GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

Three-year Bachelor programs allow students to include an educational internship experience (curricular internship) in their study plans. An internship is worth 6 credit points, as an alternative to an elective course held in Italian (see "Bachelor Degree Program structure").

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 following paragraphs does not apply: Duration, Positioning, Approval  and validation of internships, Registration, Other activities recognized in lieu of internships.

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, part-time internships can  be allowed, as long as they last a minimum of 16 weeks, in Italy or abroad.

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 areas and facilitate their professional choices. Students acquire direct knowledge of the continuously evolving world of work. The  contents of internships must be aligned with the educational objectives of the 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. Internships held on the premises of the participant's family property are not acceptable. 

 

Positioning
As the aim of the internship is to acquire personal and working experience, the University is positioning such experience after the completion of learning activities which are fundamental to gain theoretical basic knowledge.
Therefore, 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;
• International Relations Service (SRI) - International Internship Office;
• Program Direction.
  

Students can also find internships via their own channels. In this case, the University will carefully monitor the internship request and the correct running. 
 

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 internship agreement and a training and orientation 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.

Internships abroad with Career Service, if they are not run by internship agreement and a relating training project, can be run by a working or internship contract stipulated with the company or by other documentation demonstrating practice educational experience according with the local laws where the experience is held. Internships which are not provided with such documentation cannot be recognised for the awarding of credit points.

Therefore 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.

Approval and validation of internships - Internship recognition

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

Before the internship: the Service checks the internship content and ensures that it is consistent with the student's educational path. For internships run with the Career Service, the Service will contact the student to agree upon a date to take part in the Internship Group , a preparatory meeting for the internship experience.

When completing the internship: 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:

• a form to record the internship in the  student's academic career, showing initial internship authorization and final validation from the Service of reference;
• a final internship evaluation sheet  filled out by the student  (on official University form);
• final internship evaluation sheet filled out by the tutor of the company or institution (on official University form ;
• certification that the internship was held released by the host company for internships carried out with the Career Service;
  

Interruption
Interruption of the internship is possible for serious and/or certified reasons orfor other reasons such as:

Absence of the tutor or lack of assistance and participation, contents which are clearly not educational as they are not coherent with the educational project or serious personal reasons.

Registration

The internship must be recorded in the student's academic career by the deadline for the completion of the exams provided for in the program structure set for the graduation. 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 graduation deadline for the completion of the educational activities.
A curricular internship is worth 1 point (out of 110) in the calculation of 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.eu/financialaid> Download Area.

Contributions for internships in the European Union

Erasmus Student Placement: the LLP/Erasmus program offers students scholarships for curricular internships in companies and research and training centers located in one of the countries participating in the Program.   Information regarding duration, place, amount of contribution, eligibility, requirements, and participating institutions/companies are available on www.ir.unibocconi.eu and http://www.cs.unibocconi.eu. The scholarships are not cumulative with contributions indicated in the preceding title.

Erasmus Student Placement: the LLP/Erasmus program offers students scholarships for curricular internships in companies and research and training centers located in one of the countries participating in the Program.   Information regarding duration, place, amount of contribution, eligibility, requirements, and participating institutions/companies are available on www.ir.unibocconi.it e . The scholarships are not cumulative with contributions indicated in the preceding title.

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 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;
• public administration, public bodies and 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 and Interdepartmental Decree of 22 March 2006 Official Journal no. 159 of 11 July 2009) and by the University.  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 which is updated daily with internship and work opportunities reserved to Bocconi students;
• 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.  The desired curriculum and personal characteristics of the candidates are decided each time by the companies, which are directly involved in the selection, based on the educational project.

 

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 (internship 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
Piazza Sraffa 11
e-mail: infostage@unibocconi.it
e-mail: infocareer@unibocconi.it
http://www.cs.unibocconi.eu/

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: companies active in international markets (excluding the European Union), Italian Chamber of Commerce abroad 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 www.ir.unibocconi.eu/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.

Participation to the programs

Students  may apply to International Organizations programs (some of the institutions) and Field Projects. 

Students  may apply to International Organizations programs (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:

• all students: knowledge of the foreign language used in the host institution;
• for students enrolled in the 2^nd year: 60% of first-year credit points; for students enrolled in the 3^rd year: all first-year credit points and 60% of second-year credit points.
  

For further information about requirements see the website at www.ir.unibocconi.eu/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 www.ir.unibocconi.eu/internship);
• copy of any language certifications;
• 1 passport photo, signed on the back;
• official academic transcript or official graduate 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 serious 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 www.ir.unibocconi.eu/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 2010
Application deadline: 9 October 2009

Module 2
Internship period: April - June 2010
Application deadline: January 2010 (date to be fixed)

Module 3
Internship period: July - September 2010
Application deadline: March 2010 (date to be fixed)


Module 4
Internship period: October - December 2010
Application deadline: June 2010 (date to be fixed).

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

Website

For updates and further information on the programs described above, consult the website of the International Internship Office of the International Relations Service at www.ir.unibocconi.eu, Undergraduate School section. 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 (SRI)
International Internship Office 
piazza Sraffa, 11 - 20136 Milan
fourth floor, room 408
www.ir.unibocconi.eu/internship
phone no. 02 5836.2253
fax 02 5836.2207
email: international.internship@unibocconi.it