encourages students to reach out early in the program, ideally before the internship term, to discuss the type of setting and role they are most interested in. The program maintains partnerships with a range of sites and actively work to expand that network when a student’s interests point toward a placement we have not used before.
Deep Dive Immersions
The Deep Dive is an in-person immersion that walks students through each area of assistive technology in a real-world setting with clients. Students will be required to attend a hands-on lab in Pittsburgh over one to two days during the fall and spring terms. Students explore everything from computer access and mobility technologies to adaptive driving equipment.
What to Expect
Students work with their peers in stations facilitated by faculty who have dual roles in providing assistive technology to clients. Students typically can arrive on Thursday night or early Friday morning to participate in a full-day session on Friday and a half day on Saturday, allowing them to either spend a few days in Pittsburgh (there’s a lot to offer around campus and town!) or just spend one night. To make the most of the students’ in-person time, in the fall, the program coordinates the Deep Dive with an optional ‘Professional Pledge’, a ceremony that includes a keynote speaker where students commit to upholding the ethical and moral standards of the rehabilitation technology field.
Housing Considerations for Visiting Pittsburgh
Costs of housing and day-to-day living needs and expenses are the responsibility of the student during these Deep Dive immersion sessions.
If students choose to complete the program while living in Pittsburgh, please note that Pitt does not offer graduate housing or housing options for this portion of the program. Graduate students live off campus in surrounding communities.