Internships

The University of Parma promotes curricular internships in order to facilitate professional choices through direct knowledge of the world of work and the realisation of moments of alternation between study and work.
The curricular internship integrates and completes the student's training through the performance of practical activities for a period of 325 hours (13 ECTS credits).
According to the Course Regulations of the Biotechnology Degree Course, there may be the following types of internships:
Internal traineeship:  carried out in laboratories of the University of Parma

External traineeship: carried out at qualified public and private organisations with which the University has signed specific agreements

International mobility traineeship: for this type of traineeship, see the ERASMUS+ SMS (Students Mobility for Study) Program and refer to the contact person Prof. Elena Maestri, as this modality is regulated at the level of the International Departmental Commission.
All the information below refers only to 'Internal traineeships' and 'External traineeships'

The internship involves three parties: the student, the promoter (the University of Parma), and the host (company or organization) at which the activity is carried out under the guidance of a university tutor, a University lecturer, and a company tutor.

The curricular internship does not constitute a prerequisite for an employment relationship between the trainee and the host structure, nor can it be a substitute for company labour or professional services.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Degree Course in Biotechnology allows traineeships in three periods of the year: December - March - August. The places available for internal traineeships, offered by the teachers of the Degree Course at facilities of the University of Parma, or for traineeships at external facilities, are published on the Degree Course website for each of the application periods.
REQUIREMENTS: To apply, a student enrolled in the THIRD YEAR must have acquired at least 120 ECTS credits.

SUBMISSION OF THE APPLICATION

The application is submitted by filling in the form provided ("Application for Internship"), and expressing one's preferences (maximum 3) among the offers available for the relevant period (Attachment). For the external internship, the student also has the option of independently seeking an internship at venues outside the University in accordance with the procedures established by the University (http://www.unipr.it/tirocini-curriculari-online). The list of approved companies can be found in ESSE3 (Menu, Internships, Companies).
Check that the type of internship included in your programme of study is in line with the request you are making, otherwise you should change your programme of study in good time.
INTERNSHIP APPLICATION (application opening January-March-August). Students are reminded that it is compulsory to indicate three preferences, but strictly chosen in different subject areas and with different lprofessors/instructors.
 

ASSIGNMENT AND ACTIVATION OF THE INTERNSHIP

Assignment After ascertaining in ESSE3 the ECTS credits acquired, applications are assessed and approved by the Teaching Commission and the Biotechnology Course Council.
Assigned internships are published on the Degree Course website with an indication of the company tutor (reference professor/instructors).
In the case of an external internship, the trainee will have a company tutor and a lecturer from the CDS who will be the Academic Tutor and Supervisor of the paper.
Activation The activation procedure is fully online on ESSE3

Internal Internship

The digitised training project will be opened by the University's 'Company Contact Person' (Prof. Elena Maestri), who will also insert the 'Company Tutor' (the teacher offering the internship).
The student will receive the training project on ESSE3 and must accept the offer and choose the 'Academic Tutor' from among the professor/instructors responsible: Elena Maestri, Mariolina Gullì, Benedetta Passeri.
The 'Academic Tutor' will approve the training project and the internship can start regularly.
External internship The digitalised training project will be opened by the 'Company Contact Person' (the contact person of the company where the internship will take place) who will also include the Company Tutor (the person of the company offering the internship). The student will receive the training project on ESSE3 and must accept the offer and choose the 'Academic Tutor' who coincides with the professor/instructors assigned by the Council.
The 'Academic Tutor' will approve the training project and the internship can start regularly.
For any clarifications, please contact marina.caldara@unipr.it; mariolina.gulli@unipr.it; elena.maestri@unipr.it 

PROCEEDINGS AND CONCLUSION

DEVELOPMENT The internship must comply with the dates indicated in the training project, and it is recommended to ask for extensions or advances of the end date well in advance if necessary.
The trainee will be supervised by a laboratory tutor or directly by the teacher in charge (company tutor).
During the internship experience, the trainee completes an attendance form (see below) countersigned by the Company Tutor.
The internship includes as an integral part of the compulsory 1 ECTS credit safety course taken during the first year of the course.
Any requests for changes to the initial training project (extension, interruption, relocation, schedule changes, appointment of a new company tutor) must be carried out according to the instructions in the ESSE3 system.
TERMINATION OF THE INTERNSHIPS The traineeship automatically closes on the date stipulated in the training project.
In order to activate the recording of the internship, the student must compulsorily complete the evaluation questionnaire that will appear at the end of the indicated period.
Please note that the internship must be recorded approximately 10 days prior to the graduation session and contributes to the calculation of the grade point average.
Conclusion of the internal internship The trainee must submit the following documents to Prof. Elena Maestri:
Attendance sheets One-page summary, to be sent in pdf or doc format by e-mail, which must contain: title of the thesis paper, student's surname and first name, names of lecturers and referees The Company Tutor must fill in the evaluation sheet and express a grade out of 30 to be communicated by e-mail to the Academic Tutor, who is in charge of entering the evaluation on Essetre and approving the closure of the placement.
Conclusion of the external internship The trainee must submit the following documents to Prof. Elena Maestri:
Attendance forms One-page summary, to be sent in pdf or doc format by e-mail, which must contain: title of the thesis paper, student's surname and first name, names of lecturers and referees The Company Tutor must complete both the Essetre evaluation questionnaire and the evaluation form to be sent together with the grade in thirtieths by e-mail to the Academic Tutor who is responsible for entering the evaluation on Essetre and approving the closure of the placement.