Curricular Internships and dissertation-related internships

Students enrolled in their 2^nd year can apply for an internship if this activity has been included in their study plan.

It is also possible for students to perform an internship related to the preparation for the final project (thesis/dissertation work): in this particular case, the student must reach an agreement with the Hosting Institution on the topics to be carried out in all the different activities. The internship and the preparation for the final project can be also carried out abroad, within exchange programs such as Erasmus+, Erasmus+ Internships, Overseas and other international opportunities.

The duration of the course is determined by the number of course credits (cfu) defined in the course syllabus, 1 cfu = 25 hours max. 30 hours. It is possible to extend the duration up to 20% of the total number of hours. Examples: curricular internship 8 cfu = 200 hours max. 240 - curricular internship 12 cfu = 300 hours max. 360

The first general advice is to contact a professor of the Degree Course which works in the area of interest of the student, in order to ask for any suggestions about topics and/or companies that might be suitable for the activities. Internships can be carried out in University structures or externally, either in Italy or abroad;  there is a list of Institutions which have an agreement with the University and have offers for students published on Tirocini online, or otherwise it's also possible to contact personally an Institution, and, if the activity is approved by both the University and the Institution, submit an offer from the latter addressed to the student (known as “ad personam” offer) via the University's internships website.

If the Hosting Institution does not already have an agreement with the University, an agreement must be made first and, once it has been signed, the internship request can be submitted: the Institution is then supposed to register online and wait for the necessary approval from the Internship Committee (which usually meets the first Monday of every month, expect August). Timing will therefore depend on the Hosting Institution collaboration and on the Internship Committee agenda.

Students can only apply for an internship through the Online Internships website. 

Once the host institution has been identified, it is necessary to enter the contact details of an academic tutor and an institution contact, describe the educational objectives and activities, the number of hours required to achieve them, the period (bearing in mind that the request must be validated by the academic tutor and approved by the Internship Commission) and any other details required to complete the internship application. Please enter the full name of the activity included in the study plan in the ‘notes’ field of the online application, also adding the number of credits that will be recognised and the number of hours required to complete it. 

In the case of an internship in a UNIBO laboratory, the student has to address the application to “Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna” selecting the internal structure from the menu specifying the name of the laboratory. Please remember to write in the “note” field of the online application the full name of the activity included in the study plan, adding also the number of credits and the amount of hours required. For further information, download the students handbook attached and read the specific information regarding health and safety requirements.

For internships inside UNIBO laboratories, it is also required to complete the online course on health and safety by attending an additional module of 4 hours (Module 3). Please contact Ing. Veronica Rossi tel 0543 374406 veronica.rossi5@unibo.it for more information about the next courses' schedule.

Requests will only be evaluated by the Internship Commission after approval by the Academic Tutor (online). If the Traineeship Commission approves the request, the student and an institution contact will receive an e-mail requesting him/her to electronically sign the Traineeship Programme. Afterwards, it will be possible to download the attendance register and start. It is only possible to start the work placement after downloading the ‘Attendance Register’,  

The traineeship must be completed between the start and end dates indicated in the Traineeship Programme; if the period is extended, an email must be sent to the Traineeships Office (acfo.tirocini@unibo.it), in which the Academic Tutor and the Company Contact Person must specify the new date and the reasons (very briefly) 

Only for internal placements (e.g. UNIBO laboratories) where the Contact Person and the Academic Tutor are the same person, it is sufficient for the Internship Programme to be electronically signed by the Academic Tutor only. 

During the internship, in the event of trips to locations or structures not indicated in the "Internship Programme", already approved by the Internship Commission, the student can request authorization from the academic tutor (via email and CC from the company tutor and the Office Internships) for the purposes of extending insurance coverage provided that the trip in question is consistent with the objectives of the internship. After receiving the authorisation from the academic tutor, the student can go on the trip. 

During the internship, the student must be always in contact with the Academic Tutor for any support or advice needed on the activities, and it is also necessary to record the daily activities in the attendance register.
At the end of the internship, it's important to check that the attendance register is countersigned and stamped by the Hosting Institution Contact Person.

If a student intends to withdraw from or interrupt the internship, he/she must notify it to the Internship Office  by sending an email containing the reasons of the withdrawal/interruption (important to put also in CC the Contact Person and the Academic Tutor).

At the end of the activities, the student is supposed to:

1. Upload the attendance register (please check that it has been completed with the necessary signatures and stamp):

                       - For an Internship in Unibo only pg. 1 and 2, signatures and not stamp;

                       - For an Internship in an Hosting Institution all pages, signatures and stamp

2. Write down and upload a Final Report (not more than 15 pages) only in the case of Curricular Internships; a Final Report for internships which are part of the preparation of the final project is not needed.

3. Fill in the online questionnaire.

The Internship Committee, after examining the documents uploaded (previously checked by the Internship Office) and checking the tutor's evaluation, will approve the internship and proceed with the online validation of the learning activity in AlmaEsami.

The University of Bologna guarantees insurance cover for students against accidents at work and third-party liability claims. These policies are written by insurance companies that are specialised in the sector.
In the event of travel to locations or structures which are not indicated in the approved Internship Program, the student can request an extension of the insurance cover - even during the internship - on condition that the travel concerned is consistent with the objectives of the internship. Travels not included in the Internship Programme will have to be communicated to the Internship Office.

Online courses on health and safety are compulsory for all students.

For internships inside UNIBO laboratories, it is also required to complete the online course on health and safety by attending an additional module of 4 hours (Module 3). Please contact Ing. Veronica Rossi tel 0543 374406 veronica.rossi5@unibo.it for more information about the next courses' schedule.