Career Launch

Career Launch is focused on women, nonbinary individuals, and other underrepresented groups who are current first- or second-year students at the University of Maryland.

• First- or second-year degree-seeking undergraduates at UMD in Fall 2024 or part of the Freshman Connection program
• Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA (for continuing students)
• Do not receive an early warning grade in fall 2024 computing class(es) (for first-semester students)
• Currently or previously enrolled in at least one computing course (or have received equivalent AP or transfer credit): BMGT 302, CMSC 106, 122, 125, 131 or higher, INST 123, 126 or higher, IMDM 127 or higher, ENME 202 or higher, GEOG 276 or higher, or PHYS 265
• Eligible to work in the United States in January 2025, including at UMD
• Must reside in the United States in January 2025
• Focus on women and nonbinary students and other underrepresented groups in tech, but all students are welcome to apply
• Able to commit to meeting regularly with your group members and supervisors as well as attend required workshops
• Have not previously had a computing-related internship, Sprinternship or job
• Have not previously participated in Career Launch

Career Launch has two components that are ideally completed together—industry mentorship and a project—but students may choose to only complete one part.

Participate free of charge! In fact, Career Launch participants are paid for their time in the program. Completing one part will earn you a $150 stipend. If you complete both parts, you will receive a $300 stipend.

Participation can be entirely virtual—however, participants must reside within the continental U.S. for the length of the program.

To kick off projects, students are divided into groups to decide on the area they want to focus on for three weeks. They are given the liberty to choose any area of technology and any topic of their interest to pursue during the program.