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GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

2018-2019 A.Y.
Master of Science Programs (2-y)



5.
INTERNSHIPS

All Master of Science programs include an internship/apprenticeship/training (hereinafter internship) or similar activity in the program requirements, classified as compulsory educational activities. These activities are worth from 6 to 8 credit points depending on the program structure of the MSc Program (see "Program Structures of MSc Programs").

It is possible to participate in other internship experiences, during your studies or after graduation, which do not have curricular value and for which the information in the paragraphs and sections is not applied: "Duration", "Positioning", "Internship Recognition, "Activities Similar to Internships and Recognition".
In this chapter, curricular intership exclusively stands for curricular internship for credit.

Last change 05/06/2018 10:17

5.1.
Characteristics of curricular internships

Curricular internships must have the following characteristics regarding duration, objectives and content, location and positioning.

Duration
Minimum 12 full-time weeks, in Italy.
Minimum 10 full-time weeks, outside Italy.

Subject to prior approval from the Master of Science Program Director or his/her delegate, a part-time internship could be considered an option. However, it must last at least 16 weeks in Italy or abroad.

The number of weeks is understood as continuous and non-cumulative.
For variations on duration, see paragraph 5.5 Postponment, suspension, withdrawal/interruption.

Objectives and contents
The internship is an in-the-field training experience and not an employment contract. Its regulations are valid in Italy and are set by law (national and regional law) and by the University.
The objective of internships is to educate. They allow students to learn about the world of work, developing professional skills and knowledge and they facilitate their professional choices. The content of the internship must be consistent with the educational objectives of the MSc program the student is enrolled in. The in-the-field experience includes a company tutor (professional expert) supporting the students. The company tutor should be referred to for anything the student needs or the company needs within the University.

Location
Internships may take place – in Italy and outside Italy – in companies, public and private institutions, professional firms, international organisms, diplomatic agencies, cultural institutions and other organizations (hereinafter company).
Internships held on the premises of the participant's family property are not accepted.

Internships whose activities are held remotely are not accepted.

The University reserves the right to evaluate the eligibility of the location of the internship.

Positioning

Students may participate in internships during their second year.
Students may participate in an internship only after completing first-year courses.
It is possible, as an exception, to participate in an internship in advance, before enrollment in MSc programs but after the undergraduate degree, in compliance with the requirement of not overlapping the internship with class activities; in this case there are various authorization and validation procedure 5.4 Internship recognition).

     


As an exception, internships may be recorded in the academic career as a first-year educational activity.

Last change 19/07/2018 17:08

5.2.
Finding internship and application

Bocconi University recognizes internships found through any of the following channels:
  • Markets and External Affairs Division (see information below);
  • MSc Program Direction;
  • Found by the student, at highly qualified companies only. In this case, the Master of Science Program Director and the Internship Office will carefully monitor the internship request. Students should ask the company to get in touch with the University well in advance of the internship, by accessing the JobGate portal.

The Markets and External Affairs Division promotes and makes available internship opportunities in Italy and abroad through:
  • JobGate: an online platform matching supply and demand, updated on a daily basis;
  • Speciale Stage Curriculari: a program held once every six months for internships offered by the companies who are part of the University partnership programs; 
  • Bocconi & Jobs Italy and Abroad: a career fair which allows students to meet with numerous companies and institutions from all sectors. 
  • Recruiting date: recruiting occasions reserved for graduate students. 
  • Investment Bank Weekends: meetings with the leading institutions in the sector; 
  • Meetings with employers on and off campus: presentations of the hiring programs within companies, networking activities and individual recruiting interviews with company representatives (Drop-In). 
  • Cv@B: online students and graduates CV books visible to and searchable by employers.
Last change 05/06/2018 10:42

5.3.
Internship formalization

Internships must be formalized, i.e. they must be governed by a document that regulates its aims and content. This document is the Internship Agreement, and it contains the internship’s training project.

