Internships

The University of Parma promotes curricular internships in order to facilitate professional choices through direct knowledge of the world of work and the realisation of moments of alternation between study and work.

The internship does not constitute a prerequisite for an employment relationship between the trainee and the host structure, nor it can be a substitute for company labour or professional services.

Students who are already working as workers in the education services or who have carried out certain types of community service are invited to refer to the section Alternatives to an internship at the end of this page.

The internship is a time to complete and deepen the student's theoretical preparation through confrontation with daily practice.

In particular, students are asked to:

  • learn to contextualise knowledge and make it dialogue with educational practice
  • understand the complexity of the educational context
  • understand the phases, methods, roles and contents of educational planning and the realisation of educational work
  • learn to observe and self-observe in the educational context
  • learn to reflect on experience
  • develop a critical sense

The duration of the internship depends on what is included in your programme of study (see your own page in Esse3). In particular:

  • for L-19 students enrolled up to a.y. 2018/2019 inclusive, 9 ECTS credits = 225 h;
  • for L-19 students enrolled as of a.y. 2019/2020, 12 ECTS credits = 300 h.

The internship hours must be carried out in a single institution and in a single service.

Further information can be found in the Internship Regulations.

Online internship procedure, from activation to registration

The administrative management of internships is entirely carried out online through the Esse3 application. It is accessed by all the actors involved, i.e. the student, the host company and the university tutor, each with their own credentials.

The steps involved in starting the internship are as follows:

  1. The student, during the permitted time windows, includes the internship into his or her programme of study, using Esse3. The options from which he/she can choose are the modes and the number of possible ECTS credits.
  2. The student attends two initial meetings with intership supervisors to prepare for the experience and reflect on the training value of the internship. Meetings are compulsory. Dates and modalities are indicated in the following paragraphs.
  3. The student chooses the institution in which to carry out the internship, according to one of the following possibilities:
    - apply for an opportunity from among those available on Esse3, if the host organisation has posted an open opportunity;
    - make contact with an organisation of your choice and wait for the contact person of that organisation to start an internship for a student known on the Esse3 platform, after signing the agreement with the university. Should the student need advice and support regarding the identification of the internship location, he/she may contact the internship supervisors. The procedure for concluding the agreement and starting the internship can be found in the practical guide for companies.
  4. The host organisation prepares the training project together with the student. In doing so, please note that:
    - the internship start date must be at least 15 days after the project presentation to the university tutor;
    - the legal name of an organisation (e.g. "Cooperative XYZ") is not always indicative of the context in which the internship takes place and to which the objectives are linked;
    - special attention must be paid to the drafting of the objectives, which must be related to the professional figure of the coordinator in the specific context in which the internship takes place.
  5. After examining the training project completed by the contact person of the host institution, the student chooses his or her university tutor within Esse3, following the areas of competence indicated in the following paragraphs. The student also confirms the project, which the system automatically sends to the Academic Tutor for approval.
  6. Once the university tutor and the University Internship Division have approved the training project in Esse3 (APPROVAL TIMES: 15 working days from the correct receipt of the project), the student receives an automatic confirmation email: only after receipt of this email can the internship begin.

During the internship:

  1. The student is required to keep track of and sign the hours worked, using the form provided (Attachment B).
  2. After having completed approximately 1/3 of the total hours of the internship, the student participates in the first monitoring meeting with the internship supervisors, during which the group discusses the experience to date and makes an initial assessment of the pursuit of the training objectives and the appropriateness of any changes.
  3. After about two-thirds of the internship, the student participates in the second monitoring meeting during which they reflect on the drafting of the final report and the value of the internship that is coming to an end. Meetings are compulsory. Dates and modalities are indicated in the following paragraphs.

At the end of the internship the student:

  1. Fills in the internship evaluation questionnaire on Esse3.
  2. Prepares the final report, as indicated in the following paragraphs.
  3. Uploads the following three documents, all in pdf format, to the Esse3 platform:
    - the final report;
    - the attendance sheets, scanned and signed by the company tutor;
    - the internship evaluation form, completed and signed by the company tutor on the appropriate form (Attachment C).
  4. Sends an e-mail to his/her university tutor to inform him/her of the inclusion of all the required documentation on Esse3. It will then be the responsibility of the university tutor to convene the student for a discussion on the educational significance of the experience. Following this meeting, the university tutor closes the internship and records the relevant ECTS credits in the student's career.

