The final examination consists of preparing and discussing an original thesis on topics related to the university course. This work summarises and illustrates the results obtained by the student following a period of internship.

The Master’s Degree internship may be carried out at a research laboratory of the University of Padua or, on the basis of special agreements, at companies or public and private bodies where the student may carry out a period of research activity consistent with their university course.

During this period, students will be assisted by a Thesis Supervisor (and a possible Thesis Co-Supervisor) who will follow them through the preparation of the thesis and approve the content of the final paper.

In the event that the internship is carried out at an external body or company, the student will identify, in addition to the university thesis supervisor, a company tutor who will assist them in the facility at which the internship will take place.

At the beginning of the internship the Traineeship and Graduation Committee assigns each trainee a Co-Examiner with the task of analizing carefully the progress of the thesis. The student is required to adhere strictly to the confidentiality criteria agreed with the contacts of the university and non-university facilities when disseminating the results of research connected with their work. For further information and insights please consult the Code of Ethics and the University’s Patent Regulations

Before commencing the period devoted to the final examination, the student must have gained 30 CFU, except for cases duly authorized by theTraineeship and Graduation Committee.

The internship implies a total commitment of 1025 hours (LM Biologia Marina and LM Marine Biology) - 1050 hours (LM Biologia Evoluzionistica) over a period of at least 9 months and gives the student 42 CFU (LM Biologia Evoluzionistica) - 41 CFU (LM Biologia Marina and LM Marine Biology). Exceptions to this duration may be granted by the Degree programme Board on an exceptional basis, upon reasoned request of the Thesis Supervisor.

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR STARTING THE INTERNSHIP

For the internship to be activated, the student must send, at least 15 working days before the start date of the internship, the following forms to the Biology Department’s Academic Office (didattica.biologia@unipd.it):

• The Master’s Degree Internship Application;
• Self-certification of Enrolment with Examinations (downloadable from the Uniweb personal page, by accessing “Didattica” → “Autocertificazioni” /Teaching → Self-certifications);
• the Education and Guidance Project on the University internship page www.unipd.it/stage in the personal area for students (attention: select “Progetto Formativo”/ "Education Project", in the dedicated space enter the VAT no./tax identification number of the chosen body or company and choose “Stage Libero”/Free Internship);

The Education Project must be completed with the following information in the different fields:
a. Tasks to be performed: enter the topic of the thesis specifying the techniques that will be adopted during the internship;
b. Functional area: select “Altro – specificare” (Other - specify) from the drop-down menu;
c. Office/Service/Operational Unit/Department: specify the facility where the activity will take place, in the following fields indicate its address;
d. Company tutor: indicate the person in charge at the external body, or the lecturer in charge of the laboratory for internships within the University;
e. Duration (months): indicate the period for which the student will attend the facility for the internship.
f. Timetable: indicate the time slots in which the student will carry out their activity;
g. Days of the week: e.g. Monday to Friday;
h. Start Date and End Date: indicate the period during which the internship is intended to be carried out, in any case not exceeding 12 months in total;
i. Academic tutor: indicate the Thesis Supervisor supervising the thesis work.

With regard to the Education Project, students will have to follow the new signature submission methods, which are described below:

1. Students must download the Project from the Unipd Careers Platform in PDF/A format;

2. Students must have the Project in PDF/A format electronically signed, preferably in PAdES format, by the host body (for internships outside the university) or by the laboratory manager (for internships within the university). If the company does not have an electronic signature, please send the downloaded education project to didattica.biologia@unipd.it pointing out that the body is not in possession of the electronic signature; it will be the office’s task to contact the body to obtain the signature;

3. Students must send the Project signed by the company tutor, in PDF/A format, to the Biology Department’s Academic Office (didattica.biologia@unipd.it). The Academic Office will upload the document to the E-Sign Platform;

4. Via the E-Sign Platform, students can generate their electronic signature and sign the document;

5. Once the signature has been acquired, the Biology Academic Office sends the Projects to the Rector’s Delegate (Prof. L. Dalla Valle) who will sign all the forms via the U-Sign Platform;

6. Once all the signatures have been obtained, the document is complete and the traineeship can be started on the date indicated in the Project.

The education project must be completed paying particular attention to the correct filling in of all required mandatory fields and must be downloaded in PDF/A format.

Please note that any changes made to the project once downloaded will delete the PDF/A format, so before sending it to the company, or to the laboratory manager, check and if necessary save it again in the format indicated. Once downloaded and signed, the Education Project cannot be modified, so please pay attention when filling it in.

To be noted: any changes to the initial education project, including any extensions or early conclusions, must be communicated well in advance by the company tutor to: stage@unipd.it, cc'ing: didattica.biologia@unipd.it.

