6 ECTS credits
160 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4016928FNR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.
All graduation options of the Master of Science in Biology program provide the opportunity to conduct an internship, allowing you to gain experience related to your study in a professional environment, like a company, a governmental institute, a museum, or a research lab. The course unit “Professional Internship” can only be chosen once in your two-year master program, either in the first or second semester, and either as an elective of 6 ECTS (= internship of 20 full working days) or as one of 12 ECTS (= internship of 40 full working days). During these days, you complete a task or series of tasks agreed upon by you, the internship provider and the Department of Biology. This task is related to the field of biology and reflects the daily activities and conditions of a professional environment and work floor.
During your internship you will be guided and evaluated by a local supervisor who will be in contact with a representative of the Biology Department (typically the coordinator of your master program or the chairman of the Biology Master educational board; now Prof. Kim Roelants). After completing your internship, you write and submit a report on the work you have completed, which will be evaluated and graded by your internship supervisor in dialog with the coordinator of your graduation option, or the chairman of the Biology Master educational board.
IMPORTANT: the internship should not be related to other course units such as your Master thesis.
Detailed info and guidelines regarding this course can be found in the document ‘Professional_Internship_Guidelines_2019_2020.pdf’ on the course pages ‘Professional Internship’ of the Canvas platform (https://canvas.vub.be/).
The following points explain how to apply for an internship:
1) As a student choosing the course ‘Professional internship’, you are responsible for finding an internship position. This is an important and valuable part of the course, as it helps you gain experience in job application.
Note: The expenses for daily transport are on the account of the student.
2) Once you have found a possible internship place, download the form ‘internship agreement request form’ (IARF.doc) from the course page ‘Professional Internship’ on the Canvas platform (https://canvas.vub.be/). Complete this form and send it by e-mail to:
- the coordinator of the graduation option you are enrolled in;
- the chairman of the educational Board of the Biology Master program, Kim Roelants; (Kim.Roelants@vub.be);
- the secretariat of the Biology department (biology@vub.be).
Your request should be approved by the coordinator of the graduation option you are enrolled in, or by the chairman of the Biology Master educational board.
3) After approval, download the relevant internship agreement template (Internship_Agreement_6ECTS.doc or Internship_Agreement_15ECTS.doc) from relevant course page on the Canvas platform (https://canvas.vub.be/) and fill it in. Print out three hard copies and make sure that both you and your supervisor at the host company/institution sign all copies of the agreement.
4) Send the completed and signed internship agreement to the chairman of the Biology Master educational board (Kim Roelants; Kim.Roelants@vub.be). The chairman will make sure that the agreement is signed by the Faculty Dean and will send you two copies back (one for you, one for the internship supervisor).
Important: The internship agreement should be signed by all parties (you, your internship supervisor and the Dean) BEFORE the start of your internship.
After completion of the internship, the students will have experience in a professional environment. They will have competences in evaluating the scientific and societal relevance (ECM2), reporting and social communication (ECM3), problem-solving and insight in real working situation (ECM4).
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
SELF Internship determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the SELF Internship category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Your internship supervisor will be contacted by the Biology Department during the exam session in which you submitted your report. He/she will be asked to give feedback on your internship and give a score based on your daily work and the final version of your internship report. Your daily work will be valuated based on your motivation, initiative, resourcefulness, punctuality and attitude during your internship. The final version of your internship report will be evaluated by your internship supervisor in dialog with the Department’s internship coordinator (the coordinator of your graduation option or the Chairman of the Master educational board) based on its scientific quality, completeness, level of insight, writing style and overall format.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Life sciences
Master of Biology: Ecology and Biodiversity
Master of Biology: AR Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems, start at Brussels
Master of Biology: AR Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems, start at Paris
Master of Biology: AR Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems, start at Cayenne