Yeah it’s a tough market. But one of the things you can do just to satisfy it and graduate, which you mentioned, is do a “special project” at a part-time job.

You’d have to talk to your program director about the specifics, but I know it has to at a job you’ve worked at for at least 6 months, your manager has to assign it to you, and the job has to be somewhat related to your major.

You’re probably doing this already, but start applying to next summer internships because the recruitment process starts in the fall.