Internship ‘To project’ (20 Working Days)

Language

English

Content

The internship involves integration into a project team, participation in a stage of project development in architecture at the design and/or monitoring phase, and an analysis of the team’s operating methods.
Guided by the internship supervisor, the student develops practical knowledge, professional attitudes, and professional behaviors.
In parallel, the student is invited to conduct a reflective analysis of the internship, enabling them to develop their practices, build a professional identity, and gain awareness of their responsibilities.
Period and duration:
The internship itself lasts 20 working days (4 weeks).
It may be divided into two periods of at least 10 days within the same organization (i.e., 10 + 10 days).
The internship takes place outside of other academic activities, outside of class periods.
In principle, each internship period should be completed continuously over one or more weeks, in line with the academic calendar.
However, it is also possible to spread an internship period over separate days (for example, every Friday).
Location:
The internship takes place in a design office within an organization involved in architectural or urban planning design. It requires the on-site presence of an architect or architectural engineer who, as the internship supervisor, will provide the student’s learning framework.
Other types of host organizations are possible, but only within the cours au choix  Stage spécialisé : Etudiant chercheur [LARCB 2078], Stage spécialisé Acteurs de terrain [LARCB 2079] et Stage spécialisé : Construire durablement [LARCB 1002]
The internship may be carried out in Belgium or abroad.
Organization and supervision:
The Faculty LOCI:
The Faculty LOCI provides the institutional framework of the activity: it validates the internship as a pedagogical activity.
Within the Faculty, the Internship Coordinator ensures the pedagogical framework of the course unit.
The Faculty Secretariat provides the administrative framework of the course unit.
The Faculty oversees internships carried out as part of the studies: UCLouvain has subscribed to insurance covering accidents occurring to students during travel to or from, or on the premises of, an internship.
Details are available at: http://www.uclouvain.be/assurances.html
The internship supervisor:
The internship supervisor offers the student the opportunity for the internship and ensures its follow-up.
They provide a supportive and instructive learning environment.
Note: In accordance with Article 21 of the General Examination Regulations, “no jury member may take part in the examination of their spouse or of a relative up to the fourth degree, …”, which means that a parent (as defined above) cannot be chosen as an internship supervisor.
The student:
The student undertaking the internship must be enrolled in the Master’s program (Master 1 or Master 2).

Teaching methods

Before the internship: preparation
Before the internship, the student prepares for it in connection with the theoretical courses. The preparatory work consists of:

• Becoming familiar with the internship requirements;
• Defining personal objectives, establishing links with theoretical courses, the Master’s thesis and/or professional practice interests;
• Identifying the internship location, drafting the application, and meeting the internship supervisor;
• Formulating and having proposals validated.

During the internship: the internship itself
The internship places the student in a real work situation. It provides a learning experience that is both:

• Formal: putting into practice architectural skills for the design, production, and/or development of architectural projects, …
• Informal: being welcomed by people, integrating into a team, engaging in intentional or chance encounters, …

It offers the opportunity to experiment with professional practice and to manage complex, authentic situations. At the same time, the structured environment allows the student to analyze their practice and develop avenues for adjustment through:

• The implementation of a reflective process on their perception of the profession and their expectations in relation to their studies;
• Feedback from the internship supervisor.

After the internship: reflection and reporting
After the internship, the student writes the internship report. This reflective process allows them to create meaning and interpret the experience.
The internship report is personal and presents three aspects:

• Descriptive: the host organization and its general structure, the projects, and the student’s involvement in them;
• Analytical: highlighting operating methods, processes, roles of participants, constraints, perspectives, …
• Reflective: the student’s impressions at the end of the internship and possible directions for development.

Evaluation methods

The course Master’s Internship [LARC2271] is an activity that results in a single grade.
At the end of the internship, the internship supervisor is invited to provide formative feedback (non-graded, intended to inform the intern) using a specific evaluation form. This evaluation form is attached to the internship report.
The student’s achievements are assessed by the Internship Coordinator, based on the internship report written by the student.
The final grade is recorded at the end of the program, in Q10 of the Master’s cycle, even if the student has completed the internship earlier (during Master 1 or between Master 1 and Master 2).
A grade lower than 10/20 requires the student to redo the internship, either in full (20 working days) or in part (fewer than 15 working days), or to rewrite the report, according to the Internship Coordinator’s instructions.

Online resources

The following documents are available on Moodle, on the course page:

• Vade-mecum detailing the necessary information: requirements, steps, evaluation, …
• Internship agreement
• Evaluation form to be completed by the internship supervisor

Faculty or entity

> LOCI