GUIDES TO THE UNIVERSITY

The Integrated Master of Arts in Giurisprudenza [Law] (CLMG) allows students to include an educational experience of an internship/apprenticeship/training (hereinafter internship) or similar activity, worth 6 credit points, in their study plans. As an alternative to an internship, students can enter an elective course only.

Students may participate in other internship experiences (not worth credit points) during the program or after graduation, which do not have curricular value and for which the information in the following paragraphs and sections does not apply: Duration, Positioning, Internship Recognition, Activities Similar to Internships and Recognition.

In compliance with the same characteristics of curricular internships (see chapter 2.4.1. Characteristics of Curricular Internships), a second experience can be completed worth 6 credits, which will be recorded as an additional internship (see 2.4.4. Internship Recognition). The first internship completed that complies with the characteristics of a curricular internship shall be recorded in the study plan within 300 CPs. Students therefore cannot choose which of the two experiences will be recognized within 300 CPs (see “Program Structure”).

In this chapter, "curricular internship" exclusively stands for curricular internships for credit.
 

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

Duration

• Minimum 12 weeks full-time, if in Italy;

• minimum 10 weeks full-time, if outside Italy;
• minimum 16 weeks in the case of part-time internships, whether in Italy or outside Italy.

Due to the continuing health emergency regarding Covid-19, the minimum duration of internships with start dates before 31/12/2022 has been changed as follows: 

• minimum 8 weeks full-time whether in Italy or outside Italy;
• minimum 11 weeks in the case of part-time internships, whether in Italy or outside Italy. 

The number of weeks is understood as continuous and non-cumulative.
For variations on duration, see paragraph 2.4.5. Postponement, Suspension, Withdrawal/Interruption.

Objectives and content
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,
• develop professional skills and knowledge,
• they facilitate their professional choices.

The content of internships must be aligned with the educational objectives of the degree program the student is enrolled in. The in-the-field experience includes a company tutor (professional expert) supporting students.

The company tutor should be referred to for anything the student needs or the company needs within the University.

Location
Internships may be completed - in Italy and outside Italy - in professional firms, companies, public and private institutions, 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.
In addition to at the facilities of the host organization ("in person" mode), after evaluation and authorization by the University and the host organization, internships can be carried out remotely ("remote" mode) or in "mixed mode" (in person/remotely).
The University reserves the right to evaluate the eligibility of the internship location.

Positioning
Students may participate in internships during their fifth year of studies.
Students may participate in an internship only after completing fourth-year lectures.

Internships can be found through one of the following channels:

• Market & Partners Organizational Unit (see below);

• School of Law;

• Found by the student, at highly qualified companies only. In this case, the Program Director and the Internship Office will carefully monitor the internship request. Students should ask the company to get in touch with the University at least three weeks before the start of the internship, by accessing the JobGate Portal.

The Market & Partners Organizational Unit promotes and makes available internship opportunities in Italy and abroad. For more information, please see the Bocconi website: Campus and Services > Current Students > Career Service.

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

Activation requires the following steps:

1. As the sole promoter of curricular internships, the University prepares all the necessary legal documentation, checks the quality 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 interviews are coherent with the specified content. The confirmation is valid as internship acceptance.
    
3. The Internship Office checks the training project and, after checking the coherence and its quality in accordance with current laws, confirms the internship. The University can negotiate the content and conditions of the internship 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;
   • should watch 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, with a duty stamp when required (duty stamp at the expense of the company), is promptly sent by the company to the Internship Office so it can be signed by the University.During the health emergency period due to Covid-19, as an exception, the signed document can be sent in the form of a scan to the Internship Office through the Help&Contact procedure. After the emergency period, an original copy of the document must be sent to the Internship Office.
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.

To activate an internship outside Italy, it also needs to be 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 along with a description of the internship activities and contact information for the company tutor by the trainee  at least three weeks before the start of the internship to the Internship Office through the procedure on the website Career Service > Internships . Experiences without such documentation that is not submitted by the deadlines described above cannot be assessed or recognized as an internship.

For internships completed outside Italy, student trainees must verify with the company regarding the methods for obtaining, if requested, the appropriate visa and any other required documents 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;
• the Internship Office (through the Help&Contact procedure) for any ad hoc documents (see paragraph 4.8 “Certifications and Documents”).

For internships completed outside Italy, the trainee must:

• view the “Bocconi Students Travel Risk Policy” (available on the yoU@B Diary);
• sign the “Student Responsibility Declaration” document on JobGate. 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;
• comply with the measures for mitigating risk suggested in the Travel Risk Policy. 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.

Students can also refer to International SOS to receive assistance in the areas of health, safety, logistics and legal issues in emergency situations.

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. In the “My Internships” area of the yoU@B Diary, the trainee can view 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 internship, the following end-of-internship documents are required for validation purposes:

• Evaluation form filled out by the student via the yoU@B student Diary;

• Evaluation form from the company tutor filled out on JobGate. The evaluation by the company tutor 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 starting two weeks before the end of the internship and must be completed promptly.
At the end of the internship and upon request of the trainee, the company must issue an internship certification.

