Research Internship in Biology for External Students
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 5
- Course code
- HOSP-BIOVIT
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
The goal of this course is to provide (international) external students with the opportunity to gain authentic research experience through a research internship in biology, under the guidance of a scientific employee at the Department of Biological Sciences. The student's project typically is part of an ongoing research project, and it can be carried out independently or in collaboration with other students. The work may be methodical, empirical, analytical, or theoretical.
The student will gain knowledge of the research process (the path from research question via study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of the results) and will gain practical experience with two or more of the steps in this process (for example, data collection, data compilation, and writing of field or lab report).
The student will be part of the research or project group, and participate in collaborative activities as applicable, allowing them to develop diverse research and collaborative skills.
Students can apply to projects that are described in the BIO internship bank (link). They will be accepted based on prior experience in the topic / willingness to learn, and appropriate timing.
Learning Outcomes
The student will, by the end of the course, have gained the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge
The student
- has knowledge of biological research as a process and working method
- can explain the principles behind and the purpose of the research activities conducted in the internship
- has experience with scientific methods within the research field of their internship
- can place their own data and findings in a professional context
Skills
The student
- can plan, implement, and report results from a defined research task according to the standards of the research field
- can understand specialist knowledge relevant to a defined academic project
- has knowledge of how the results in the project assignment can be interpreted and evaluated
General competence
The student
- develops understanding of the research process and the contribution of research in society
- develops professional identity and understanding of roles
- can work with others in a research community
- can reflect on the relationship between theory and practical research work
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
Gueststudents, traineeship and internshipstudents only.
Students must register as a guest student at UiB prior to the internship start.Routines for Trainee, Internship and guest students at the Faculty of Science and Technology | Faculty of Science and Technology | UiB
Deadlines:
- Autumn semester (July - December): May 1st
- Spring semester (January - June): October 15th.
Teaching and learning methods
Applied project work, individually and/or in team.
The course content depends on the research project, and may entail project planning, data collection (field, lab, literature), data handling, data analysis, and/or reporting.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
The student and supervisor sign an agreement outlining the tasks and expectations for the internship project at start of internship (first week).
Active participation as specified in the internship agreement is required.
Oral examination at the end, or after, internship.
Forms of Assessment
Oral exam consisting of a 20-minute presentation of the work, followed by 10 minutes of questions.
In the presentation, the student needs to be able to explain which methods were used and why, and explain how that fits in the bigger picture of the project and research questions. The student also needs to reflect on the collaboration with the research group they were part of.
In addition, the students' work will be assessed and must be approved by the scientific supervisor at UiB based on the internship agreement.