Internship Minor Sustainability and Innovation

Course

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/E_MFS_IMSI

Course Objective

Academic Skills: To excel in Analysis, Abstraction, Argumentation, and Application (the four A's). After successfully completing your internship you...
• are able to examine and understand problems from different perspectives;
• are able to put forward well-founded, substantiated points of view, both in spoken and written format;
• are able to apply acquired knowledge to other problems and in other contexts. Research Skills: Understanding and capable of performing all the elements of the research process. After successfully completing your internship, you...
• are able to translate practically relevant problems into (academically) relevant research questions;
• are able to design and execute a project using a systematic, analytical approach in a real business environment (of profit or not-for-profit organizations). Knowledge: Attaining thorough fundamental knowledge and being distinctive by specialization in a specific discipline. After successfully completing your internship you...
• have specialized, in-depth knowledge and insights about the minor theme/ specific discipline in which you completed the internship;
• are able to make connections between theories, models, and concepts of that specific minor theme/discipline. Bridging Theory and Practice: Ability to translate and apply theoretical knowledge into practice. After successfully completing your internship, you...
• are able to apply theoretical knowledge in a specific organizational context;
• are able to formulate relevant recommendations for practice based on your knowledge acquired;
• have a better understanding of what the expectations of the academic and professional field are in terms of knowledge and skills needed;
• are more aware of the various career opportunities in the field (both academic and business) offered. Social Skills: Having empathy and successfully interacting with others. After successfully completing an internship, you...
• have a better understanding of the roles and needs of different types of stakeholders that you need to interact with as a professional;
• are able to work well in a team and reflect on your own role in the team.

Course Content

Increasingly organizations and maybe even your future employers are looking for experience as well as academic credentials. The School recommends doing an internship because it is an excellent way to apply the knowledge and (academic) skills that you acquired during your studies. Your most important learning goal as a student-intern is to familiarize yourself with professional and market-related skills in a real and new organizational environment. With the job market becoming increasingly competitive, gaining relevant experience will give you a good start into your professional career. Companies offer a wide range of internships in various disciplines. What is crucial in obtaining approval for your internship and eventually obtaining your study credits, is that there is a clearly defined project that allows you to fulfill the learning objectives. Also, the project needs to allow for an individual assessment. Finally, note that in order to obtain your internship credits, your internship has to be pre-approved by the minor coordinator and supervised by a School member that is assigned to you by the minor coordinator.

Teaching Methods

On-site Internship

Method of Assessment

Written report – Individual assessment

Literature

relevant to the theme of the minor and internship should be used to develop a solution to the problem that is investigated with the internship project.

Target Audience

Students of the Minor Sustainability & Innovation. It is possible to replace two of the courses for an internship that will be supervised by one of the lecturers of the courses. The courses to be replaced are one out of the two courses “Organizing Sustainable Innovation” and “Sustainable Business Processes” (both in period 2) in combination with “Marketing Sustainable Innovations” (in period 3). Internships should be aligned with a topic addressed in the minor and should be initiated by students. Proposals for an internship need approval from the minor coordinator.

Custom Course Registration

IMPORTANT:
• Enrollment for the internship through VUnet is not possible.
• CONTACT THE MINOR COORDINATOR as soon as you have an INITIAL proposal for the internship. Approval by the minor coordinator is essential in order to be able to do a minor internship.

Additional Information


• The general internship manual will be available through VUnet (including more details on a time plan and practical matters). CAREFULLY READ THE MANUAL ON VUNET (go to Services > Degree programme > Internship, or Serviceplein > Opleidingsprogrmma > Stage). The manual will provide more insights into what is exactly expected in terms of your internship proposal, the concrete requirements, and the related timeline of activities.
• After completing the internship the subscription to the course as well as the registration of the result will be done by the back office.

Recommended background knowledge

Courses related to the minor, specifically those of period 1.
Academic year1/09/2431/08/25
Course level12.00 EC

Language of Tuition

  • English

Study type

  • Bachelor