Formalization requires the following steps:
  1. As the sole promoter of the initiative, the University prepares all the necessary legal documentation, checks the quality of the content of the training project, and provides insurance coverage.
  2. Once the student (hereinafter trainee) has been selected and the internship details have been agreed, the company fills out the internship document (entering information and content) on JobGate by the Monday preceding the start of the internship. Internships always start on a Monday. The information relating to the internship will be visible by the trainee on JobGate, in the area “My Internships” of the yoU@B Diary, so that he/she can check that the content agreed upon by with the company during the interviews are coherent with the specified content. The confirmation is valid for accepting the internship.
  3. The Internship Office checks the training project and, after checking the internship content and quality and if it is carried out in accordance with the law, confirms the internship. The University can negotiate internship content and conditions with the company and, in case of no agreement, may refuse to start the internship.
  4. Before starting the internship, the student must: 
    • request advance authorization from the University and wait until it has been granted;
    • access the course “Internship...Let’s Go!” available under Extracurricular Courses on the Bocconi BBoard website.
  5. On the first day of the internship, the company downloads the internship document from JobGate and it is signed by the trainee along with a company legal representative or delegated party. The original document is promptly sent by the company to the Internship Office so it can be signed by the University. 
  6. The trainee must ensure that the company sends the original copy of the document to the University. If it is not returned, the internship cannot be considered valid. The internship document, completed with all signatures, is uploaded on JobGate in the area “My Internships – Attachments” by the University to be used by the company and by the trainee.

Internships outside Italy are also formalized through an internship agreement in compliance with the procedure described above. However, such internships can also be run with an internship contract between the trainee and the company or another document demonstrating practical educational experience according with the local laws where the internship experience is held. Such documentation must be sent well in advance, along with a description of the internship activities and contact information for the company tutor, by the trainee to the Internship Office through the Help&Contact procedure on the yoU@B Diary before the start of the internship. Experiences without such documentation that is not submitted by the deadlines described above cannot be recognized as an internship by the University.

For internships completed outside Italy, trainees must verify the methods for obtaining, if requested, the appropriate visa and ony other needed document so that the internship can be carried out in compliance with the law of the host country. If documentation from the University is also needed to support the visa request, the trainee can make reference to the cert@B procedure for official certifications and the Internship Office (through the Help&Contact procedure) for any ad hoc documents (see paragraph Certifications and Documents).
For internships completed outside Italy the trainee must sign an Indemnity on JobGate before departure. With this document, the student declares to be aware that the University cannot ensure the security and solvency of the institution and the country in which he/she has freely decided to carry out the internship. In addition, trainees may refer to International SOS to receive assistance regarding healthcare, safety, logicistics or legal issues in emergency situations. Before beginning the internship, the student must view the “Bocconi Students Travel Risk Policy” (available on the yoU@B Diary) and comply with the measures for mitigating risk suggested therein. It is the student’s responsibility to take out healthcare insurance through a suitable international medical policy valid in the country where the internship will be completed for the entire duration of the stay, in particular in counties not covered by the European Health Insurance Card.

For some typologies of internships the trainee and the company tutor are invited to fill out the mid-term evaluation form, indicatively one and a half months after the start of the experience. The trainee can view the form filled out by the company tutor and can decide whether to authorize the tutor to view the completed form.

Shortly before the end of the experience, the following end-of-internship documents are required for validation purposes:
  • Evaluation form filled out by the student via the yoU@B student Diary along with the final report (this report is only for internships completed outside Italy)
  • evaluation form from the company tutor on the JobGate. The assessment by the company tutor also includes the skills acquired.

The student has the responsibility to make sure that the tutor has filled out his/her form. All end-of internship documents are available to be filled out starting two weeks before the end of the internship.

At the end of the internship and upon request of the trainee, the company must issue an internship certification.
Last change 19/07/2018 17:07

5.4.
Internship recognition (advance authorization and final validation)

All internship experiences must be approved in advance in order to ensure their consistency and coherence with the educational objectives of the Master of Science the student is enrolled in. At the end of the internship, these experiences are validated so that credit points can be allocated.

In order to obtain recognition of the internship the steps described below must be followed.

Advance authorization

  1. Before the beginning of the experience and after viewing the internship on JobGate and confirming it, the student must request advance authorization, by accessing the area ‘My internships’ and clicking on ‘Request internship recognition.’
  2. The request is automatically made viewable to the Program Director or his/her delegate who can give his/her approval, reject it or, for more information, ask the student to schedule a meeting.
  3. The student views the request outcome in the ‘My internships’ area on JobGate.

Notice: without advance authorization, the internship will not be started as a curricular internship.

For the MSc in Management, the following internships cannot be recognized as curricular internships: at Italian chambers of commerce abroad, professional firms and, as a general rule, Italian embassies and consulates abroad and other Italian diplomatic representative institutions abroad.

