Course content

Department of Biology offers their students in the study programs MSOCEAN, MSAQUAH and MSBIOL an internship course in relevant socio-cultural/economical and professional environments in non-academic partners, associations or in research institutes. This internship aims at acquainting the student with the real working environment through practical training, teamwork, and individual learning.

An agreement need to be drafted and signed by the students, the host company and supervisor at NTNU explaining rights and duties of each party. The agreement can also describe the content of the project and the criteria for scoring the internship. Students, supervisor and external party plan the project, especially details regarding practical support and how the project will be conducted at the external company/organization.

Students enrolled in MSAQUAH and MSOCEAN will receive a list of potential internship hosts within marine and aquaculture sector. Students are encouraged to contact specific companies of interest. For MSBIOL students there's a cooperation with regional and local management sectors where students can join projects in groups at one of the host institutions. The group projects are only available during the autumn semester. MSBIOL students can also find individual internship projects by contacting companies of interest themselves.

For all study programs the internship project must be in agreement with the student's master thesis supervisor. The thesis supervisor will also be the NTNU supervisor for the internship.

Learning outcome

For MSAQUAH and MSOCEAN:

Knowledge:

• How to plan and discuss project collaboration with external partners
• How actors within marine management and aquaculture use research to obtain knowledge
• Methods used in research within marine activities and aquaculture
• Analyse, synthesize, and present project results for partners and advisors

Skills:

• Propose scientific projects to solve problems in aquaculture.
• Plan together with supervisors a small research project related to specific marine and aquaculture questions.

General Competence:

• To better understand industry perspectives and challenges in aquaculture.
• Communicate practical challenges in aquaculture from societal and public perspectives.
• To better understand the industry perspectives and challenges related to environmental effects, fish health, and welfare.

MSBIOL:

Knowledge:

• How to approach and discuss project collaboration with external partners in the environmental management or research sectors
• How the environmental management or research sectors can use research to obtain knowledge
• Methods used in research
• Analyse, synthesize, and present project results for partners and advisors

Skills:

• Propose scientific projects to help solve problems in environmental management or research.
• Communicate with local or regional stakeholders and clearly describe problems and possible solutions.
• Select methods for use in research and assessment of environmental management status.
• Plan together with advisors a small research project related to specific environmental management or research challenges.

General Competence:

• Apply previously acquired theoretical knowledge and skills in broader scientific and societal perspectives.
• Understand challenges and opportunities for implementing and applying research outside academia, as well as collaboration between academic and non-academic institutions.

Learning methods and activities

Students shall carry out a planned scientific research project with a company/external organization. This course involves collaboration with external partners, either at the external partner’s location or from NTNU.

The workload for the course is 200 hours.

A written report is mandatory.

Compulsory assignments

• Written report

Specific conditions

Course materials

Teaching material is provided by advisers from industry and university upon start of the specific student research project.