Internships

What is an internship?

The University of Parma promotes curricular internships which allow students to gain first-hand knowledge of their future career prospects through a period of work experience at the conclusion of their studies.

Curricular internships aim to integrate the skillset developed by students during their studies, and can be undertaken in both structures within the university as well as in accredited external structures in the public and private sector.

These internships involve three partners: the intern (student), the promoting body (the University of Parma), and the host (company or institution). Students complete their internship at the host company or institution under the guidance of a university tutor (a university lecturer) and a company tutor.

Curricular internships do not constitute a premise for future employment contracts between the intern and the host company or institution, and cannot be considered as substitutes for paid professional labour or services.

Typology and duration of internships

Internships with a duration of 150 hours are assigned 6 ECTS. Internships are completed during students’ second year of study in either a public institution or private company, in Italy or abroad. It is also possible to undertake an internship at one of the internal structures at the University of Parma. Students must indicate the typology of internship they intend to undertake during the completion of their study plan. This internship must be relevant to students’ field of study and coherent with the learning objectives of the degree course on which they are enrolled.

Activating an internship

The activation procedure for curricular internships takes place entirely online, using the ESSE3 platform.

Further information regarding the activation procedures for curricular internships is available on the dedicated university website: https://www.unipr.it/tirocini-curriculari-online

External internships

Students can apply for existing internship opportunities through the ESSE3 platform, or can identify a potential internship opportunity at a public institution or private company individually. This institution or company must then submit an internship project on the ESSE3 platform, after signing a convention with the University of Parma. Further information regarding the convention procedure is available on the dedicated university website: https://www.unipr.it/servizi/servizi-lo-studio/tirocini-e-stage/tirocini-curriculari-line/procedura-aziende

Before the submission of the internship project on ESSE3, students are required to obtain approval from their university tutor regarding the pertinence of the internship to the learning objectives of the degree course on which they are enrolled.

Students may choose their university tutor from among the lecturers of their degree course, in accordance with the content and activities of the internship.

1. What should I do at the beginning of my internship?

Once the training project has been approved by both the university internship office (U.O. tirocini) and the university tutor, students may begin their internship. Students must compile the attached attendance register with their effective hours of work (see attached Modulo A “scheda presenze”).

2. What should I do during my internship?

During the internship, students are required to regularly inform their university tutor of their progress.

3. What should I do at the end of my internship?

At the conclusion of the internship, students and university tutors must complete the evaluation questionnaire on the ESSE3 platform. Moreover, students must upload the completed attendance register signed by their university tutor (see attachment, Modulo A “scheda presenze”) and a final report in English. Before uploading this report, students must receive the approval of their university tutor. After approval, this report must also be sent to the course internship coordinator.

University tutors then verify the completion of the internship and the required documentation, and proceed to register the assigned ECTS in the student’s study plan.

For information regarding the creation of the final report, see Modulo B “relazione finale”.

Internal internships

In the case of internships at an internal university structure, students must first contact the course internship coordinator, who will activate the required procedure on the ESSE3 platform.

Once the coordinator has activated the internship, students can proceed with their choice of university tutor, following the indications outlined in the section dedicated to external internships.

Course internship coordinator

For the Master’s degree in Language Sciences and Cultural Studies for Special Needs, the internship coordinator is Prof. Chiara Denti. The coordinator can assist students in their choice of host company or institution, and provide information regarding the internship process.