All internship experiences must be approved in advance so as to guarantee the quality and consistency with the educational objectives of the Program the student is enrolled in. Internships are validated when completed so that credit points can be allocated.
In order to obtain recognition of the internship, please follow the instructions below.

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 advance authorization’.
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 on JobGate in the ‘My internships’ area.

Note: without advance authorization it will not be started as a curricular internship.

Final validation

1. 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.
    
2. Once final recognition has been obtained from the Director, 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. The internship annulment communication will be forwarded to the student, the Program Director and the host company. In case of behavior contrary to the Honor Code or University regulations during the experience, ì the Internship Office may ì report students to the Disciplinary Board.
    
3. The Study Planning Office (Academic Services) records the internship credits by the deadline for the study plan completion set for graduation. Generally, the internship needs to be completed by that date.

Uncompleted internships which have met the minimum duration of time indicated above may still be recognized in the student's academic career. The recognition is possible only if:

• the student has to graduate before the end of the internship.
• the student applies for a scholarship.

In these cases, at least two weeks before the deadline set for the completion of the study plan or the other deadlines indicated above, the student must:

• make an explicit request for recognition for early ending of the internship via the Help&Contact procedure;
• complete the end-of-internship documents within the time needed to record the internship in the student’s academic career.

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 to reach the educational objective for the complexity of the project is needed. The postponement period must be communicated in advance by the company to the Internship office through JobGate in the “My Internships” area - Internship Duration Changes, and the trainee must access the portal to confirm the postponement entered.

Suspension
In agreement with Bocconi University, a period of temporary suspension of the internship experience of a maximum of 30 days can be admitted (e.g. company closure, holiday), to be recovered at the end of the internship if this affects the minimum duration of a curricular internship. This period must be communicated in advance by the company to the Internship Office through the 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 (a new internship cannot be started before one month from the date of interruption of the previous internship). Withdrawals, with related reasons, must be immediately communicated by the trainee in the “My Internships” area - ‘Internship duration changes’. Interruptions, with related reasons, must be immediately communicated by the company on JobGate in the “My Internships” area - ‘Internship duration changes’. The trainee must then access the portal and confirm the interruption entered.

For curricular internships, early interruptions that are not authorized in advance by the Internship Office, even if the requirement of the minimum duration has been met, the internship may not be recognized. Early authorization is given on the basis of assessment of all internship characteristics, including the duration.
Through the Help&Contact procedure, the student must request authorization for the internship interruption from the Internship Office, who will answer the request.

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

• ERASMUS+ scholarship;
• Contribution for internships at the MAECI institutions (Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation);
• Contribution for internships at international organizations;
• Assistance for international mobility.

For more information, check the website: www.unibocconi.eu/internshipfinaid.
 

Though internships are the principal and priority educational activities for students to put their studies into practice, as an alternative to internships, other activities defined as “similar activities” can also be recognized. These include:

1. Specialized work experiences which have contracts that are different from those of internships. For example, temporary and permanent work positions. The rules already set for internships regarding duration, positioning and channels for finding such opportunities are applied to these experiences. The Internship Office will assess the actual educational value of the experience in relation to the student’s study path. The  In order to request recognition students must take the following steps:

• at least three weeks prior to the start of the experience, students must send - via the procedure available on the website Career Service > Internship - a copy of the contract signed with the company. The minimum information that must be on the contract, or provided additionally if not included, can be verified online.
• The Internship Office, having verified that the experience is in line with the student’s study path and the University’s quality standards, enters the information relating to the activity similar to an internship on JobGate and the student must request advance authorization, by entering ‘My internships’ area - ‘Training Project’ and clicking on ‘Request internship recognition’;
• At the end of the minimum of the duration for the internship recognition, students must upload, on ‘My internship’ in the ‘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 request of recognition. 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 2.4.4. Internship Recognition.

2. Research field project. Activity promoted by a faculty member where the student is involved 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 internship recognition is 16 weeks and the maximum is 6 months. In the event of internships with a start date before 31/12/2022, the minimum duration is 11 weeks. A research field project can be completed only as a curricular activity for credit; it cannot be activated in any other form. The procedure for authorization and recognition is the same as for internships (see 2.4.4. Internship Recognition) except for a final report on the activity carried out with papers or reports to be uploaded to JobGate at the end of the experience.

BAR EXAMINATION

6 of the 18 total months of the traineeship required by regulations for gaining access to the bar examination can be completed during the last year of studies.

Requirements for applying for an early traineeship

Students who meet the following requirements can apply for an early traineeship:

• enrolled in the fifth year (not enrolled beyond the duration of the program) of the Integrated Master of Arts in Law;
• have earned credits in the following subject groups: Diritto privato [Private Law] (IUS/01), Diritto processuale civile [Civil Procedural Law] (IUS/15), Diritto penale [Criminal Law] (IUS/17), Diritto processuale penale [Criminal Procedural Law] (IUS/16), Diritto amministrativo [Administrative Law] (IUS/10), Diritto costituzionale [Constitutional Law] (IUS/08), Diritto dell’Unione Europea [European Union Law] (IUS 14);
• have earned credits for all the educational activities in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years and recorded them in their academic career.