If the internship is completed before finalization of enrollment in an MSc program and after the undergraduate degree, students may request authorization to have the experience recognized as a Master of Science curricular internship. The request must be made via Help&Contact to the Internship Office (the Internship Office will contact the Program Director) by the end of the teaching period (end of second semester lectures) of the first year of studies.

Students cannot request authorization before the end of the internship and before the beginning of the first year in any way (even if he/she initially enrolled in the MSc program as of the internship starting date).

If students complete further internships in the years following the first year with potential curricular value, the internship already recorded in the study plan will remain valid.

Final validation
Once the internship has ended, the Program Director views the evaluation forms filled out by the trainee and company tutor (end-of-internship documentation). The evaluation forms will be analyzed carefully. If more information is needed, a meeting with the student may be scheduled. Once final recognition has been obtained, the student can check the credit points recording in his/her academic career via Punto Blu.

The University will carry out checks during the student’s internship in order to verify that the internship is actually taking place. In case the student is repeatedly missing, the internship will be annulled. Immediate communication on the internship annulment will be forwarded to the student, the Program Director and the host company.

In case of behavior contrary to the Honor Code or Regulations for University Internships during the internship, students can be reported to the Disciplinary Board by the Internship Office.

Registration of the credit points must be recorded in the student's academic career by the deadline set for the study plan completion for the graduation session.

Generally, the internship needs to be completed by that date. Uncompleted internships which have met the minimum duration of time can still be recognized in the student's academic career, only if:
  • the student must graduate before the end of the internship
  • the student applies for a scholarship.

In these cases, at least one week before the deadline set for the completion of the study plan or the other deadlines indicated above, the student must:
  • complete the end-of-internship documents within the time needed to record the internship in the student’s academic career;
  • make an explicit request for recognition for early ending of the internship via the Help&Contact procedure.


Last change 05/06/2018 10:47

5.5.
Postponment, suspension, Withdrawal/Interruption

Postponement
Before the end of the internship, a postponement may be requested for a limit of 6 months of the duration of the internship. The Internship Office may grant a postponement after carefully evaluating the reasons for the request and only if the company demonstrates that more time is needed to reach the educational objective for the complexity of the project.
The postponement period must be communicated in advance by the company to the Internship Office on the JobGate in the My Internships area ‘Internship duration changes’ and the trainee must access the portal to confirm the postponement entered.

Suspension
Upon agreement with Bocconi University, a temporary suspension period for the internship of a maximum of 30 days can be allowed (e.g. company closure, national holiday) to be recovered at the end of the internship if it affects the minimum duration of the curricular internship. Such period must always be communicated in advance by the company through JobGate in the My Internships area - Internship duration changes, if more than 3 consecutive working days are reached.

Withdrawal/Interruption
Without serious and/or justified reasons or reasons of force majeure, there will be limitations for accessing a new internship, which cannot be started before one month from the date of withdrawal/interruption of the previous internships.
Withdrawals, with relating reasons, must be communicated by the trainee before the start of the internship in the My Internships area Internship Duration Changes. Interruptions, with the relating reasons, must be immediately communicated by the company through the JobGate in the My Internships area - ‘Internship duration changes’. The trainee must access the portal and confirm the interruption entered.

In case of curricular internships, early interruptions not authorized in advance by the Internship Office can result in the internship not being recognized, even if the minimum duration has been met. Early authorization is given on the basis of the evaluation of all internship characteristics, including the duration. The student should forward the request for authorization for early interruption of the Internship Office through the Help&Contact procedure available on the yoU@B. The Internship Office will reply to the request.

Last change 19/07/2018 15:22

5.6.
Contributions

The internship is not paid. At their discretion, companies may grant an indemnity (monetary contribution). For unpaid internships carried out abroad (for which no indemnity is provided), scholarships may be given by Bocconi University.
Depending on the specific internship requirement the following may be provided:

  • Fondo Sostegno Giovani scholarship
  • ERASMUS+ scholarship
  • Bocconi scholarship for international mobility
  • Contribution for internships at the MAECI institutions (Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation)
  • Contribution for internships at international organizations


The Fondo Sostegno Giovani scholarship, the ERASMUS+ scholarship and the contribution for internships at the MAECI Institution are incompatible with each other. It is possible to cumulate the Bocconi scholarship**(SEE NOTE) with one of the other types of contributions (no other combinations of the scholarships described above are possible). There are also Bocconi scholarships for internships at public institutions in Italy without indemnity **(SEE NOTE). For more information, check the website: Scholarships for internships abroad.

