Search in the website

Extra information about the Research Training (plus internship manual)

Research training individual programme in the third semester
Internship Manual for HLCS research master students

Research training individual programme in the third semester

In the third semester students widen their horizons of research practice and deepen their disciplinary knowledge abroad by means of a research training or course package with a strong research component. The programme encourages taking the initial steps of the preparation for this research training already in the first semester. In principle, all students are expected to spend a period of four months abroad. For foreign research master students similar training programmes in the Netherlands may be taken into account. Students in Dutch literature may be allowed a training period in the Netherlands, with the emphatic recommendation to follow a supplementary programme of conferences etc. abroad.

The host institutions must be recognised universities or research institutes abroad, and in specific circumstances, in the Netherlands outside Nijmegen. In all cases, the programme must strengthen the learning process in the student's specialisation and provide an in depth preparation for the research project of the master thesis.

At the start of the first semester, students and tutors will be invited for an information meeting about the individual programme (20 ECTS) and the planning of the research training module.

Internship Manual for HLCS research master students

1 Introduction An internship is an optional component in all HLCS research masters offered by Radboud University. The internship - taken in the third semester - can be described as follows: "The student completes an assignment that has been clearly predefined in terms of timeframe, scope and accountability in the form of an internship at an institution of relevance to the individual specialisation."

Internships generally aim at familiarising students with the practical aspects of research in an institutional setting. The internship can be viewed as a link between the academic programme and the academic labour market. During an internship at a research institute, you will gain valuable experience and competencies that will benefit your own research and are in high demand in the labour market. You will also make professional contacts and gain insight into your personal ambitions and qualities.

This manual offers information on the nature of an internship position, drafting an internship plan and getting it approved, as well as information on internship supervision and assessment.

2 Approval and supervision Once you have found an internship position, you must submit it for approval. While this decision is formally made by the Board of Examiners, in practice this task is delegated to the relevant programme coordinator and tutor/thesis supervisor.

Before an internship can be approved, however, it must meet the following requirements:

  • The internship must be supervised by a professor / lecturer from Radboud University and by a supervisor from the host institution.
  • An internship plan must be drafted in consultation with both supervisors to determine that (1) the student receives ample opportunity to utilise and expand their knowledge and skills, (2) the internship has a distinct and substantive research component, (3) the scheduled activities (including writing the report and preparing the lecture) can be executed within the allotted study time. This plan must be submitted to internship coordinator.
  • Students must sign a completed internship contract (available at www.ru.nl/csl/), a copy of which will be automatically sent to the internship coordinator. This contract is necessary for legal and insurance purposes. We strongly advise against signing a contract with the host institution before the internship has been approved by the master's programme. We do, however, recommend making an agreement with the host institution regarding payment and/or compensation for any (travel) expenses.

While internships are generally scheduled during semesters 1 and 2 of the second year, you are free to plan it during another semester as well. If other (academic) obligations interfere, you may also be given the option of following a part-time internship at home.

The intern, the host institution and the home institution are jointly responsible for ensuring the internship goes smoothly. The home institution will ensure that the formulated learning objectives are attained. The research component forms an integral part of the internship for the research master: you must be actively involved, both individually and in groups, in the research project. While the host institution is expected to create the right conditions for the proper execution of the activities, you are yourself ultimately responsible for ensuring a successful internship through active contribution. This joint responsibility is expressed by your 'double' supervision, which is necessary given that the largest part of your work directly reflects the programme. The on-site supervisor is responsible for daily supervision and will be contacted by phone, email or in person by and at the discretion of the supervising instructor.

3 Evaluation The required evaluation of research master internships has to include two components:

Evaluation by the host institution To begin with, the supervisor at the host institution will submit his/her evaluation of the internship and the intern based on the following aspects:

  • Knowledge (theoretical insight, practical insights, knowledge application)
  • Attitude (towards supervisor and colleagues, initiative, commitment, independence, cooperation skills)
  • Practical work (quality, tempo, accuracy, creativity)
  • Communication skills (oral and written)
  • Quality of report
  • Personal development
  • Contribution as scientific researcher

The supervising instructor will discuss these aspects with the on-site supervisor.

Internship report The internship is concluded with a report written by the student that offers a professional assessment of the internship in general and the execution of tasks in particular. The report contains a 2000 words reflection on the internship task with a concise overview of your tasks as well as a 5000 words (10 pages) portfolio with some examples of the products and/or material of your internship. The internship report must be submitted in triplicate: one copy for the supervisor at the host institution, one for the supervising instructor and one for the programme archives. As regards content, structure, style, spelling and formatting, the report must meet the level expected of an aspiring scholar.

In general, an internship report should contain the following components:

  • Title page (name and student number, the name of host institution, the internship period, the names of the supervising instructor and on-site supervisor)
  • Introduction: briefly present the host institution, the internship assignment, the learning objectives
  • Host institution/department and the project that your internship was part of
  • Internship: activities, approach, problems, solutions and results
  • Evaluation: results and objectives: knowledge and skills acquired from ReMA programme; new knowledge and skills acquired in the internship;  important personal rewards of the internship
  • (feel free to modify the above template)

In the attachments you can add any relevant internship documents. These may include reports, articles, exhibition catalogues or educational texts. This is also where you can offer an impression of (or links to) other results, such as an audio-visual programme, a website or a digital database.