| Learning objectives |
At the end of the internship you should be able
to
- Apply the knowledge and skills related to the concepts,
principles and methodologies of the IB program in a professional
setting.
- Acquire new knowledge in a new setting to enhance classroom
education
- Apply higher order thinking skills, such as critical thinking,
analysis, synthesis, evaluation, complex problem solving, to
real-life situations
- Gain practical experience relevant to IB program’s competence
profile.
- Develop personal and interpersonal skills (profession-specific
competencies, oral and written communication skills, interpersonal
communication and interaction skills, observation and
interpretation skills, leadership skills) to work effectively
within diverse environments.
- Critically reflect upon and evaluate the internship experience,
especially in relation to the knowledge and competencies gained
through the IB program
|
| Course prerequisites |
In order to be considered for an internship the
student must apply for pre-approval. The application for
pre-approval must include the following documentation:
1) A formal and signed document by the organization that contains a
detailed description of:
• Learning objectives of the internship
• Defined job training areas
• Specification of formalized learning processes (i.e., name and
length of structured classes or lectures, or name of the mentor)
• Specification of the time period and working hours of employment
2) A letter of motivation (maximum 2 pages) from the student
describing what s/he intends to achieve by undertaking the
internship and in what way(s) the experience contributes to her/his
education under the IB program. This letter of motivation must
specify the elements of the IB program that correspond to the job
training or formalized learning processes of the
internship. |
| Examination |
|
Internship:
|
| Exam
ECTS |
15 |
| Examination form |
Home assignment - written product |
| Individual or group exam |
Individual exam |
| Size of written product |
Max. 10 pages |
|
10 pages |
| Assignment type |
Report |
| Duration |
Written product to be submitted on specified date
and time. |
| Grading scale |
7-point grading scale |
| Examiner(s) |
One internal examiner |
| Exam period |
Autumn and Spring, deadline for submission of
report is 1/3 for the fall semester and 1/9 for the spring semester
5 hours supervision |
| Make-up exam/re-exam |
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
|
Description of the exam
procedure
The examination form for this course takes the form of a 10-page
report, excluding the title page, bibliography and appendices. The
report must include an outline of the business of the company for
where the internship was held, a summary of the tasks the student
performed, and a discussion of the specific international business
relevant aspects of the work. The report must demonstrate the
student’s ability to communicate what s/he has done during the
internship, the ability to relate the internship experience to the
bigger picture, and the ability for critical thinking. The student
must demonstrate that either the internship had a significant
international business component, or that the lessons from the
internship experience relate to international business
issues.
Your internship report has to contain three subject areas:
1. Outline of the background and specific business of the company
and/or department in which the student performed her/his
internship.
2. Outline of the work performed in the internship company.
3. A discussion of a specific international business components
and/or implications related to the internship.
The first two components can be brief. The major focus of the
report should be on the third component, the critical discussion
and analysis of a specific internship-related topic. We refer to
this component as the analytical component.
The analytical component should relate academic knowledge to
practical experience. Its purpose is to help the student develop
written and analytical skills. The student is not expected to only
gather information but interpret, organize and present it clearly
and understandably.
It is common that the analytic component and the demonstration of
the international business focus of the internship is perceived as
a major challenge of the internship. It is well-acknowledged that
many aspects of the daily work can be oriented towards practical
rather than academic issues. It is possible that the work might
include carrying out administrative duties as well as mundane tasks
required by the employer. It is, of course, important to follow
directions and comply with the demands of the employer. However, to
pass the academic requirements of the internship the student must
go, if necessary, beyond the simple following of instructions and
demonstrate the ability to relate the experience to the
international business field. Thus, the internship report allows
the student to examine aspects of a project or an organization
beyond the daily work performed at the company. Ideally, the report
will also be of practical benefit to the employer by demonstrating
taking initiatives beyond carrying out instructed tasks.
