GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

Three-year Bachelor programs allow students to include an educational internship experience in their study plans. An internship is worth 6 credit points, as an alternative to an elective course taught in italian (see Chapter 2).

Internships must satisfy the following characteristics involving duration, objectives and contents, location and positioning.

Duration
Minimum  12 weeks, if in Italy;
Minimum  10 weeks, if abroad.

In special cases, a part-time internships can  be allowed, as long as they last a minimum of 16 weeks.

Objectives and contents
The main objective of internships is to educate. They allow students to gain real work world and professional experience while developing professional skills. They help students get their bearings in these environments and facilitate their professional choices. Students gain direct knowledge of the continuously evolving world of work. The internship's contents must be consistent with the educational objectives of the student's degree program.

Throughout the internship, students are supported by a tutor in the firm/organization and a University tutor.

Location
Internships may take place - in Italy and abroad - in firms, public and private institutions, professional studios, international organisms, diplomatic agencies, cultural institutions and other organizations.

Positioning
Students may participate in internships during their third year.
Students may participate in an internship only after completing second-year lessons.
Internships are registered in students' academic careers as a third-year educational activity.

Finding internships
Università Bocconi recognizes internships organized by any of the following parties:

• the Career Service (see following paragraphs);
• International Relations Service (SRI) - International Internship Office (see following paragraph);
• Program Direction.
  
  

Students can also find internships via their own channels. In this case, the University will carefully monitor the internship request. In addition, students must contact the Career Service - Internship Office or the International Internship Office (SRI) well in advance and in any case before starting the internship.

The Career Service  and the International Internship Office (SRI) work together with the Directors of the Bachelor Programs to make the internship characteristics uniform (host company experience and activities to be carried out) and ensure that they meet the educational objectives of the Bachelor Program and educational paths.

Whatever channel is used to find an internship, the host company or organization and Bocconi sign an agreement and a training project on the objectives and contents of the training period. As the promoter of the initiative, the University will prepare all the necessary legal documentation, check the quality of the training projects, and provide insurance coverage.

Approval and validation of internships

 
All internship experiences must be previously approved, using an official University form, by the appropriate Service: Career Service  or SRI - International Internships Office.

The Service checks the internship content and ensures that it is consistent with the student's educational path.

Internships are validated by the Service when completed, so that students may receive academic career recognition for the experience.

The tools used for assessment, internship validation and the student's performance are:

• student's internship report (on an official University form);
• evaluation sheet filled out by the tutor of the company or institution (on an official University form);
• certification that the internship was held, for internships carried out through the Career Service;
• a form to record the student's academic career, showing internship authorization given and the final evaluation by the appropriate Service.
  

Registration
The internship must be recorded in the student's academic career by the deadline for the graduation reservation. Generally, the internship must have been finished by that date.
Any uncompleted internships which have satisfied the minimum duration of time indicated above will still be recognized and can be registered in the student's academic career. In this case, the end-of-internship documents must be completed within the time needed to record the internship in the student's academic career by the deadline for the graduation reservation.
For the participation in a curricular internship 1 point (out of 110) is awarded for the purpose of calculating the graduation grade.

Contributions for internships in Italy and abroad
For students taking part in internships offered by public authorities in Italy, or through international organizations, institutions, authorities and companies abroad promoted by the Career Service and the International Internship Office (SRI) for which no compensation is provided, contributions are available from Università Bocconi: for allocation criteria and application forms see the website at http://www.unibocconi.it/financialaid > Download Area.

Other activities recognized in lieu of internships
Though internships remain the main educational activity aimed at facilitating professional choices, other activities known as "similar activities" are permitted  in lieu of the internships. These include qualified work experiences, with contracts different from those of internships, such as temporary or permanent work, apprenticeships, traineeships, limited-time work contracts ("lavoro a progetto"). These are subject to the same rules (duration, positioning, eligibility) as internships. To have the activity recognized and the credits assigned, students must hand in to the Career Service - Internship Office: a copy of the contract stipulated with the company and a short report from the student containing information on the nature and duration of the activity. This is necessary to prepare the authorization and final validation form to be signed by the Career Service -  Internships Office and recorded in the student's academic career together with other end-of-internship forms.

The Career Service is the University's point of contact for all internship activities, with the exception of the programs organized by the International Relations Service International Internship Office.

The Career Service promotes internship opportunities both in Italy and abroad with public and private organizations:

• industrial and commercial companies, service providers, banks, financial institutions;
• consulting and auditing firms, professional (e.g. accountants) and legal studios;
• government sector, public agencies;
• non-profit organizations;
• cultural and artistic institutions;
• authorities and companies operating in the tourism, communication and media industries.

The Service organizes all administrative procedures required by current regulations.
Furthermore, the Career Service gives useful information to assist students in identifying other opportunities based on specific needs and interests. It also helps students make their application more effective through individual consultation and seminars.
In addition to what has already been said in terms of its characteristics, an internship - known also as traineeship - is an experience which offers in-the-field training, whose regulations are valid in Italy, and are set by law (24 June 1997 no. 196 art. 18 and the decree of 25 March 1998, no. 142).  An internship is not a labour contract.

By law internships are not paid. At their discretion, companies can grant a monetary contribution that would go towards a student's studies.

