Internship

Objective

During the internship, the student carries out a well-defined assignment in a company or non-academic organisation that belongs to the professional field of the Master’s programme. The purpose of the internship is to validate acquired competences in practice and to further develop these knowledge, skills and attitudes. Thanks to the internship, students develop their own professional network. In addition, the internship helps to develop personal growth, interpersonal competencies and to reflect on one’s own behaviour in an academic context in relation to the professional field. These first steps in the professional field also increase the students’ employability.

Position in the curriculum

The Internship is a mandatory course in the Master’s programme. It consists of 6 credits and is situated in the second master’s year (hereinafter referred to as ‘internship year’). The internship can take place both in the first or in the second semester, depending of the availability of internship positions. In mutual agreement with the supervisors and the internship coordinator, the internship can also start in the summer holidays before the start of the internship year. The internship can take place abroad. The duration of the internship is (at least) 25 working days.

The student is responsible for selecting an appropriate internship. The Master’s programme will provide students with a list of contact details for possible internships, where it is up to the student to apply for the desired placement and up to the organisation to select a student as trainee. In addition to the contact list, the student can also propose an internship placement him-/herself.

The programme clearly communicates what is expected of the student (e.g. during the information session during the year prior to the internship year). Application tips or guidelines about communication can be discussed during the information session.

The supervision of the student during the internship is divided between the universities and the internship organisation. The supervision by the universities is provided by and internship coordinator (general, University of Antwerp) and an academic supervisor (specific per internship). In the internship organisation, the industrial supervisor coordinates the organisation of the internship. He/she is also the main point of contact for both the student and the internship coordinator and academic supervisor. In addition, one or more internship mentor(s) may be responsible for the daily follow-up and practical guidance of the trainee.

The programme clearly communicates what is expected of the student (e.g. during the information session during the year prior to the internship year). Application tips or guidelines about communication can be discussed during the information session.

The final evaluation of the course consists of three parts:

1. The written internship report – 55% of the final grade
2. The work attitude and growth process of the student during the internship – 20% of the final grade
3. The oral presentation and discussion – 20% of the final grade