Students are entitled to take up an internship in the second year of their Master studies or the third of their Bachelor studies. The knowledge level of the students at the start of the internship is that of a young academic engineer. They have good theoretical knowledge and some project experience.
Students organize their own internship, this is part of the learning experience. All students are supported by the internship coordinator.
Information on EEMCS educational programs
bachelor
The Bachelor’s programme takes three full years and will provide a solid basis in the chosen discipline. Time scheduled for projects and labs is about one-third of the total number of hours per year (1700 hours). Students not only develop their theoretical knowledge but also learn to apply their knowledge in practical situations. At the end of the bachelor period, the bachelor project will give the student the opportunity to start a specialisation. For the EEMCS faculty, the bachelor programmes Creative Technology ant Technical Computer Science have the option for an internship.
Master
The Master’s programme consists of two academic years. The first year is dedicated to compulsory and elective courses. The second year consists of the internship and the master’s thesis research.
Often the internship assignment is related to the specialisation field of the student. Sometimes students prefer to make their education as broad as possible and choose to work on a project outside their main specialisation.
For more information please visit our webiste concerning our educational programs, and our research.
Contact with internship coordinator
If you have an internship assignment for which you are looking for a UT student, please feel free to contact us. For the EEMCS faculty, you can contact the internship coordinator.
If you have a description of the assignment you wish to recruit a student for please send the format by email or fill out the online webform with the details of the assignment.
Contact with student
In general, students apply for an internship assignment in the same way as an application for a job. Students prepare a letter of application and a curriculum vitae (resume). Students may select a company, research institute or university from the database in the office of the internship coordinator. Alternatively, many students find an internship assignment by consulting scientific staff members for their contacts with companies. The coordinator assists the student in the application procedure and preparation for the internship period.
Supervisor
The company will appoint a supervisor who provides the student with daily support and supervision during the internship. The student will work on the assignment in close collaboration with the company supervisor.
The University will appoint a UT staff member as supervisor. The role of the UT supervisor is twofold:
To ensure an adequate academic level of the internship assignment by approving the assignment definition before the start of the internship period.
To be available to the student for advice during the internship period. If possible, the UT supervisor will visit the student at the company during the internship period.
Assignment definition and duration
It is the intention that the company defines an assignment to be completed by the student during the internship. This definition should be in global terms. The following elements will be brought in by the student:
- analysis of the problem(s) to be solved
- literature research
- proposal for a solution in terms of a design
- proposal for an implementation of this design
- proposal for the deliverables that should be ready at the end of the internship period
Of course, the student should discuss the proposal with the company as the results will have to be satisfactory for the company. The student will also discuss this assignment with the UT supervisor to make sure it has the correct academic level. It is important that all three parties are happy with the assignment before the contract is signed.
Students are looking for an internship for the duration of a maximum of 16 weeks, according to the Education and Examination Regulations the UT has formulated.
Internship learning goals
To acquire working experience in an organization at academic level, other than the University of Twente.
This means working in an organization with specific purpose: carrying out research or delivering products or services to clients.
During the internship the intern contributes to the research and/or development in an organization by:
- applying academic knowledge and skills in a professional setting
- attuning to the work situation in the organization and the daily guidance by the supervisor within the context of the internship assignment
- defining own design/research goals in this situation, and judging which parts of the problem needs further analysis
- planning the work to be carried out according to the available time
- analyzing the economic aspects of the work and the impact of it on society
The intern applies and expands scientific and technical competencies in a professional setting by:
- expanding and applying theoretical knowledge to the topic(s) of the internship assignment
- carrying out analyses at an abstract level, proposing experiments and designs and/or constructive activities and implementing them in a methodological correct way
The intern interacts and communicates in a professional setting and practices business etiquette:
- take part in discussions about the assignment with colleagues in the organization
- find assistance from colleagues in the organization for specific details of the assignment
- report about the work in oral and written form in a clear and concise way
Contract
Before the start of the internship period, the company and the student sign a internship contract. The university prefers the following agreement being used: English version / Dutch version.
Confidentiality
The internship report will not be made public. For more information please check our Education and Examination Regulations.
In all cases, the report will have to be available for inspection by the accreditation organisation (NVAO) which has the right to check the quality of our internship projects. In that case a confidential report remains accessible for the supervisor, the Programme director, and any members of bodies with the authority to assess the quality of the grading of the entire programme.
All parties mentioned are required to respect the confidentiality of the report.
Non Disclosure Agreement formats are available and can be sent upon request. Please feel free to contact the internship coordinator at mobility-eemcs@utwente.nl.
Planning
The student will, in close consultation with the external supervisor, come up with a plan on how to spend their internship time. A general outline for an internship period can be:
- three to four weeks doing literature research.
- six to eight weeks at the company to get practical work experience.
- last three to four weeks should be spent analysing what they found during the internship.
During the whole process, the student works on the internship report to have it finished in time. This should be taken into account, but the plan can be changed if the company supervisor thinks it to be necessary. The student will communicate discuss the planning with the UT supervisor.
Report
The student will have to write two reports during the internship. One is a scientific report about the assignment. A second will be an experience report about the internship. The scientific report has a set of requirements from the university, but the company is allowed to change it as they see fit. The student will discuss this report with both the external supervisor and the UT supervisor to make sure everyone agrees on the content. The build-up for these reports can be found here.
Evaluation
At the end of the internship period, the external supervisor will be asked to evaluate various aspects of the internship. The student will provide for an evaluation form to be filled in. Based on this and on the student’s report, the UT supervisor will decide the final mark the student will get for the job done.