Role and contact persons for the internship

ROLE

FUNCTIONS

CONTACT

University tutor

- Ensures the educational and scientific value of the internship
- Assesses and approves the training project at an early stage and accredits the internship

See next paragraph:
"Internship areas and university tutors"

Internship supervisors

- Guidance in the choice and identification of the host company/institution
- Formative guidance right from the start of the internship, monitoring of the internship pathway and support for reflection and re-elaboration of the experience
- Liaison with companies and company tutors
- Support in the event of any kind of criticality at the start, during or at the end of the internship

Dr. Roberta Bertoli
roberta.bertoli@unipr.it

Dr. Elena Brugnoni
elena.brugnoni@unipr.it

Dr. Livia Fugalli
livia.fugalli@unipr.it

Dr. Sara Manzini
sara.manzini@unipr.it

Contact person for internships for the L-19 and LM-50

- Contact person for degree courses in the pedagogical area and head of the internship coordination

 

Technical-administrative support service for internships in the pedagogical area

- First information desk on internships and technical-administrative support on the use of the Esse3 platform for internships
- Accreditation and agreement procedures for Host Institutions/Companies
- Answers to procedural and technical difficulties or questions

Dr. Giuditta Diroma
tirocini.educazione@unipr.it

Internship areas and university tutors

SOCIO-PEDAGOGICAL CURRICULUM

AREA

TYPES OF SERVICES

UNIVERSITY TUTORS

Disability

socio-occupational centers, socio-rehabilitation centers, day and residential, lower intensity facilities (apartment groups, protected residences), integration projects
with territories, school and home educational experiences for children with disabilities etc.

Prof. Dimitris Argiropoulos

Elderly people

rest homes, day centres

Prof. Damiano Felini

Addiction

communities, associations

Prof. Dimitris Argiropoulos

Marginality, deviance and vulnerability

communities, associations

Prof. Dimitris Argiropoulos

Interculture

associations, cooperatives, inclusion project

Prof. Dimitris Argiropoulos (A-L)

Prof. Luca Giliberti (M-Z)

Local governments

departments of educational, social, school services and their operational, planning and organizational units etc.

Prof. Andrea Pintus

Vocational training

training centres and training bodies, permanent territorial centres, company training

Prof. Luana Salvarani

Families, minors and adolescents

family homes, housing communities, residences for mothers and children, counselling centres, youth centres, toy libraries

Prof. Damiano Felini (A-L)

Prof. Andrea Pintus (M-Z)

Cultural services

museums, libraries, archives

Prof. Diego Varini (A-L)

Prof. Mariangela Scarpini (M-Z)

School

school education projects and services aimed at promoting the welfare and education of pupils through the direct involvement of professional figures
such as socio-pedagogical educators and pedagogists etc.

Prof. Andrea Pintus (A-L)

Prof. Luca Giliberti (M-Z)

Prison

prison schools, educational and training services and projects for incarcerated individuals etc.

Prof. Dimitris Argiropoulos

Pediatrics

school in hospital, play and animation services in pediatric settings

Prof.ssa Maja Antonietti

 

CURRICULUM INFANCY

AREA

TYPES OF SERVICES

UNIVERSITY TUTORS

Infancy

nurseries and micro-nursery schools, integrative child care and education services (play spaces, child and family centers, educational services in home settings), child care centers 0/6

Prof. Maja Antonietti (A-I)

Prof. Marco Bartolucci (J-Q)

Prof. Mariangela Scarpini (R-Z)

Start, monitoring and end of internship meetings

In order for internships to be effective in terms of training and efficient in terms of organization and management, their management has been reformulated.

Five compulsory meetings are scheduled for all students during the internship:

  • Initial group meeting, led by the internship supervisors, in which all information on the procedure for starting the internship is provided and the objectives of the internship within the academic pathway are reflected upon.
  • Second initial group meeting, led by internship supervisors, dedicated to the tools, actions and practices to be implemented during the internship.
  • First group monitoring meeting, to be held at approximately ⅓ of the hours. This meeting with the supervisors and the other students doing the internship will be an opportunity for group discussion on the experience to date, making an initial assessment of the pursuit of the training objectives and making an initial analysis of the context that welcomed the student.
  • Second group monitoring meeting, to be held at approximately ⅔ hours.This will be an opportunity to reread and reflect on the course so far with an eye to the drafting of the final report.
  • A final individual meeting with the Academic Tutor. This interview includes a discussion with the professor/instructor on the final report drawn up by the student and on the formative significance of the experience carried out, also in relation to the broader degree course, as well as the closure of the internship on an administrative level. It will be the responsibility of the professor/instructor to propose a date for the individual final meeting after receipt of the required documentation.

Initial meetings are repeated in 3 period options (autumn, winter, pre-summer) and the monitoring ones are repeated on a monthly basis; based on their own needs, but taking into account the hours worked, each student can freely decide on which date to attend.

 

Meeting dates - A.Y. 2024-2025

The kick-off and monitoring meetings will be held in the classroom with the internship supervisors (Dr. Bertoli Roberta, Dr. Livia Fugalli and Dr. Sara Manzini) on the dates and times indicated below. Attendance is a means to deepen discussion and exchange on the internship experiences carried out.

