MORSE Corp

Northeastern student co-ops are an essential part of the team at MORSE. During a six-month co-op, students make a real impact developing technology solutions for the Department of Defense and other national security customers. They’re integrated into essential project work, get to explore new technology, travel to flight tests, and even present to customers.

MORSE is a specially selected team of scientists, engineers, and software developers based in Cambridge, MA. Students work with technology ranging from artificial intelligence to vehicle guidance systems. Their work helps our customers make smarter decisions faster, protect their safety while defending our national security, and more.

Here’s what an alum and several Northeastern student co-ops joining us full-time in 2022 have to say about working with MORSE. Visit our website to learn more.

“I presented a project that I worked on to one of MORSE’s government customers, which was very cool. It showed that MORSE really trusts students and values our work.”

Rachel Kalafos, Computer Science and Communications, Khoury College of Computer Science Class of 2022

“Everything we work on is cutting edge. You’ll always find yourself challenged here.”

Trevor Condon, Computer Science, Khoury College of Computer Science Class of 2022

What stands out about your experience with MORSE?

I got experience in a lot of different areas, not just computer science and software engineering. One week, I was writing software. The next, I was configuring new sensors to go on a flight vehicle. I’m one of those people that doesn’t like just sitting behind a screen and writing code all day. I like to get my hands dirty once in a while. And it’s hard to find an opportunity like that in the software field. I loved getting experience in so many different areas and disciplines and going on flight tests. It was a really valuable experience.

Trevor Condon, Computer Science, Khoury College of Computer Science Class of 2022

When people hear about government contracting, we often assume that there will be a lot of red tape involved with the work. That it will be slow to work through things. It’s not like that at all at MORSE. Everything moved quickly, and teams are the perfect size to accomplish a lot in a short time.

Rachel Kalafos, Computer Science and Communications, Khoury College of Computer Science Class of 2022

What’s the culture like at MORSE?

There isn’t a single person at the company that I dislike or can’t work with, which is amazing for a company with more than 150 people. Everyone is both very, very capable at doing their job and very easy and enjoyable to work with.

I wanted to be somewhere where I could be challenged and continue to grow and learn. At MORSE, they’re always challenging you. You get to work on multiple teams so you can develop new skills. I learned an incredible amount in that six-month period.

Josh Kazan, Computer Science and minor in Mathematics, Khoury College of Computer Science Class of 2022

Can early career professionals advance at MORSE?

MORSE is a place where if you’re qualified, you’re given opportunities to advance, regardless of how many years of experience you may have. I’ve had many opportunities for additional responsibilities and promotions since my co-op finished in 2018, and I became a full-time employee later that year.

Based on my experience as a co-op, I knew that I eventually wanted to work in a leadership role. I enjoyed having ownership over aspects of projects as a co-op and wanted to expand that role. I voiced interest to my supervisor, and when a task lead position opened up, I was able to move into it. It was similar when I was promoted to a group lead; I had expressed interest and was asked if I wanted to go for it during my annual review.

One of the nice things about MORSE is that I could move into management roles without giving up my technical contributions. That’s not always the case in the tech industry – people are often forced to choose between the two, and that can be frustrating. I’ve found that my technical work and management role can complement each other. Knowing the tech side can help me guide people’s development as a manager. And on the tech side, having a better understanding of how people work can help me lead the tech teams better.

Sydney Hubbell, MORSE group lead;  BS in Computer Science and Information Science and a minor in Business Administration, NU Class of 2019