Internship at a company or an organisation
You can opt for an individual internship instead of a think tank. During an individual internship, you will work on the same learning objectives as during the think tank, and get to work on a societal issue of that organisation or company related to the theme of your minor or - if you are going to do an elective minor in 2024 - to your study programme.
Students with research interests and possibly ambitions towards the Research Master can do a research internship.
Entry requirement
- Thematic minor: You must pass the theme course to be able to participate in the think tank.
- Study Abroad: You must pass the course Study abroad: Academia & Society.
Time schedule
Please note: If you are considering a (research) internship instead of a think tank, be aware of the time schedule. The whole process, including sending a request to the Examining Board, takes about 2 to 3 months.
For an internship during the first semester you need to submit your request by 15 July. For an internship in the second semester you need to submit the request by 15 December.
Requirements
You spend 280 hours on the individual internship - just as you would on the think tank. This includes drawing up and working on the project plan, the portfolio and the final product. The ratio of working in the company or organisation vs. working on the societal project may vary per student, but when talking to the company make sure that you get to spend at least 70% of the time on the societal issue. Our advice: ask your contact what issue is on their mind; this will increase their willingness to give you time to work on it.
Keep the checklist below in mind while finding an internship:
- With my intended internship, can I achieve all the learning objectives listed in the table under Individual internship?
- Does the societal issue that I will be working on during my internship fit with the theme of the minor or - if you are going to do an elective minor in 2024 - with your study programme?
- Does the scope of my internship (including completion) amount to 280 hours?
Learning objectives
After your internship you can:
- offer insights and solutions to a societal issue within your internship company or organisation by applying your knowledge and skills in a (research) project;
- draw up a project plan for a (research) project in which you define and delineate the project and describe and plan the project activities;
- divide and carry out duties with your colleagues, working together constructively;
- present the outcomes of the (research) project in a clear and societally relevant way
- reflect on your own qualities and your development in working in a team and executing the project.
Completion and assessment
- Project plan & portfolio (ca. 4800 words)
Just as in the think tank, you work on a complex issue during the internship. Use a project plan to provide insight into which steps the project consists of: what needs to be done and when?
When working on a project basis, it is important that the objectives of each subproject are agreed upon, when they are to be achieved (time schedule) and what is needed for this. Keep in mind that the project plan is a dynamic document, which will need to be adjusted and adapted while working on it.
Formats are available for both the project plan and the time schedule (see below). The documentation that shows that you have taken a step or completed a product/subproject is bundled in a portfolio, which you work on during your internship and which forms the basis for consultation with your university supervisor. More information about the content of the portfolio can be found in the Factsheet (docx, 34 kB).
- Final product
With the help of the project plan and the subprojects, you will ultimately come up with an answer to the current societal issue your company or organisation is struggeling with. The final product is the answer you give the company or organisation. Which form this final product will have, depends on the issue you looked into and the wishes of the company or organisation with regard to how they would like to have the results presented (e.g. proposal, advice, plan of approach).
Because in the individual internship (just like in the think tank), the process of cooperation, problem exploration and development of a final product is at least as important as the result itself, the internship will be assessed with a pass/fail. You will not get a grade.