Internship Guidelines

Transcription

1 Media Technology and Design at Hagenberg Internship Guidelines General Information The Fachhochschule (University of Applied Sciences) (FH) aims to prepare its students for a professional career that requires the application of formal skills and advanced methods. The department of Media Technology and Design (MTD) at the FH-Hagenberg offers an sixsemester curriculum, which consists of five semesters of intense training, followed by a required one-semester internship leading to the bachelor-examinations. The main purpose of the internship is in addition to enhancing skills and expertise to expose students to the economic, legal, cultural and social aspects of practical business in a real and professional environment. Educational goals and content During their internships, students should become involved in innovate, state-of-the art projects, work with experienced professionals and gain new perspectives for their future activities. Ideally, an internship project should also raise interest and inspiration for further research in some specific area and possibly become the basis of subsequent thesis work. In addition to technical and artistic activities, other aspects such as economy, organization, law and ethics should be involved. Thus the goals of the internship semester are the improvement of: Expert competence (intradisciplinary in the various fields and interdisciplinary, e.g., as regards business administration concerns). Personal competence (e.g., with respect to creative, analytic and holistic thinking). Social competence (e.g., motivation, commitment, independence, cooperativeness, team membership and social responsibility). The content that should be offered during the internship semester includes professional handling (preferably in teamwork) of concrete projects in areas such as: Internet/WWW conception, design and implementation Multimedia projects (CD-ROM, DVD, video, audio, print, online) 3D Computer Graphics and Animation Computer-based training E-commerce applications Cross-media publishing Interactive information systems Electronic catalogs Human/computer interfaces Network security etc. Ideally, during the internship a student should be able to apply knowledge and skills acquired in the course of studies in the core curriculum areas, such as: multimedia design, multimedia programming, communications and network engineering, computer science, computer graphics and animation, communications engineering, audio and video design. MTD Internship Guidelines 1

2 Duration and possible change An internship semester encompasses At least 12 weeks (60 workdays) of practical work in the field. The internship begins on March 1 at the latest, but can be started as early as February 1. Absence from work due to long-term illness (more than three days) must be made up for. During the internship semester the student can change internship sites with the approval of the MTD department chairman (who first consults with the company) if continuation of the existing internship would prove detrimental to the success of the internship experience or some exceptional case indicates justification. Accompanying seminars During the internship semester period, students are required to participate in accompanying seminar classes held at the Fachhochschule at selected dates. The purpose of these seminars is to report about ongoing internship projects, present partial results and to foster communication between students and advisors. These seminars are scheduled in a flexible manner in particular for those students affiliated with international host companies to minimize travel efforts. Legal position of the student For the duration of the internship, an Internship Agreement shall be made between the student (intern) and the host company (training agency). During the internship the student continues to be enrolled at the Fachhochschule. Monthly remuneration, travel reimbursements, housing and any other applicable benefits shall be negotiated directly between the student and the host company in compliance with local employment regulations and tax laws. Instructions for students General information During the internship the student shall gain experience and knowledge in an appropriate company or institution (internship position) to complement the MTD curriculum. This internship semester is a regular semester in the curriculum (work/study) in which the student works in a company or institution related to the career objectives. The responsibility for finding an appropriate internship position falls primarily on the student. The MTD department shall advise and support students in the selection of appropriate internship positions and in the application process. The MTD department shall maintain a file of appropriate internship positions. Request for Internship Approval Once the student has selected and reached a preliminary agreement with a company, he/she should submit a written request for approval to the head of the MTD department, stating: 1. The company (name, address, WWW-site, number of employees). 2. The contact person (name, telephone/fax numbers, ) 3. The proposed project/working area(s) 4. The starting date and duration of the internship. This request is infomal and should be submitted as early as possible. Duties of the student during the internship The student shall sign an Internship Agreement with the host company (form online available) and accepts the following obligations: To take advantage of all available educational opportunities. To conscientiously complete all work done in the context of the internship. To abide by company rules and safety rules and to carefully handle all tools, devices and materials. To protect the interests of the internship position and to uphold confidentiality (nondisclosure) regarding company operations. In the event of absence, to notify the host company immediately, and in the event of illness to provide a doctor s certificate on the third day at the latest. MTD Internship Guidelines 2

