As students prepare to pursue new opportunities with potential employers, it is essential to showcase their technical abilities as well as transferable skills from academic and professional experiences.
Side projects act as a reliable measure for employers to assess hard technical skills and soft skills such as time management, effective communication, collaboration, creativity — and more!
To give students an opportunity to develop side project experience, Penn Engineering Online launched SPARC (Side Projects for Advancement, Refinement, and Collaboration) in 2021. SPARC is an annual summer side project competition that provides an opportunity for online graduate students in the MCIT Online (online Master of Computer and Information Technology) degree program to work in teams and utilize their programming skills outside of class to develop unique side projects.
“I decided to participate in SPARC this summer because it offers a unique opportunity to deepen my technical skills while exploring new areas of development. I’m excited to expand into iOS development with Swift and learn how to integrate AI services to create intelligent, user-friendly mobile experiences. As someone graduating in Summer 2026, I’m focused on building a strong foundation for future internships and career opportunities. SPARC gives me a chance to work on a meaningful project, gain hands-on experience in mobile and AI-driven development, and strengthen my resume with practical, portfolio-ready work that reflects both my interests and my growth as a developer.”
“I have learned how to use new software and analytical tools that are standard in my field, which is a significant technical development for me. On a broader level, I have greatly improved my collaboration and time management skills. Working with a team to meet weekly milestones has taught me how to communicate more effectively and manage a project from start to finish.”
“The tools and languages we used in this project align with the job offers I’ve already seen. Therefore, it can help me get a foot in the door at job interviews. Looking back, it also gives me a very solid pool of topics to derive from during interviews, both for behavioral questions as well as technical ones. ”
“I gained a deeper understanding of how the front end and back end of a program interact, as well as how to design with user experience and user interface principles in mind.”
What is SPARC?
MCIT Online students participating in SPARC work in teams of 3 – 4 to exercise their creativity and cooperation while expanding their technical skillset and building a meaningful asset that can be utilized in their job search.
Projects produced during SPARC can take many forms, but all projects should rely on programming and coding skills. Students can propose a website, mobile app, dashboard, database, etc. The best projects allow team members to practice existing skills AND build new skills. Teams utilize productive communication and collaboration throughout the duration of the project.
At the end of the competition, each team submits a technical design document and a video demo to exemplify the project they developed. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of judges who award prizes to the members of a winning team. This year, prizes include financial compensation to be utilized for professional development opportunities including conference registration and interview training resources.
Who participates in SPARC?
SPARC is overseen by the Career Services team. Penn Engineering Online is proud to offer students the support of a dedicated Professional Development and Networking staff, provide students and alumni with access to resources including virtual career advising, skills development opportunities, networking, virtual career fairs, employer site visits and more.
The SPARC competition is open to students in the MCIT Online program who are actively enrolled in a course(s) during the Spring and / or Summer semesters.
A panel of SPARC judges is selected each year. The 2025 judges will feature Penn Engineering Alumni technologists.
What types of projects does SPARC produce?
Read about the the most recent 2025 SPARC competition here to explore the types of projects that have been produced by SPARC teams and reflections from participating students.
When does SPARC take place?
SPARC is a 12-week competition that kicks off in May and concludes in August.
Why should students participate?
Not only does the SPARC competition provide an opportunity to for students to win financial prizes, but this program provides invaluable potential for skills development and professional development. Regardless of the competition results, participants finish SPARC with a tangible technical project that can be included on their resume to enhance their skills, experience and hire-ability.
Current MCIT Online students who are seeking information about participating in the SPARC competition can log-in to the Student Knowledge Base to access more detailed information.