**IMPORTANT: This information should be regarded as superseded by the final provision approved in February 2019. Please read the updated information and details very carefully, available at Funding > Other Financial Aid Opportunities > Contributions for International Mobility and Internship Programs.

Last change 20/06/2019 18:13

5.7.
Activities similar to internship and recognition

Though internships remain the main educational activity for students to put their studies into practice, other activities known as "similar activities" in lieu of the internships can be recognized. These include:

1. qualified work experiences, with employment contracts, such as, for example, temporary or permanent work. These are subject to the same rules (duration, positioning and channels for finding the experience) as internships. To request recognition, students must take the following steps:
  • Before the internship or when it starts, students must send – via the Help&Contact procedure available on the yoU@B – a copy of the contract signed with the company. Students must verify that the contract includes (or, as an alternative they must provide the following information in an attachment) the following information: name and company typology, field of the activity, number of employees, location, name and email address of a company reference person, period of the activity, description of activity and/or role.
  • The Internship Office enters the information relating to the activity similar to an internship via JobGate and the student must request the advance authorization, by entering ‘My internships-Training Project’ and clicking on ‘Request internship recognition’.
  • At the end of the minimum of the duration for internship recognition, students must upload in the ‘My internship’ area in ‘Attachments’ area, a short report including information on the type of experience and a declaration by the company certifying the presence of the student at the company in the period specified on the recognition request. After this has been completed, students should inform the Internship Office through Help&Contact on yoU@B.
  • After appropriate assessment, the Program Director will proceed with the final recognition in accordance with the procedure specified in paragraph paragraph 5.4 Internship recognition.

Students who wish to request validation of an internship they completed before enrollment in an MSc program (after having been awarded the undergraduate degree), must complete the request before the end of the teaching period (end of lectures of second semester) of the first year of studies.

2. in-the-field projects, which have two types:
2.1 in-the-field projects activated by the MSc Program Direction following specific agreements with a company, an institution or professional office. 2.1 They must include the following activities:
  • in-class activities: classroom activities guided by the faculty member (methodological tools), presentations from professionals in their field (e.g. applications of methodological tools);
  • in-the-field activities monitored by professionals in the field and by a faculty member: case analyses, formulation and presentation of the work (group or individual) to outside professionals in the field and to a faculty member.

Since internships must last 10-12 weeks, the activities mentioned above are structured to meet the same criteria in terms of hours and/or workload. In this way, field projects are equivalent to internships.

The majority of hours must be dedicated to in-the-field activities.

Recognition is carried out on the basis of a list provided to the Internship Office by the Director of the in-the-field projects including those students who intend to have this activity recognized as similar to an internship and have completed this experience.
2.2 On the field research project. This is an activity promoted by a faculty member involving the student exclusively in a research activity to be carried out at a Research Center or a Department at the University. Assuming that this activity is considered a part-time experience, the minimum duration for the internship recognition is 16 weeks and the maximum is 6 months. The procedure for authorization and recognition is the same as for internships (see paragraph 5.4 Internship recognition) except for a final report on the activity carried out attaching papers or reports to be uploaded to JobGate by the student at the end of the experience.
Last change 19/07/2018 17:05

5.8.
Certifications and documents

To request certifications to from University specifying participation in an international mobility program or internship, you must use the cert@B procedure available on the yoU@B Diary (see chapter 11 Certifications, self-declarations and Diploma Supplement). These types of certificates are subject to duty stamp fees. The documents described in the following paragraphs are exceptions to this procedure.

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5.8.1.
Declarations

  • Declaration of completed internship: trainees must provide the address of the recipient of the declaration.
    In order to obtain this declaration, the internship needs to have already been recorded on JobGate and, in the case of curricular internships for credit, it needs to have been recorded on the academic career.
  • To support a visa application or request: the student must provide the name and address of the company/intuition/diplomatic office/immigration office to address the declaration and the characteristics of the declaration.

These declarations are exempt from duty stamp fees. Requests for the above declarations must be sent to the Internship Office through Help&Contact on yoU@B.

Markets and External Affairs Division
Internship Office

Piazza Sraffa 11 - 20136 Milano
Help@Contact: available on the yoU@B Diary
Placement Library/Career Service Information Desk
Piazza Sraffa 11 - 20136 Milano
Ph. +39 02 5836 2711
placement.library@unibocconi.it
http://www.cs.unibocconi.it/
Last change 05/06/2018 10:54