Second-year courses in the Computer Science program create a common foundation for CS students, and give you an opportunity to build a cohort and community. Visit our page on Completing Second Year Courses for details about how second year courses will prepare you for future CS studies and CS careers, how course assignments are structured to help you learn, and tips for success from instructors and students.
One of the reasons CS is such an exciting field is because of the ways that it interacts with other fields. Explore our information about planning your academic and co-curricular activities to make the most of combining CS with other fields.
Explore CS and related student clubs and organizations, and learn how participating in a club can help you in the CS job search on our Student Clubs & Getting Involved page.
For students entering second year or accepted to the program as an upper-year student, the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) is a primary route to internship and placement opportunities for Computer Science Specialist & Major students.
Students applying to ASIP with a particular interest in leadership may also wish to apply to the Technology Leadership Initiative (TLI). TLI is developed by the Department of Computer Science, and offers industry-integrated classroom learning and tailored leadership training for technologists. Learn more about TLI.
In addition to ASIP and TLI, you might want to explore some additional pathways to job, internship, and other professional opportunities:
U of T's Career Learning Network (CLNx) and Career Education & Exploration
A job board for U of T students is also available on CLNx You can also meet with a Career Education & Exploration advisor for advice about finding other relevant positions, whether they are posted publicly or identified through professional networks or other approaches. Services offered by the Career Education & Exploration office include:
Career Start and Career Navigator, for self-directed career exploration
Conferences, including Next Steps and Working for Change, and job and further education fairs, and on-campus recruitment sessions
Computer Science Job & Professional Opportunities Resources
The Computer Science department maintains a Jobs & Professional Opportunities board. We post paid and volunteer work opportunities, as well as professional opportunities like conferences and competitions. Computer Science program students and program alumni can also watch for postings made by our alumni on CompSci Connect.
We have collected some additional opportunities on our Mentorship, Work, Research & Project Opportunities page. Highlights include an alumni mentorship program, "Backpack to Briefcase" events with alumni panelists, and other grad school and career workshops offered throughout the year.
Research and applied projects are great opportunities to expand and apply your Computer Science knowledge and skills. There are several research opportunities available to second-year students (and also, in some cases, to upper-year students), including Preparation for Research through Immersion, Skills, and Mentorship (PRISM), Research Opportunity Program (ROP), and the Undergraduate Summer Research Program.
In addition to these formal research opportunities, you’ll have the chance to apply your learning through collaborative group projects in courses like CSC207H and others, or through co-curricular learning, like hackathons or programming competitions (see Student Clubs & Getting Involved for opportunities).
Details about these and other research opportunities are available on our Mentorship, Work & Research Opportunities page.
There’s lots to look forward to as you move through your Computer Science or Data Science program. While these opportunities are available to upper year students, knowing that they’re on the horizon can help you with your planning.
Participate in the department’s alumni mentorship program
Be a peer mentor for first- and second-year learning communities
Enrol in a 400-level project or research course
Pursue a program Focus, an optional collection of courses exploring a particular area in CS, like AI, game design, or theory of computation
Keep an eye on job and professional development opportunities (like hackathons, conferences, and job fairs) on the CS Job & Professional Opportunities board
Read the CS undergraduate newsletters and Quercus announcements for information about upcoming events and opportunities
There are many resources and supports within the department and across U of T to help you with course and program planning, academic support in CS courses, and personal and financial concerns. If you’re not sure who to connect with, please reach out to us at cs.undergrad@utoronto.ca and we’ll connect you with whatever resources you need!