Ram Lakshman’s friends crowd around him, saying congratulations and goodbye as he eats his lunch. Ram is leaving for California in 20 minutes, where he’ll be working as an intern for a San Francisco software company. Beaming with confidence, Ram is well-prepared for his future. "I am one hundred per-cent satisfied with the education I received here at Maharishi University of Management," he says. "One hundred percent."

Ram is one of 66 students currently enrolled in the University’s Computer Professionals Co-op Program. This cutting- edge program combines study in a rigorous M.S. in Computer Science pro-gram with high-paying work at U.S. companies such as Microsoft, IBM, AT&T, and other leading information technology (IT) companies.

"They teach you all the right things here," says student Shakila Pothini, who will work alongside Ram in San Francisco. "You learn Java and object-oriented analysis and design—everything that’s hot in the industry. It was very easy for us to get curricular training jobs," she says.

Here’s how it works. Students start with four to eight months of full-time study in master’s level computer science courses on campus at Maharishi University of Management. They receive on-campus housing, meals and a monthly stipend. When this period of study is complete, the University helps to arrange an internship for the students with one of many leading technology companies in the U.S.

This "on-the-job-experience," aver-aging approximately one to two years, is considered Curricular Practical Training and students receive academic credit for it. While interning, students take their remaining degree-requirement courses through part-time distance education for about a year. Students repay their educational costs from their job earnings—so they don’t pay any of their educational costs in advance.

"This is a great program because students gain the education and experience to set their professional careers in a very advanced direction—and all through a self-financing study package," says Greg Guthrie, head of the Department of Computer Science. The program is particularly popular with talented students from developing countries because they return home with state-of-the- art skills.

Maharishi University of Management has job relationships with more than 90 of America’s top technology companies, but students can apply to work at any U.S. company and for any IT job. Students’ salaries vary according to their skills and previous experience, but candidates typically earn up to $70,000 in their first year. To date, 100 percent of the students have been hired by U.S. technology companies.

Yuling Li, a recent graduate of the program, currently works as an application developer at IXL, a website consulting company in LA. She says, "Studying computer science at Maharishi University of Management was one of the best things that happened in my life." In addition to learning all the "updated technology" during her on-campus studies, Yuling was also taught the Transcendental Meditation technique. "After moving to the big city, you really notice a difference," she says, "With TM, you can work more efficiently and release all your stresses."

Interested in applying, or know a computer professional who might be? E-mail to admissions@mum.edu, or visit: www.mum.edu. Entry dates are September, January, and May.