Internship course instructions by the Department of Chemistry

Before starting the internship, the student will set learning objectives for the internship period. In order to receive credits, the student must write an internship report at the end of the internship.

Table of contents

You can receive 5 credits per month for an internship, however, the total number of credits that can be included in a degree is limited to 10 credits. In order to receive credits, a student must:

  • set learning objectives before the internship
  • write an internship report
  • participate in a group work after the internship to review the knowledge gained during the internship and to reflect on the implementation of the internship.

The purpose of the internship is to help students understand the job opportunities in their field and to show how the theoretical knowledge and practical laboratory skills acquired in university studies are needed in the work life; in other words, to understand how the knowledge acquired in studies can be put into practice.The internship allows students to deepen their knowledge of chemistry. Students will learn to recognise the working culture of the company or organisation in which they are working. They also understand the importance of the rules of the working life. During the work placement, students will become aware of their own skills and possible career options. They will understand what they need in order to achieve their career goals.

Setting learning objectives

The detailed learning objectives for the internship are determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the student's previous work experience, the stage of their studies and the internship position. The individual learning objectives of the internship may therefore vary between students. In an internship, the student may be given responsibility for tasks, but the orientation and instructing must be organised in such a way that the student is able to cope with the future responsibilities.

Before starting the internship, students discuss their personal learning objectives for the internship with the Vice Head of Education in the Department of Chemistry or the teacher in charge of the course KEMS902. The learning objectives are adapted to the student's previous work experience and studies, but the main focus is on the job descriptions provided by the employer and how they can be used individually in a way that makes sense for the student's learning.

Learning objectives can be thought of in terms of the job description, what learning objectives can be set for the internship on the basis of the job description, and what the student can afterwards describe as having learned. For example, if the work involves using different analytical instruments, the learning objectives should include getting to know the analytical instruments used and their principles of operation (in general, the phenomena on which the method of analysis is based).  The learning objectives should also include general working life skills and becoming familiar with the work community, as well as a general overview of the type of company or organisation in which the internship takes place (main field, number of employees, treatment of employees, etc.), what is done in the company and what is its national and/or international relevance.

Reporting

In order to receive credits, the student must submit an internship report at the end of the internship. The report must cover the following points:

  • Employer, work tasks, duration and date of the internship.
  • Description of the company (size, locations, main sectors, turnover, staff structure, staff and their educational background, age distribution, etc.) and also of your own unit.
  • On-the-job training, i.e. the nature, quality and quantity of supervision (Who was supervising and how? Who was responsible? Who was helping?)
  • Was this a good internship placement in terms of your education? Can you recommend it? Please provide arguments.
  • What expectations did you have before the job? What happened to your expectations during/after the internship?
  • What did you learn both in terms of skills and about being part of a work community? 
  • Which work skills did you develop or did you develop any? In other words, you should look not only at your substantive skills, but also at your other work life skills.
  • Was this work useful? What do you think of the internship in general?

The report should reflect on your own knowledge, skills and development. It should also be honest.

Internship reports

Reports from chemistry students on their internship experiences (only in Finnish).

Elina Laurila

Elina Laurila

University Teacher