3 Reporting The student s project work in the host company shall be documented during the entire internship semester. Such documentation shall be certified by the company advisor and evaluated by the MTD advisor. The student shall discuss with the company advisor the extent to which the contents of the documentation can be made available wholly or in part to third parties. In any case, the final report shall be made available to the MTD advisor and the MTD department head for the purpose of evaluation. The final report shall reflect: The nature and goals of the respective task. The resources employed toward a solution. The approach used. A critical assessment of the results. The report shall clearly define the portion of the project work that was contributed independently by the intern. The report shall encompass approximately 10 pages. Finaly a final verbal presentation will be given by the student at the Fachhochschule. Accreditation Within four weeks after completion of the internship, the student shall apply for accreditation of the internship semester. Based on the student s report, the internship certification and the evaluations, the MTD internship coordinator or the MTD department head shall decide whether the student has successfully completed the internship semester after examining all of the following required documentation: 1. Project Report 2. Evaluation by the company advisor 3. Evaluation of the company by the student. The student is responsible for providing all such documentation at the latest - on the day of the verbal presentation of the report. Instructions for the host company Obligations of the company The company providing the internship position (host company) declares its ability in the realm of its possibilities to convey experience and knowledge commensurate with the MTD curriculum. The company declares its readiness to do the following: To sign an internship agreement (form online available) with the student and agree on remuneration. To name an appropriate employee of the company to serve as Advisor (supervisor) for the project to be completed. The project task shall be agreed upon with the student and specified in writing at the start of the internship. To instruct the student during the internship in accordance with the requirements placed on the student. Visits to the company by MTD staff shall be agreed upon in adequate time with the Advisor at the company. To monitor the student s written report about the student s internship project(s). At the end of the internship, to prepare a written statement verifying the student s completion of the internship and an evaluation of the student s project work (Internship Evaluation form available). Furthermore, the company obliges itself to cooperate in all matters relating to the student internship with the MTD department (i.e., with the student advisor in Hagenberg) and to inform the head of the MTD department about any irregularities (e.g., if the student fails to appear for the internship or is absent without justification). Termination of the Internship Agreement During the probationary period (one month) the Internship Agreement can be terminated in writing at any time without notice. The Internship Agreement can be terminated after the probationary period with the agreement of the head of the MTD department: MTD Internship Guidelines 3

4 1. On the part of the company only for a reason that makes continuation of the internship impossible (e.g., closing of the business). 2. On the part of a student who wants to end his or her internship for personal reasons, this request must be in writing, specify the reason, and allow four weeks notice. Instructions for MTD staff Duties of the MTD department The MTD department: Provides assistance in acquiring and selecting internship positions. Compiles the necessary documents for the internship. Provides the necessary resources for advising the student (e.g., advisors). Offers support for completing projects in the context of seminars accompanying the internship. Assists the company in completing the internship in organizational and technical matters. Evaluates and grades each individual internship upon completion. The primary contact person at the Fachhochschule Hagenberg is the head of the MTD department. According to their respective competence, MTD staff shall be assigned by the department head to individual projects. Final Evaluation The final evaluation of all project work shall take place in the context of a meeting of MTD staff; the meeting is called by the MTD department head. The evaluation comprises: 1. Evaluation of project work by the host company. 2. Evaluation of project work by the MTD Advisor. 3. Presentation of the project by the student in the context of a seminar. Requirements for project work Project work can be either on an individual basis or (preferably) teamwork. If a project is done in teamwork, the student s contribution needs to be documented and evaluated separately from the rest of the project. Preparation for and evaluation of internship Before the start of the internship the students shall be informed comprehensively about the requirements and goals of the internship. After completion of the internship, project work and project results shall be presented and discussed by the students in the form of a presentation at the company and in Hagenberg in the form of an information event for future interns. In an appropriate meeting of students and MTD staff, experiences shall be discussed and suggestions shall be made for implementation in future internship semesters. Likewise an evaluation of the internship experience and the host companies shall be carried out. Duties of the MTD Advisor The intern shall have an advisor at the host company as well as an advisor on the MTD staff. The MTD advisor has the following duties: Serves as contact person for the student and the company Advisor. Serves as contact person for the student in the event of problems or technical, organizational or personal nature. Is responsible for technical evaluation of the proposed project and for evaluation of the final report and the internship. International internships The MTD department explicitly encourages international internships, given that the necessary professional, linguistic and legal preconditions are met. The student bears the responsibility for establishing the necessary contacts, for clarifying the respective legal regulations (work permit) and visa requirements, and for acquiring the necessary documents and forms. The Fachhochschule Hagenberg shall support the student with official confirmation and/or requests. Travel and living expenses shall be borne by the student or (if so agreed upon) by the company hosting the internship. Various sponsoring and MTD Internship Guidelines 4

5 scholarship options (provincial, federal, EU, etc.) should also be considered. Schedule and deadlines General internship schedule 1. MTD department contacts potential host companies by mail, returned offers (by FAX) are filed. 2. Student selects one or more companies from available files or through personal contacts. 3. Application material compiled by students is sent to the selected companies. 4. Companies evaluate applications and return list of preferred candidates, information about proposed project areas, company size and contact person (by FAX). 5. Students contact their companies directly and negotiate details (starting date, duration, remuneration, housing, travel, etc.). 6. Students submit written Request for Internship Approval to MTD department (by end of January, at least three weeks before start of internship). 7. Upon approval, student submits Internship Agreement signed by company representative. 8. Internship begins (Feb. 1 March 1). Student participates in accompanying seminars held at the Fachhochschule at selected dates. 9. Internship ends (till beginning June). Student compiles final report. Evaluation Form, completed by the company advisor, is submitted to the MTD department. 10. Student applies for accreditation at the MTD department. Important dates End of January (at least 3 weeks before starting the internship) : Submission of signed Internship Agreement to MTD department. February 1 Earliest date to begin internship March 1 Latest date to begin internship Beginning of June. Latest date to complete internship. Forms The following forms applicable to international internships are available in English and online at Internship Agreement Form Internship Evaluation Form Internship Guidelines (this document) MTD Internship Guidelines 5