Extended Project and Trainee Period

It is recommended that the Extended Project and Trainee Period takes place during the third semester of the studies.

It is not allowed to have both Project and Trainee Period and Extended Project and Trainee Period as optional courses.

It is not allowed to have both Seminar in Business Economics and Extended Project and Trainee Period as optional courses.

By default, it is not allowed to do a Master Thesis with the same company/organization as with the Extended Project and Trainee Period.

During the project-oriented study, the student will get instruction on Career Management Skills in the form of 4 workshops taking up to approx. 12 hours. The Career Management Skills workshops are designed to help the student get maximum benefit from the project period and stimulate reflections on how the student’s competences are used most appropriately in order to increase the student’s employability after graduation.

A practical element: A solution of one or more specific problems decided by the company in collaboration with the student and a supervisor from SDU. 

A reading element: A literature review of relevant theories and methods that could inform the delimitation, analysis, or solution of the problem.

A reflexive element: A reflexive analysis and discussion of the selected problem(s), its potential solution(s), and the method(s) applied.   

There are no specified content areas, but the content should, in general, be representative of the mandatory courses on the student’s profile on the MSc in Economics and Business Administration. Moreover, the approach to identifying, analyzing, and solving the problem must be evidence-based. To solve the specific problems at hand, the student must search for and apply theories/methods additional to the contents of the compulsory courses.

•Explain which internal/external factors affect the problem-solving and how these factors change over time.

•Explain the methods and theories applied in the problem solving.

•Explain a few relevant methods or theories outside the syllabus of the study programme.

•Select and justify the choice of relevant theory for solving the problem. 

•Identify, assimilate, and apply methods or theories outside the syllabus of the study programme.

•Do a systematic search, reading, and focused literature review on a topic relevant to the project.

•Collect data and/or empirical information as a basis for solving the problem. 

•Use the data or empirical information for a business economic/administrative analysis. 

•Reflect on the usefulness of the obtained results. Recommend and discuss implications of the results. 

•Evaluate and discuss the implications and limitations of the choices of terms, theories and perspectives for the project/trainee work carried out.

•Account for and reflect on how and to what extent the results created in the Extended Project and Trainee Period will be implemented in the company and possible explanation as to a lesser or larger extent of implementation. 

•Communicate problem descriptions and solution proposals to coworkers and managers. 

•Apply a systematic and theory-driven approach to practical problem solving. 

•Manage own professional development with respect to finding and applying new tools or techniques.

•Expand their professional network.

The student may see supervision in relation to solving the tasks at the company and writing the final report. For this, an amount of 10 hours is allocated (for communication, supervision, and preparation for meetings).  

In addition, the student must attend 4 workshops in Career Management Skills. These are designed to help the student put their subject-related, personal and generic academic competences at work within organizations. Throughout the workshops the students will: 1) Reflect on and exploit their own career resources 2) Communicate their competences in the project organization as well as in writing in résumés, cover letters and for interviews 3) Actively build and use their network within an organization and for job searching and 4) Develop career strategies.   

The Extended Project and Trainee Period may take place in a private/public company, an association or an NGO, and it must take up approximately 370 working hours corresponding to roughly 50 days. A proposal for a trainee period may be rejected if the workload is insufficient or if the workload exceeds this amount without designating a suitable timeframe for the work related to the project. The student is responsible for making contact to the organization in which the internship takes place. The student cannot receive a salary for carrying out these tasks. The student is allowed to receive funding to cover documented expenses during the trainee period. The student may have a job in the organization during the Extended Project and Trainee Period. At the company/organization, an employee must be appointed as a liaison between the university and the student. This person will also assist in resolving practical issues related to implementation of the project.   

Prior to starting the trainee period (undertaking the actual project work in the organization) the student must have an introductory meeting with a supervisor. The student is free to contact a supervisor at his or her own request. At the introductory meeting, the student should detail the project/work tasks that are expected to be carried out and their relevance in relation to the academic field within the chosen MSc in Economics and Business Administration profile. It is strongly recommended that the internal (SDU) supervisor is not closely affiliated with the organization in question. The work/problems/tasks undertaken by the student during the project must allow the student to test and develop relevant competences. 

The work to be performed during the internship must include appropriate tasks, i.e. the student's work must have a specific academic content and include not only general office (or similar) work. The content of the internship must be related to one or more specific topics within the area of business economics or business administration as covered in the mandatory courses of the MSc program profile. Proposals for actual working tasks/problems are prepared by the student in collaboration with the contact person in the trainee organization. Schedule for the working days/hours is made in agreement between the student and the organization/company.  

There must be a written agreement between the student and the organization in which the internship takes place concerning the learning purpose of the internship as well as organization of the work in the organization and the target for the final report. The agreement must be approved by the supervisor and the profile responsible (see examination conditions).  

The project and trainee agreement is available at the programme’s page on www.sdu.dk. It must as a minimum contain the following information:  

•Name of organization/company at which the internship takes place.

•Name and title of contact person at the study site.

•Period for internship.

•Working hours per week.

•Description of work content of the internship.

•Goal for the project report.

Time in company: approximately 370 hours.

Literature search and reading: 70 hours.

Writing of the final assignment: 78 hours.

Career Management Skills Workshop: approximately 12 hours (each class requires exercises to prepare/reflect upon in the project company).

Supervisory work (contact with the supervisor and preparation): 10 hours.

Total: 540 hours.

Used examination attempts in the former identical course will be transferred.

Courses that are identical with former courses that are passed according to applied rules cannot be retaken.