Internship dissertation

Language

French

Content

The internship report includes a section presenting the internship (the chosen location and its characteristics, the type of position held, the tasks performed, etc.) and a summary of the skills acquired during the internship (knowledge, know-how, interpersonal skills).
The first part of the internship report consists of a presentation of the internship completed by the student. This first part of the report is divided into four sections:

• A presentation of the internship location: this should be a comprehensive and concise presentation of the organization where the internship took place (structure, mission, organizational chart, department where the student was placed, etc.).
• A description of the work carried out: the different types of tasks performed, the projects undertaken, and the context in which these activities took place. The aim is to explain the nature of the internship to the reader. It must be comprehensive and concise. The format of this text is left to the student's discretion (weekly planner, diary, or presentation by project, for example). This section may be supplemented by appendices containing useful documents (e.g., work produced, etc.).
• A critical reflection on the location and nature of the internship: the student must demonstrate a degree of detachment from the professional environment and develop an assessment of the location, the actions carried out, and the teams. A reflection on gender issues will be particularly appreciated.
• Self-assessment: The student will provide a reasoned assessment of the internship. This involves taking stock of the positive aspects and weaknesses, how the internship was experienced, the student's encounters with the professional environment, etc. This self-assessment must be supported by examples and situations experienced during the internship.

The second part consists of a critical analysis aimed at producing a theoretical and critical reflection based on an issue related to gender. This issue must be related to the type of internship the student is considering, the host organization, the challenges associated with this field, etc. For example, an internship in a company's HR department could lead to research on the glass ceiling. An internship at an LGBT association could be coupled with work on homophobia. However, the critical analysis may also be a question that interests the student. The argument is constructed on the basis of theoretical readings. The subject and the list of works to be read are determined in consultation with the supervisor.

Teaching methods

The jury may object to a student's registration for the dissertation if the student has not participated in the various stages of the dissertation teaching process and, a fortiori, if the student has never contacted his/her promoter (except for validation of the dissertation subject ) cf. RGEE articles 73 and 74.
A student deemed to be at the end of the cycle may register for the dissertation in the June or September session. Only students who have already presented their dissertation, without credit, at the session of a previous academic year are authorised to register for the January session. 

Evaluation methods

The dissertation will be assessed on the basis of the student's ability to identify a research subject and set out a problem, to conduct a high-quality heuristic and/or empirical investigation, to apply the principles of documentary criticism to the works and/or sources used, to summarise the information gathered and to analyse and communicate it in writing; the student's ability to present the results of his/her research to the dissertation jury (made up of the promoter and an assessor appointed by the inter-university master's jury). The detailed assessment criteria (in terms of form and content) are set out in the Regulations relating to internships for the Master's specialisation in gender studies (see ‘Other information’).
Oral defense  
The dissertation is defended orally. The oral examination is a time for discussion between the student and the members of the jury. The oral examination is taken into account in the final assessment of the dissertation.
Rules on plagiarism and the use of AI 
Throughout the dissertation, students must demonstrate their perfect mastery of the rules of bibliographic referencing; at the risk of being suspected of plagiarism, they must take care to 

• DO NOT copy a text without inverted commas and/or without mentioning the source; 
• DO NOT reproduce a graph, data, illustration, etc. without mentioning the source; 
• DO NOT reformulate or summarise an author's original idea without mentioning the source; 
• DO NOT translate, in whole or in part, a source without referencing it; 
• DO NOT use someone else's work by presenting it as your own (even if the author of the work has given his or her agreement); 
• DO NOT buy a work. 

See https://uclouvain.be/fr/etudier/uss/lutter-contre-le-plagiat.html 
This definition supplements the definition given in art. 107 §2 of the RGEE and constitutes a special provision within the meaning of §3 of the same article. 
Any student who fails to comply with the scientific referencing standards set out above is liable, in the event of irregularity or plagiarism established by the jury, to academic sanctions as detailed in the RGEE (section 7). 
Generative artificial intelligence (AI), if used, must be used responsibly and in accordance with the practices of academic and scientific integrity. As scientific integrity requires that sources be cited, the use of AI must always be reported.  

Other information

Regulations governing theses for the Master's degree in Gender Studies, detailing technical requirements for the thesis, as well as regulations governing internships for the Master's degree in Gender Studies and various practical documents (cover page template, evaluation form, and agreement) are available at: https://www.mastergenre.be/documentation/ 

The internship associated with the thesis must be completed during the academic year in which the LGENR2901 course is included in the student's annual program. In the event of a reduction in course load, it cannot therefore be brought forward to year N-1.

Faculty or entity

> FIAL