HGO4020 ¨C HGO Internship

Course content

HGO Internship gives you personal and practical experience with different aspects of the working life. Through a six-week/30 working days internship at a host institution, you learn about relevant issues, work methods and the multiple considerations involved at a workplace. Your human geography knowledge, skills and competencies are put to practice as you learn about the field, sector and industry you will be a part of, while gaining insight about your own role in the professional world.

?

The tasks assigned in the internship are determined in cooperation with each host institution and will therefore vary. Relevant assignments can include project work, information gathering, field visits, analysis and report writing, presentations, networking and dissemination activities.

Learning outcome

Knowledge goals

After completing this course you

• have practical experience with the application of human geography and your own competencies within an employment situation.
• have knowledge and understanding of the sector, industry or business you are recruited to.

Skills attainment goals

In this course you will be encouraged

• to plan and execute a variety of tasks and projects over a period of time, both alone and as part of a group, in a professional setting.
• to use relevant tools and methods from studies and research within an employment situation.
• to exchange experiences and points-of-view with colleagues at the workplace, and through this contribute to the development of a specific sector, area or activity.
• to reflect and articulate, both in writing and orally, your experience and assessment of specific tasks, practices and strategies within the specific organization/institution where you carried out the internship.

General competences

This course will enable you

• to have practical experience in meeting professional challenges within an employment situation.
• to apply critical thinking and a geographical sensitivity to a specific sector, industry or business.
• to assess the relevance and applicability of concepts and perspectives from human geography to a specific sector, industry or business.
• to develop good working practices in line with the requirements of ethical and professional behaviour.
• to expand your professional network

Admission to the course

This course is only for students within the master's programme in Human Geography.

• Host institutions, work assignments and the number of available internships may vary from semester to semester. The number of placements available for the course might vary accordingly.

• The six-week internship has to be scheduled throughout the semester in agreement with the host institutions.

• Applicants cannot be employed by the host institution in advance of the internship.

• The applicant cannot receive payment for work by the host institution during the internship period.

How to apply for HGO Internship?

• You must sign up to the course in StudentWeb AND fill in an application form.

• The application form will ask for a brief statement substantiating your selected preferences.

• The opening date for applications is December 1.

• The closing date for applications is December 5.

• You can apply to a maximum of 3 host institutions, indicating your order of preference.

The selection process

• The programme will allocate host institutions to best fit students¡¯ preferences.

• When there are several applications for one position, an assessment process will guide the allocation of host institutions.

• You will receive an answer on your application within December 8 and must accept the offer by December 13 at the latest.

• If you do not reply nor decline, the offer will go to the next applicant in line.

• We advise students to sign up for another course as an alternative if you do not get an internship offer of your preference. You cannot participate in the course without an internship offer. Remember to withdraw from the other course if you accept an offer of internship.

Host institutions

• Host institutions and the number of internships may vary from year to year.

• The list of host institutions for Spring 2024 will be announced by mid-November at the HGO programme room in Canvas.

Teaching

The internship assignment at the host institution and seminars.

?

Internship

This course last for one semester. You will work part-time for six weeks/30 working days at the host institution, working on a project that you and the host institution have agreed.

?

Teaching

There are four compulsory seminars in addition to the internship at the host institution:

• Kick-off seminar: Meet your contact person; set up start date, timetable and workplan; discuss work content.

• Midterm seminar 1: Your experience so far; assessment and adjustments; feedback and group discussion.

• Midterm seminar 2: Highlights of your internship; outline of reflection note; feedback and group discussion.

• Closing seminar: Human geographers at work - showcasing internship experiences.

• For internships abroad adjustments will be made.

?

Compulsory instruction and coursework

• Participation in seminars is compulsory. Valid absence is allowed for a maximum of one (1) seminar.

• The internship consists of six weeks/30 working days at a designated workplace, which is mandatory.

• Absence of more than the equivalent of five full working days will not be permitted during the internship assignment.

• Poster presentation of the internship at the closing seminar is compulsory.

?

All the compulsory activities must be approved in order to take the final exam, and are only valid within the approved semester.

Examination

The exam is a portfolio with a poster presentation. The portfolio consists of a reflection note on your internship experiences (maximum 3000 words +/- 10%) and an poster presentation at the closing seminar.

Examination support material

All exam support materials are allowed during this exam. Generating all or part of the exam answer using AI tools such as Chat GPT or similar is not allowed.

Language of examination

You may write your reflection note in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. The oral presentation will be in English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about?the grading system.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.