In addition:

• in the event that the student did not complete a study abroad experience in the fourth year: have earned credits for educational activities in the fourth year and recorded them in their academic career;
• in the event that the student completed a long study abroad period in their fourth year (at least one semester): have earned at least 60 credits for educational activities in the fourth and fifth years and recorded them in their academic career.

Terms and conditions of validity

In order for the early traineeship to be valid, the following conditions must be met:

• attainment of initial authorization;
• duration of at least 6 calendar months and at least 288 hours and student participation in at least 12 hearings.
  If the student graduates before the end of the six months, the early traineeship shall be valid if it lasted at least 5 months and, in any case, at least 288 hours;
• attainment of final validation;
• graduation within 12 months after the end of the early traineeship;

• confirmation of enrollment in the register of trainee lawyers within 90 days after graduation (the graduation certificate or equivalent document must be submitted to the Bar Association).

In addition, the traineeship must be formalized as an internship (see paragraph 4.4. Formalization).

Detailed information on the regulations and procedures to follow for an early traineeship (admission requirements, conditions, roles, responsibilities, finding and formalizing a traineeship, documentation to submit to the Bar Association for authorization and steps for validation) are included in the Application Guide (Italian version only) available on the Bocconi website.

 

notary EXAM

In application of the "Framework Convention" stipulated on 7 December 2016 between the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education, University and Research and the National Council of Notaries, Bocconi University signed an Implementation Agreement with the Notary Council of Milan on 12 February 2021. This Agreement provides for moving up the internship for access to the notarial profession by one semester during the last year of a Master of Arts program in Law.

Requirements for applying for an early traineeship

Students who meet the following requirements can apply for an early traineeship:

• enrolled in the fifth year of the Master of Arts program in Law (or possibly enrolled beyond the duration of the program);
• have earned credits for all educational activities in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years and recorded them in their academic career.

In addition:

• in the event that the student did not study abroad during the 4th year: have earned credits for educational activities in the 4th year and recorded them in their academic career;
• in the event the student did study abroad during the 4th year: have earned at least 60 credits for educational activities in the 4th or 5th years and recorded them in their academic career.

Terms and conditions of validity

In order for the early traineeship to be valid, the following conditions must be met:

• student enrollment in the register of trainees at the Notary Council of Milan;
• “normal” duration of 6 calendar months and at least 200 hours, with at least 8 hours per week, spread over at least two days a week. Detailed scheduling of the weekly timetable can be modified based on specific study needs and university attendance. If the duration lasts longer than six months, only six months are counted for the purposes of the early traineeship. If, on the other hand, the duration is less than six months, the missing time must be integrated into the post-graduation period;
• the total period of the traineeship (meaning the sum of the pre-graduation period – counted as no more than six months – and the post-graduation months) must be completed within thirty months of enrollment in the register. If the aforementioned deadline expires, the period completed before graduation is not counted;
• both the pre-graduation and post-graduation periods must be continuous. At the end of the pre-graduation traineeship period, the trainee must deliver to the Council a certificate from the notary certifying the actual duration of the experience and the beginning of any suspensions. The trainee must also communicate the graduation date to the Council to receive instructions regarding the post-graduation traineeship period, ending the suspension period;
• interruptions of traineeships are not possible unless for reasons not attributable to the trainee, who is required to communicate any changes relating to the experience to the Council. In any case, attendance to the notary firm cannot be interrupted for a period equal to or greater than two months in the post-graduation period, even if not continuous.

In addition to activating the traineeship at the district Notary Council, the University recommends activating the experience as an internship on the University JobGate portal. If the experience meets all the requirements, it can be recognized as a curricular internship and recorded in the study plan.

Detailed information on the regulations and procedures to follow for an early traineeship and activating it with the Notary Council and on JobGate are included in the Application Guide (Italian version only) available on the Bocconi website.

To request certifications specifying participation in an internship, you must use the cert@B procedure available on the yoU@B Diary (see chapter 8 Certifications, Self-Declarations and Diploma Supplement), except for the documents described in the following paragraphs.

To request certifications specifying participation in an internship, you must use the cert@B procedure available on the yoU@B Diary (see chapter 8 Certifications, Self-Declarations and Diploma Supplement), except for the documents described in the following paragraphs.

• Declaration of completed internship: trainees must provide the address of the recipient of the declaration.
  In order to obtain such 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.

Market & Partners Organizational Unit
Internship Office
Piazza Sraffa, 11 - 20136 Milan
Tel: +39 02 5836 2478
Help&Contact: available on the yoU@B Diary

Career Service Infopoint
Piazza Sraffa 11 - 20136
Ph. +39 02 5836 2711
infocareer@unibocconi.it
http://www.cs.unibocconi.eu