Qualcomm Institute, University of California San Diego

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General Information

Overview

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) affect 1 out of 59 individuals, cost $137 billion per year in the U.S., and result in a staggering unemployment rate for adults who have the cognitive skills to contribute substantially to the technology workforce.

Over the course of 8-9 weeks, our interns work in teams as programmers, project managers, artists, and designers with the aid of a peer coach to develop an educational or research-based video game. Each team will start with a concept from a client and develop the game to production by fostering a stakeholder relationship with the client. The teams are also supported by professional mentors from the video game industry, including Ubisoft, and interns participate in weekly Lunch and Learn events. At the end of the program, interns present their achievements to the community, including industry partners and advocates, during a showcase event.

Our goal is to provide comprehensive workplace training in a supportive environment to enable individuals to thrive in tech occupations.

Summer 2024 Internship Program

Each year we engage a group of 15 to 25 individuals who are underrepresented in the tech workforce–individuals with developmental disorders, specifically autism spectrum disorders. This includes those who are either preparing to enroll, are currently enrolled, have graduated from 2- to 4-year college or post-secondary training school, or are otherwise seeking employment.

The primary criteria for admission are:

  • A strong interest in video game design or development applied to educational or research settings.
  • A longstanding personal understanding of autism spectrum disorders or living with neurodiverse conditions.
  • Must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent/GED by the start of the internship (June 24th).
  • Availability to work in-person and commute to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) for the duration of the internship, spanning from June 24th to August 23rd.

We are interested in eager, motivated learners with a wide range of skills and abilities. Candidates will be selected based on qualifications and interest in the program. 

  • Interns working in a morning group work Monday, Wednesday, Friday (MWF) from 8 to 12 and Tuesday, Thursday (TuTh) from 8 to 1 (total 22 hours per week). 
  • Interns working in an afternoon group work MWF 1-5 and TuTh 12-5 (total 22 hours per week).
  • Program does not operate on July 4th & 5th, so the total number of hours is 189.
  • Total stipend is $3,500.
  • The lunchtime hours are intended for professional development workshops and QA test sessions  twice a week (2 hours a week) where both morning and afternoon groups will be present.

Please note that this internship will not cover transportation and housing costs

Interns will be expected to:

  • Engage in their assigned role and their team to make a unique, reasearch/educational project.
  • Be willing to learn, communicate, and engage in constructive collaboration with their interdisciplinary team, their coach, other members of the internship, and their stakeholders.
  • Work roughly half-time in a professional environment.
  • Attend and report during daily team meetings, biweekly stakeholder meetings, Lunch & Learn events, and a final showcase to demonstrate the culmination of their project work.
  • Participate as needed in project testing and quality assurance to ensure that features are working as intended according to the stakeholder specifications and design limitations.

Interns will gain:

  • Experience in project-based work, allowing teams to gain knowledge of standard tech workplace practices and procedures.
  • Productivity skills include time management, focused note-taking, and effective communication.
  • Strengthened technical skills and exposure to workplace etiquette and expectations.
  • Proficiency in constructing a resume and using network-building tools such as LinkedIn.
  • Specific skills and familiarity related to different aspects of video game design and development.

For Summer 2023, interns learned the following standard workplace tools (although in some years the internship uses other common tools, such as Unreal Engine or Slack):

On-Campus & Off Campus Housing Resources

It is important to the success of all interns to be living in the San Diego area for the duration of the 9 week program. While many interns are from the San Diego area and do not need to find housing, some interns may be interested in obtaining on campus or off campus housing. While the NDTech internship program does not provide, pay for, or guarantee the availability of on-campus housing, there are resources available that our program may be able to assist with. 

Below are the options that past interns have had success with:

This program allows for interns to sublease housing from UCSD graduate students for the duration of the program. 

The cost range for the 2023 subleases was between $950-$1300/month, although the cost for the 2024 summer is unknown at this time. 

Contact the Program Coordinator or contact the graduate housing directly at 858-534-4723 or at gradfamilyhousing@ucsd.edu if this option seems right for you.

UCSD Summer Intern Housing

This option allows students to stay in a single occupancy bedroom in a shared apartment (max of 4 people per apartment) for $62/night (estimated $3,472 for program duration)

Contact the Program Coordinator or contact the Summer Housing Program Directly at summerinternhousing@ucsd.edu if this option seems right for you.   

Interns can also look at the off campus housing options found on the UCSD student off campus Housing facebook page. 

Costs for this housing option vary and will be the responsibility of the intern and their family to make these arrangements.

Please contact Emmet Ng, the Program Coordinator, with any questions at emmetkng@gmail.com

For any questions about the internship, please contact pcosman@ucsd.edu or emmetkng@gmail.com

Covid-19 Policy

Interns will be expected to abide by the applicable safety and public health rules at the time of the internship. Because of the changing nature of the pandemic, these rules might include university rules on wearing a mask or on undergoing regular testing for Covid.

For more information, visit https://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/resources/public-health/covid-19/index.html.

Neurodiversity in Tech, Qualcomm Institute

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