Research internship manual Master s programmes Political Science and Conflict Resolution and Governance

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1 UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Research internship manual Master s programmes Political Science and Conflict Resolution and Governance GSSS Information desk Tel.: (weekdays 10:00-14:00) gsss@uva.nl March 2014

2 GENERAL 1. Types of internships There are two types of internships: that of the practical unpaid work placement internship and that of the research internship. In the first case one takes part in the duties of someone who holds a position which the student can expect to be employed in due time. In the second case the student conducts (part of) research assigned by the internship organisation. The short academic master programme cannot accommodate a practical work placement internship. If the student still wants to do a work placement internship then this is always an extracurricular internship, i.e. an internship that is not part of the curriculum, for which no credits are awarded and for which there will be no mention in the diploma supplement. An internship such as this may only be done after all courses and the thesis have been completed, so as to avoid any delay. For information on the extracurricular internship, see the article in the A-Z section on the student website: Internships (extracurricular). The remainder of this manual is about intra curricular internships, i.e. internships that do constitute part of the curriculum, for which credits are awarded and which is mentioned in the diploma supplement. A research internship is not included in the standard master curriculum but may be done by way of exception for 9 credits. A research internship is practically always combined with an individual thesis (21 credits). Together they replace the research project (30 credits). In order to obtain the Examinations Board s approval for such an exception to the standard curriculum, a good preparation and a sound plan are required. It is therefore important to contact the study adviser and the thesis and internship coordinator at an early stage. Both the internship and the individual thesis must be approved by the Examinations Board. Requests for intra curricular internships and individual theses for the second semester must be submitted to the Examinations Board by 1st December. Requests for intra curricular internships and individual theses for the first semester must be submitted to the Examinations Board by 1 st August. 2. The formalities A student who wants to do a research internship must first report to the study adviser who will advise whether such a proposition fits in with the study planning. Afterwards the student presents his/her plan to the thesis and internship coordinator of the chosen study track. The student must also find an internship supervisor. Generally the research internship is combined with an individual thesis and in principle the thesis supervisor will also act as internship supervisor. Using the web form for requests to the Examinations Board the student then submits a request to incorporate the internship into the curriculum and to be awarded credits upon successful completion. Only when the thesis and internship coordinator and supervisor have approved the request beforehand it will be taken into consideration by the Examinations Board. During the internship an interim report is brought out to the internship supervisor. At the conclusion of the internship the student gives an account of the internship in the form of an internship report and a research report. The internship is assessed on the basis of the internship report/research report and a final talk with the supervisor. After successful completion the internship supervisor fills in a grade slip and the credits are processed. 3. Contract The time between the initial contact with the intended organisation and the eventual settlement of the internship is often somewhat complicated. On the one hand, one is engaged in a negotiation process to come to an agreement with the internship organisation on the duties to be performed and the conditions under which these take place. On the other hand, there is contact with the supervising lecturer and 1

3 coordinator: who after all also have to assess the outcome. Eventually the agreements must be stated in the web form. Sometimes an internship contract is required by the internship provider. This contains duties and output, hours, workdays and holidays, places, supervision, evaluation moments, a possible requirement of confidentiality, plus insurance, expenses and possibly an allowance. 4. Interim report During the internship the student operates for the most part independently with regard to the university. The daily coaching and regular assessment of the performance of the intern is taken care of by the internship organisation. The purpose of the interim report that is given, on one or more occasions, to the supervising lecturer at the university is different: this is less concerned with the functioning of the student as quasi employee and more to discuss the internship itself in terms of the learning process that is experienced. The supervising lecturer is naturally also a backup, for example, if there are any problems in the workplace that cannot be resolved, or if there are any problems with the supervision or just to be able to tell enthusiastic stories to. 5. Logbook It is recommended from the start of the internship to keep a kind of internship journal or weekly or a logbook, in which the student writes down what he/she has done that day/week, how much time this has taken, with whom one has been in touch with, what is notable about the culture and customs of the organisation, what the student has learned, what he/she has handled well or not so well. In this way the whole learning process can be kept up to date which is useful for the internship report later on. 6. Internship report and research report Between the end of the internship period and 6 weeks afterwards the student has to hand in an internship report and a research report. The internship report is on the actual work and on what the student has learned and should contain three clearly distinguishable components: 1. a description of the organisation where the internship took place; 2. a description of the duties carried out (including any amendments made to the agreements made in the internship form); 3. an evaluation in terms of the achieved educational effect. It goes without saying that this report should be written in good English. The internship report should be accompanied by a statement signed by the supervisor at the internship organisation that the description of the duties carried out (i.e. that which is mentioned above in 2) is correct. This statement may be included in the internship report itself or provided in the form of a letter. In addition the product of the internship, i.e. the research report, is submitted and marked. The research report is generally also handed over to the internship provider, as the end result of its investment in taking on an intern. If the research is very closely related to the thesis, then the thesis can also serve as a research report. However it is often difficult in compiling a report to satisfy both the internship provider and the thesis supervisor. Internship organisations are generally less interested in theoretical reflections, whereas the research that is carried out for an academic thesis should be directed by theory. 7. Assessment The assessment is made by the supervising lecturer on the basis of the interim report, the final internship report and the research report. An internship is in principle marked with a PASS (AVV). A grade may be given if the thesis and internship coordinator finds this appropriate. With this the assessment of the internship and the awarding of 9 credits is a fact. The assessment of the thesis is separate to this. 2

4 CONTACT PERSONS 1. Study adviser One can disuss his/her plans to incorporate an internship in your study programme with the study adviser, Geertje Haverkamp. The study adviser is located at the Binnengasthuis, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 237, 1012 DL Amsterdam and has office hours in room Appointments can be made through the Graduate School's Information Desk at the Kloveniersburgwal 48 (open weekdays between 10:00 and 14:00). Tel address study adviser: 2. Internship coordinators The internship coordinators are located in the Binnengasthuis, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 237, 1012 DL Amsterdam. They have office hours by appointment via . Bestuur en Beleid Erik Besseling : e.m.besseling@uva.nl Conflict Resolution and Governance David Laws : d.w.laws@uva.nl European Union in a Global Order Marieke de Goede : m.degoede@uva.nl Internationale Betrekkingen Imke Harbers : i.harbers@uva.nl International Relations Brian Burgoon : b.burgoon@uva.nl Politieke Theorie en Politiek Gedrag Marcel Maussen : m.j.m.maussen@uva.nl 3. Examinations Board : examencommissie-pol@uva.nl 3

5 FORMAT TO BE USED FOR INTERNSHIP PLAN AND INTERNSHIP REPORT 1. General information 1.1 Intern Name Address Programme Student id. Master Political Science, specialisation Internship supervisor of the study programme (lecturer) Naam 1.3 Organisation providing internship Name Address 1.4 Internship supervisor in the organisation Name Function 1.5 Progress of the internship Programme Periode Number of hours per week 2. Description of the organisation 3. Objective of the internship 4. Internship assignment (with research question and data) 5. Phasing and scheduling research internship 6. Learning objectives and educational effect 4

6 7. Nature and scope of the supervision given by the study programme supervisor 8. Nature and scope of the supervision given by the organisation 9. Handing in date Internship report Not later than dd-mm-yyyy (6 weeks after conclusion internship). 10. Handing in date Research report dd-mm-yyyy 5