Only if the tutor belongs to the Department of Biology, interns must also send the following documents:

• The intern identification form 
• Certificate of the course “General training - basic course on worker safety” accessible at the link: https://elearning.unipd.it/formazione by clicking on “Area sicurezza” (Safety area) and then “Formazione generale” (General training) (authentication via Single Sign On will be required) provided by the university, after passing the relevant final test;
• Certificate of the course “Specific training in health and safety protection for workers employed in laboratory activities - High risk class” accessible at the link: https://elearning.unipd.it/formazione by clicking on “Area sicurezza” (Safety area) and then “Formazione specifica – attività a rischio alto” (Specific training - high risk activities) (authentication via Single Sign On will be required) prepared by the university, after passing the relevant final test.

REQUEST OF BADGE ACTIVATION FOR ACCESS TO THE LABORATORIES OF THE VALLISNERI BUILDING

Students requiring access to the Biology Department’s facilities (Laboratories of the Vallisneri building), under the Thesis Supervisor’s instructions, must fill in the appropriate forms to be requested to the Academic Office.

DOCUMENTS AT THE END OF THE INTERNSHIP

At the end of the internship, students must send to the Academic Office:

• the certificate of completion of master’s degree internship duly completed and signed

INTERNSHIP DURING ERASMUS PROGRAMME

Internships are possible through Erasmus+ mobility, which has two sub-programmes, the Erasmus+ study and the Erasmus+ traineeship,

For both programmes students must submit the same forms except for the Education and Guidance Project, which will be replaced by the Learning Agreement.

Upon completion, a copy of the Transcript of Records or Short Evaluation Report for Thesis Work must also be handed in to the Academic Office.

TRAINEESHIP AND GRADUATION COMMITTEE, THESIS SUPERVISOR, THESIS CO-SUPERVISOR, CO-EXAMINER

The following roles and committees are involved in the final degree examination:

1) The Traineeship and Graduation Committee, which carries out all the technical formalities provided for by the Regulations, including the assignment of a Co-Examiner (possibly at the proposal of the thesis supervisor) for each student at the beginning of the Internship period and the composition of the Master’s Degree Committee.

2) The Thesis Supervisor, whose function is to monitor the student while preparing their thesis, to approve the content of the final paper and to express a detailed and independent assessment of the student’s cultural background.

The Thesis Supervisor must be a lecturer at the University of Padua.

The Thesis Supervisor is appointed by the Traineeship and Graduation Committee on the recommendation of the student, as indicated in the rules below. The internship may be carried out at facilities at the university and outside it but always under the responsibility of a Thesis Supervisor, defined as above.

3) The Thesis Co-Supervisor is an optional figure, indicated by the Thesis Supervisor, with the function of assisting the Thesis Supervisor in guiding the student during the internship. They may be a lecturer who does not meet the requirements indicated for the Thesis Supervisor or a person with qualified scientific and/or technological skills, proven by at least three years of post-graduate experience, or alternatively, a person who has passed the entrance exam and is enrolled in a PhD program. Maximum 2 Co-Supervisors.

Their appointment by the Traineeship and Graduation Committee takes place when the student is admitted to the final examination. It remains the sole responsibility of the Thesis Supervisor to evaluate the student’s performance during the internship. The Thesis Co-Supervisor’s name will appear together with that of the Thesis Supervisor on the title page of the thesis.

4) The Co-Examiner is normally a lecturer involved in the Degree Programme, has the task of reviewing the progress of the thesis and is in charge of assessing the student’s skills and actual technical and cultural growth during the traineeship. The Co-Examiner will be assigned at the time of the student’s thesis admission and communicated to the student by e-mail. The student is required to make contact with the assigned Co-Examiner and to discuss their research activity with them periodically (STARTING FROM THE DEGREE DISSERTATIONS OF JULY 2022)

5) The Master’s Degree Committee consists of a President and at least four Commissioners, including the Thesis Supervisor and the Co-Examiner. This Committee, appointed by the Director of the Department of Biology, is proposed in advance by the Traineeship and Graduation Committee.

The final assessment, which will take into account the entire course of study and the competences, knowledge and skills acquired, and the announcement will be carried out by the Master’s Degree Committee. The Thesis Co-Supervisor, if any, may be part of the Master’s Degree Committee as an invited member without voting rights.

In the event of the excused absence of the Thesis Supervisor or Co-Examiner, the student’s assessment and proposed grade must be drawn up in writing by the person who actually supervised the student and then forwarded to the President of the Master’s Degree Committee.

Since 2007, part of the degree and PhD theses of the University of Padua are directly available online at http://www.unipd.it/ricerca/risultati-ricerca-catalogo-pubblicazioni/banche-dati which gives access to the Padua@thesis and Padua@research databases.

By consulting them, you will be able to obtain information that will help you in your choice of degree internship.