COLLEGE RECRUITING
Student Programs
MIT Lincoln Laboratory participates in a variety of programs through which students gain research experience or investigate career paths in engineering, technology, science, or math. Under some programs, students fulfill an academic requirement, while other programs support thesis work at specific universities or offer paid internships at the Laboratory. Often, a student's experience at the Laboratory evolves into post-graduation employment.
Summer Research Program
Lincoln Laboratory offers undergraduate and graduate students the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a leading-edge research environment. Program participants contribute to projects and gain experience that complements their courses of study. Opportunities exist in fields such as communications systems, sensor and radar data analysis, digital signal processing, laser and electro-optical systems, solid-state electronics, software engineering, and scientific programming. Each summer, the Laboratory hires, on average, approximately 100 paid interns from top universities.
Students interested in the Summer Research Program can find more information and application details on the program's webpage.
University Cooperative Education Students
Under the supervision of Pablo Hopman of the Advanced Space Systems and Concepts Group, MIT co-op student Richard Sinn is developing readout electronics for an imaging video system.Technical groups at Lincoln Laboratory employ students from MIT, Northeastern University, and other area colleges as co-ops working full time with mentors during the summer or work/study semesters and part time during academic terms. Co-ops participate in building prototypes, help solve problems, assist in research activities, and test applications in the field.
The program introduces students to careers in research and development, and provides them with professional experience. Highly qualified students selected as co-ops become significant contributors to Lincoln Laboratory project teams and often are invited to return for subsequent internships.
MIT VI-A Master of Engineering Thesis Program
Lincoln Laboratory is an industry partner of MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science VI-A Master of Engineering Thesis Program, which matches industry mentors with undergraduate students who have demonstrated excellent academic preparation and motivation.
John Stueve of the Advanced Capabilities and Systems Group and VI-A student Hana Adinaya test drives on a recording testbed.The VI-A students selected to work at Lincoln Laboratory acquire experience in testing, design, development, research, programming, and project planning. Students in the VI-A program spend two summers as paid interns, participating in projects related to their fields. Then, the students move on to developing their master of engineering theses under the supervision of both Laboratory engineers and MIT faculty.
At the conclusion of each of their summer employments and their thesis work at Lincoln Laboratory, VI-A students are asked to give a presentation on the results of their projects. Past projects have included micromotion technologies, biologically inspired matrix classification, development of a radar tracking system, and an Earth image simulation and tracking system.
MIT students interested in more information on the VI-A Master of Engineering Thesis Program should visit the program's website.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Major Qualifying Project Program
Lincoln Laboratory collaborates with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in its Major Qualifying Project (MQP) program, which requires students to complete an undergraduate project equivalent to a senior thesis. The MQP demonstrates the application of skills, methods, and knowledge to the solution of a problem representative of the type encountered in industry. MQP activities encompass research and development, as well as the practical application of principles and technology to real problems.
Seniors from WPI perform structural analysis for vibration testing with Ron Efromson, their Lincoln Laboratory mentor in the Aerospace Engineering Group.Students participating in the program spend nine weeks during the fall term working work on their projects full time at Lincoln Laboratory. They create a thesis-like document detailing their MQP work. Their work at the Laboratory culminates in a project presentation before their sponsors, WPI faculty, and the Laboratory community.
Students working at Lincoln Laboratory are typically majoring in aerospace engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, or physics.
Information about current and past MQPs at Lincoln Laboratory ›
WPI students interested in doing an MQP at Lincoln Laboratory should contact the Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division (IGSD) or Professor Ted Clancy in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at WPI for details on how to apply.
Graduate Fellowship Program
Lincoln Laboratory offers a limited number of graduate fellowships to science and engineering students pursuing MS or PhD degrees at partner universities. The fellowship program awards funds to support a Fellow’s stipend, supplement a graduate assistantship, or subsidize other direct research expenses during the final phases of students’ thesis research. The Laboratory began this program in 2002 in collaboration with five schools. Today, the Laboratory offers fellowships at eleven schools: The Ohio State University, Brigham Young University, Washington University–St. Louis, Clemson University, University of Michigan, North Carolina State University, University of Washington, New Mexico State University, University of Illinois, University of Colorado, and MIT.
Undergraduate Diversity Awards
Lincoln Laboratory established the Undergraduate Diversity Awards to expand opportunities for women and minorities pursuing bachelor’s degrees in engineering and science. The award, as determined by the recipient's college, is typically in the form of tuition assistance, support for technical paper presentations, or funds for independent research projects. The participating schools are Bryn Mawr College, Howard University, Mount Holyoke College, New Mexico State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, Smith College, Spelman College, Stevens Institute of Technology, the University of Puerto Rico, and Wellesley College.
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