Starting early is the key to producing a high-quality, professional
report. Last-minute efforts are reflected in a lack of research and
poor quality of writing. While the student cannot write your report
the first month on the job, work can begin as soon as possible by
gathering information and outlining ideas. It would be extremely
helpful to narrow down on a topic for the report within the first
week of the internship. Once a topic for the report has been
chosen, it is important to keep track of activities necessary to
develop the report, such as methods, observations, meetings
attended. Preparation is an on-going process.
Choosing a subject is a crucial aspect of your success of the
internship report. It is sufficient to concentrate on one specific
aspect or problem related to the internship, and it is not required
that the report covers in depth all the problems the student might
have encountered during the internship. However, the chosen subject
has to be discussed with enough depth, so that your treatment of
the subject demonstrates specialist-level ability in international
business. If there are doubts about specific topics, the student
may consult with the company supervisor or contact the faculty
advisor.
Grading: In the process of preparing the
internship report the student could rely on the advice of an
advisor chosen on the basis of the international business topic to
be discussed in the report. The advisor is involved in discussing
the issue formulation and the framing of the relation of the
practical experience to the international business theories. Each
student is entitled to 5 hours of supervision from the
advisor. The advisor will be the sole evaluator of the report and
will grade the report.
|
|
| Course content, structure and pedagogical
approach |
|
IInternships are an integral part of the BSc IB program. All
students are encouraged to arrange internships with companies or
organizations of interest. Students must undertake the internship
whilst they are still enrolled in the IB program. An internship
must involve both on-the-job
training and formalized learning
processes. Formalized learning processes are defined as
either 1) structured classes or lectures taken within or through
the organization in which the student undertakes the internship, or
2) supervision provided by a mentor in the organization the student
undertakes the internship.
The internship must be taken within an
existing organization, such as a company, or governmental or
quasi-governmental agencies such as ministries or embassies, or
non-governmental organizations, such as the Red Cross etc.
Companies or other types of organizations established by the
student will require special approval by the Study
Board.
Students need to be hired under a formal contract, which, at the
minimum, specifies the period of time the student is hired for and
respective working hours. In cases where the student is already
employed by the organization and wants to transform the contract
into an internship program, documentation signed by representatives
of the organization must be submitted to prove that
job-functions new to the student are
established in relation to the internship program, or that
formalized learning processes will be initiated.
The job-training areas and the formalized work experiences in terms
of academic content must correspond to the curriculum and learning
objectives of the BSc IB program
|
| Description of the teaching methods |
Supervision hours. Each student is entitled to 3
supervision hours by the chose faculty advisor. Potential advisors
include full-time CBS faculty, PhD students enrolled at CBS and
external examiners under contract with CBS at the time of writing
the internship report
The application for pre-approval must be sent to the BSc IB Program
Administration prior to having begun the internship. The final
decision on the pre-approval application rests with the Course
Coordinator. Applications must be submitted well ahead of time of
the start of the internship to allow for the Course Coordinator to
make an informed decision. In terms of the internship application
itself, students are recommended to follow the deadlines stipulated
by individual organizations. As already stressed, arranging for an
internship remains the individual responsibility of the student,
not CBS or the BSc IB. Students are also individually responsible
for obtaining work permits and any other documentation necessary to
undertake employment in the country in which the internship will be
conducted. |
| Feedback during the teaching period |
| The student can get feedback from the internship
supervisor. |
| Student workload |
| Exam |
0,5 hours |
| Preparation |
203 hours |
|
| Further Information |
|
The application for pre-approval must be sent to the BSc IB
Program Administration prior to having begun the internship. The
final decision on the pre-approval application rests with the
Course Coordinator. Applications must be submitted well ahead of
time of the start of the internship to allow for the Course
Coordinator to make an informed decision. In terms of the
internship application itself, students are recommended to follow
the deadlines stipulated by individual organizations. As already
stressed, arranging for an internship remains the individual
responsibility of the student, not CBS or the BSc IB. Students are
also individually responsible for obtaining work permits and any
other documentation necessary to undertake employment in the
country in which the internship will be conducted.
Please look at the internship guidelines for further
information.
|
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