Outside academic internships are regulated by the regulations passed at the 15 November 2012 School Board meeting and by the Governing Board, which abides by the 11 July 592/2014 Royal Decree. This Royal Decree establishes that academic internships consist of an educational activity performed by university students and supervised by universities. The aim of an internship is to apply and reinforce what the student has learned at university, favoring the acquisition of skills that will prepare them for their future career, boosing their employability and fostering their entrepreneurship.
Internships can be carried out at the university itself or at other participating entities, such as businesses, organizations and public and private companies at a national level and abroad.
Given the educational nature of academic internships, they cannot lead to duties characteristic of employment relations under any circumstances, nor can they result in receiving compensation as in a typical job.
In order to do external internships, there must be a formal internship agreement between the University of Cordoba and the business or organization. The management, supervision and coordination of the student’s training will be done by assigning a tutor at the company or organization as well as an academic tutor, who will be a professor of the organizing department.
External academic internships can be curricular or extracurricular.
- Curricular internships are defined as academic activities within the curriculum, and are considered a 6-ECTS-credit elective in both degrees.
- Extracurricular internships are those that students can do voluntarily during their time at university. Though extracurricular internships share the same purpose as curricular internships, they are not actually part of the curriculum. However, they will be reflected in European Diploma Supplements as established by current regulations.
The following students can apply for an internship:
Any student enrolled at Belmez Polytechnic School who has completed at least 120 credits towards the degree they are majoring in.
Students from other Spanish universities or foreign universities on mobility programs or through agreements established between those universities that are currently studying at Belmez Polytechnic School.
In order to carry out an internship, the students must meet the following requisites when applicable:
In the case of curricular internships, the student must be enrolled in the associated course, depending on the student’s curriculum.
The student must have paid the "Cum-Laude" insurance or an equivalent insurance policy accepted by the University of Cordoba.
The student must not have a job contract with the company, organization, public or private entity or the university itself where the internship is performed, unless the University of Cordoba regulations specifically allow for that case and outline the terms of said case.
▼ Procedures to follow before an internship
To do either a curricular or extracurricular internship, the following documents must be turned in to the School’s Career Counseling Office:
- Educational Cooperation Agreement (this agreement is made only once and is valid from that point on): at least 120 credits towards the major the student is enrolled in.
a) 3 originals must be submitted, all filled out properly, signed on each page (in the left margin) and signed and stamped on the last page.
b) a copy of the organization’s tax identification number or the identification card in the case of an individual (for instance a private attorney).
- Educational Cooperation Agreement Appendix (one for each academic year):
a) 3 signed and stamped originals must be submitted.
b) The Appendix must be submitted in a separate document from the Educational Cooperation Agreement.
- Letter of Acceptance (one per student):
3 copies must be submitted, each signed by:
a) The tutor at the organization where the internship is done (this does not have to be the same person who signed the agreement).
b) The student doing the internship.
c) The university tutor assigned by the department, who will be the last person to sign after ensuring all the paperwork is in order (personal details, date, schedules, etc.).
d) Approval by the Director of Belmez Polytechnic School of Higher Education.
6 credits (150 hours or 115 plus a report explaining the student’s independent work) are earned for curricular internships and a maximum of 30 credits can be earned for extracurricular internships.
Once the student has begun his or her internship, the tutor at the outside organization must sign and send in the Incorporation Report within a week.
When the student has completed half of his or her internship, a Mid-term Report must be sent to the School. This report must include a description and evaluation of the activities performed by the student up to that point.
▼ Procedure upon completion of an internship
Within a month of completing the internship, the following documents will be turned in to the School:
External Report
Upon completion of the internship, the tutor at the COMPANY will draw up and submit a final report to the academic tutor. This final report will include the number of hours the student worked and a description and evaluation of the main aspects of the work done by the student.
Student Report
The student will also submit a report to his or her academic tutor on the work s/he did and an evaluation of the internship.
Once the above reports have been submitted, the academic tutor will complete the final assessment certifícate-report which will take effect as a class grade and will be included on the student’s academic record and in the Diploma Supplement, in accordance with current regulations.
Students who do extracurricular internships can later apply for credit recognition. To do so, they must enroll in the External Internship course (6 ECTS) and send their application for credit recognition to the Internship Committee, which will make the decision.