Participation in internships
Internship opportunities in Italy and abroad are available through:

• JobGate:  a platform online which is daily updated whit internship and placement announcement;
• Arts and Culture Internationl Program: a program offering internship opportunities at cultural institutions in Europe and around  the world;
• Bocconi & Jobs, the University's semi-annual career fair which allows Bocconi students to meet with numerous companies and institutions from all sectors;
• Company presentations in the University: companies present themselves and describe their programs for hiring potential candidates; the calendar for presentations is fixed every six months;
• Placement Library: the Career Service's library dedicated to the world of work. Students can organize the search and retrieval of information which is useful for finding internships and jobs.

These tools help to balance the supply and demand for internships. Securing an internship offer is not necessarily linked to academic qualifications. Companies decide upon the desired curriculum and personal characteristics based on the contents of the educational project. During the internship, each student is supervised by both a company tutor and a tutor from the University.

Documents
The Internship Office of the Career Service is responsible for formalizing the training experience (unless they are arranged by the International Internship Office (SRI), see the following paragraph). It regulates internship implementation (agreements and educational and orientation projects) and provides the necessary documentation to ensure the training experience is recorded in the student's academic career.

Before starting an internship, students must pick up the Educational and Orientation Project form at the Career Service - Internship Office and give it to the company or organization involved.

Information and support
For further information and to sign up for seminars and individual consultation sessions contact the Career Service:

Career Service - Information Desk
via Sarfatti 25
tel. 02.5836.2658/5004
e-mail: infostage@unibocconi.it

Career Service
viale Isonzo 25
tel. 02.5836.5999
e-mail: infocareer@unibocconi.it

http://www.cs.unibocconi.it/eng

The International Relations Service (SRI) - International Internship Office of Università Bocconi offers three different international internship programs at institutions/organizations that are part of its network:

• International Organizations Program: Secretariat, agencies and field offices of the United Nations, the European Commission and other international institutions and non-government organizations throughout the world;
• Field Projects Program: Italian Chamber of Commerce abroad, companies active in international markets (excluding the European Union), and Foreign Consulates in Milan;
• Embassies Program: Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome and each Office abroad: Embassies, Consulates, Italian Cultural Institutes, Italian Permanent Representatives belonging to international institutions.
  
  

To view the network institutions and internship availabilities, check the website at http://www.ir.unibocconi.it/internship.

Students can also find internships by themselves. In this case, students must contact the International Internship Office in order to have the contents assessed and to formalize the agreement. Students are advised to do this well in advance and in any case before starting the internship.

Students eligible for International internship programs

Students enrolled in their second year - starting from the end of second-year lessons - may apply to the International Organizations (some of the institutions) and Field Projects. 

Notice: the Embassies Program is open only to graduates.

Requirements
The requirements for the International Internship programs are:

• knowledge of the foreign language used in the host institution;
• 60% of first-year credit points.
  
  

For further information about requirements see the website at http://www.ir.unibocconi.it/internship

Documents
Students who would like to take part in the above programs must send the following documents in Word format (in one file) via e-mail (international.internship@unibocconi.it) by the set deadlines:

• curriculum vitae and motivation letter in Italian (one for each institution you are applying for);
• curriculum vitae and motivation letter written in the language required by the institution (one for each institution you are applying for).
  
  

In order to complete the application, students must hand in the following items by the set deadlines:

• application form (to be collected from the International Internship Office or downloaded from http://www.ir.unibocconi.it/internship);
• copy of any language certifications;
• 1 passport photo, signed on the back;
• enrolment certification or official academic transcript (printed at Punto Blu terminals).
  
  

Only for the International Organizations Program students need:

• special forms from the individual institutions; ask at the International Internship Office (if required).
   

After the International Internship Office has carried out the pre-selection based on language skills and also academic merit, student profiles will be sent to the institutions which will make the final decision. Students who withdraw from the internship or Exchange Program without good reason, according to an evaluation of the International Relations Service, will be excluded from future pre-selections of all international internship programs (Field Projects, International Organizations and Embassies). If a student is excluded during undergraduate studies, this will not affect the student's eligibility to participate in these programs during graduate studies. Furthermore, for one month no other internship will be allowed, even if the student organizes his/her own.

Periods and deadlines
Internship opportunities organized by the International Internship Office of the International Relations Service are promoted in the International Internships bulletin published on the website at http://www.ir.unibocconi.it/internship.
 

Pre-selection generally takes place every 3 months, according to the deadlines below:

Field Projects and International Organizations Programs

Module 1
Internship period: January - March 2008
Application deadline: 12 October 2007

Module 2
Internship period: April - June 2008
Application deadline:18 January 2008

Module 3
Internship period: July - September 2008
Application deadline: 14 March 2008

Module 4
Internship period: October - December 2008
Application deadline: 13 June 2008.

Each week, "Last Minute" internship opportunities are publicized on the website.

Website
For updates and further information about the programs described above, consult the website of the International Internship Office of the International Relations Service at http://www.ir.unibocconi.it/eng. The website includes:
 

• the "International Internships"bulletin and "Last Minute" internship offers;
• reports from former internship participants;
• any changes to the deadlines and information indicated above.
  
  

For further information
International Relations Service
International Internship Office
via Sarfatti 25 - 20136 Milan
second floor, room 226
http://www.ir.unibocconi.it/internship
tel. 02 5836.2253
fax 02 5836.2207
email: international.internship@unibocconi.it