MSc internship of the Animal Nutrition Group

The internship provides you the opportunity to work outside Wageningen University at a host organisation in the Netherlands or abroad, e.g. a company, public institution, consultancy firm, research organisation, another university or non-governmental organisation, thereby broadening your academic horizon. The host organisation/work should be of sufficiently high academic standard to reflect the desired level of Wageningen graduates.

Research or professional internship

You can choose a research or professional internship. In a research internship, you work on a single research project that is completed with a research report. In a professional internship, you contribute to different projects. You complete the professional internship with a set of deliverables and a context report. During the internship you learn the “ins and outs” of the organisation. The host-organisation provides a “taste” of potential future employment, new scientific knowledge and methods as well as new contacts. The learning outcomes of the internship are at least:

• apply knowledge and skills acquired during the course of study;
• execute certain professional skills better;
• work independently and with a feeling for the organisation;
• expand your professional network.

For your own convenience, carefully read the information below and the general MSc Internship Course Guide Wageningen University (see documents page), which contains important general information including insurances and grants.

How to arrange an internship

An internship can only be conducted after having obtained your BSc degree or the approval of the BSc study coordinator and preferably prior to your major thesis. The length of the ANU internship should be equivalent to the time of 24 ECTS (4.2 months) as a minimum up to 39 ECTS.

Start the process of finding an internship at least 6 months before the intended start of your internship. Contact Yvonne van Holland for general internship questions and Wilbert Pellikaan for internship possibilities. Together you can discuss your ideas for an internship project at certain companies and/or countries or about specific topics and activities. Furthermore, you can discuss the feasibility of your ideas (academic quality, safety) and come with a strategy to reach out to the organisation and organise the internship. You may be directed to a colleague with specific expertise and network to accommodate your wishes and supervise you during the internship. The first contact with the host organisation will normally be initiated by your ANU internship supervisor, after which you will arrange the internship in more detail with the supervisor at the host organisation directly. The ANU supervisor has final responsibility.

Before you leave to start your internship at the host institution you should have handed in a signed internship agreement (signed by you, the internship host and the university) and a signed internship learning agreement (signed by you and your WU supervisor) at the ANU secretariat. These documents can be found at the documents page.

During your internship you are requested to remain in contact (email) with your ANU supervisor. Your supervisor at the host institution will be your first point of contact. However, should you need additional assistance for any reason, your ANU internship supervisor may be able to help you.

Regulations

Prior to the internship, an internship agreement is to be drawn up. This is to clearly define the responsibilities of the internship provider, the supervisor(s), the chair group, the field of work, the scope and duration of the internship, the method of reporting and, where applicable, particular arrangements concerning how the internship is to be carried out. You can find the agreement documents at the documents page. For the sake of your own legal position, NEVER sign a contract from a company and leave discussions regarding the contract to your supervisor(s) of the university and company. The internship has to be carried out at an academic level: generally, the internship is performed within an academic environment in the field of work concerned. The internship will be evaluated by an ANU examiner according to the internship assessment form.

Reporting

A report of the internship should be provided to your ANU internship supervisor on return to Wageningen University and should include the following information:

• name, subject, size (ECTS) and duration of the internship;
• a short report with technical information, including the mission statement of the host organisation (max. 2 pages);
• a research report (in case of a research internship) about the work conducted and the results/discussion of the research, comparable to a (small) thesis (research report, max. 20 pages);
• a context report (in case of a professional internship) should contain a description of the assignments, the scientific context of the internship, an overview of the internship activities and a reflection on the deliverables and the usability for the organisation;
• a relfection report containing your motivation for the internship, an overview of your activities, and reflection on the general learning outcomes, on your personal learning goals and on the relation between your Master's programme and your internship (self-reflection paper, max. 4 pages).

The report should always be written in English. The method of reporting may in some cases be in conflict with the interest of the internship provider. The internship provider may, in advance or on the basis of the results of your research, insist on a certain degree of confidentiality of the report. This needs to be agreed beforehand. Sensitive information can also be presented in an encrypted format. The chair group remains responsible for the education and satisfactory conclusion.

Evaluation

You will receive an individual grade for the ANU Internship according to the Assessment form MSc Internship (see documents page). The main points of evaluation are:

1. Performance (50% of final grade)
2. Research or context report (40%)
3. Oral presentation (5%)
4. Oral examination (5%)
5. Reflection report (pass/fail)