Important NOTE:
booking is required by filling in the form indicated at the link of each meeting (one form for each meeting) which remains open up to 5 days before the date.

 

KICK-OFF MEETINGS

The two kick-off meetings have different aims and contents: participation should therefore be organized in the order indicated.

1st MEETING

  • 25/09/2024 (14:30-17)
    Classroom B and C - Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK
  • 18/12/2024 (9:30-12)
    Classroom Magna and B - Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK

2nd MEETING

  • 07/10/2024 (9:30-12)
    Classroom F and Magna "Scivoletto" - Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK
  • 16/01/2025 (14:30-17)
    Classroom Magna and B - Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK

MONITORING MEETINGS

  • 24/07/2024 (14:30-17)
    Classroom A (1st monitoring) and Classroom C (2nd monitoring)
    Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK
  • 18/09/2024 (14:30-17)
    Classroom B (1st monitoring) and Classroom A (2nd monitoring)
    Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  • 23/10/2024 (14:30-17)
    Classroom G (1st monitoring) and Classroom D (2nd monitoring)
    Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK
  • 15/11/2024 (9:30-12)
    Classroom B (1st monitoring) and Classroom D (2nd monitoring)
    Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK
  • 18/12/2024 (14:30-17)
    Classroom B (1st monitoring) and Classroom C (2nd monitoring)
    Via Del Prato University Learning Centre
    Booking is required at this LINK

The Final Report

Instructions for writing the final internship report

At the end of the internship, the student is required to write a final report to be handed in to the university tutor (in .pdf format) to be entered as an attachment on the Esse3 platform, in addition to the attendance sheets and the evaluation form. All documents must be uploaded within approximately 30 days of the end of the internship.

The report should not exceed four to five pages of text (one page is considered to consist of approximately 2000 characters, including spaces), and should help the student make a formative assessment of his or her internship. In particular, it is important for the student to:

  • retrace the various stages of the experience, relating it to what he/she believes he/she has acquired in relation to the training course required by the Degree Course;
  • demonstrate the ability to reflect critically, in a concise and personal manner, on the aspects considered most significant of the activities carried out.


What and how to write

The report must contain the following elements:

  • details of the student (name and surname, registration number, year of course)
  • period of the work internship carried out
  • brief description of the organization where the activity was carried out (name and address, sector of activity, whether public or private, size, interdependence with other organizations, organizational structure and work roles present, description of the work process and the area in which the work internship was carried out)
  • analysis of the work/training experience:
    - aims pursued and activities carried out (recovering the objectives of the Training Project, description of how they have been achieved/changed and of the activities in which one has directly participated and those in which one has played an observational role)
    - interpersonal relations (with the tutor, with the other professional figures present, with the users)
    - difficulties encountered (related to knowledge, of a practical-operational or other nature)
  • evaluation of the work experience (adequacy of one's preparation - theoretical/practical, general/specific
    - with respect to the work experience support provided by the structure's tutor; traineeship received at the structure)
  • evaluation of the training outcomes (comparison with initial expectations, acquisition/enhancement of knowledge, operational skills, behaviour, communication skills)

More detailed information will be given at the monitoring meeting.

Links and useful documents

Alternatives to the internship

The Course Regulations allow the curricular internship to be replaced by a validation procedure for alternative activities of a practical-professional nature.

The possible options are as follows:

  • recognition of training ECTS credits accrued in professional experience outside the degree course or civil service, already carried out or in progress, in accordance with the relevant Regulations;
  • credits for sporting, cultural, artistic and social activities, under the conditions and in the cases provided for by the University procedures

Recognition of training ECTS credits

A student who has already carried out professional or civil service activities in the educational field may request recognition of credits accrued in that context, as an alternative to carrying out the internship.

All information on eligibility and evaluation criteria is contained in the specific Regulations on the recognition of professional activities outside the degree course or national/universal civic service for the purposes of internships (downloadable from this page).

The application must be submitted via the special online form to which you can connect with your University credentials.

The procedure involves the submission of one or more certificates, issued by the employer or the person in charge of the entity where the activity was carried out and in which the actual performance of the activity is attested.

This certification must clearly indicate:

  • the date of commencement and end of the employment or civil service relationship;
  • the total duration of the experience expressed in hours;
  • the type of educational facility and location;
  • the tasks actually performed;
  • for voluntary organisations, the regional or provincial register in which the organisation is registered.

The certification must be attached in PDF format. Please prepare the file(s) by naming them as follows: "Last Name First Name - Annex 1", "Last Name First Name - Annex 2" etc.

ATTENTION: employment contracts are not proof of actual service and are therefore not considered valid.

The application may be submitted at any time during the course year in which the internship is planned, and in any case at least three months before the session in which you plan to graduate.

Within three months of delivery, a special Commission assesses the congruence and the number of validated credits on the basis of the Regulations.

Course tutors can be contacted for information.