Managing internships

Extensions, suspension, early termination, completion, accidents, etc.

This page lists events that may occur during an internship in progress and associated guidelines for interns and host organizations.

These events are applicable exclusively to curricular or extra-curricular internships that have been properly activated according to procedure as described on the following pages:

Except as provided in specific instructions applicable to the intern’s study programme, extra-curricular interns are required to fill out the attendance log via the UNIMIA platform, as explained in the following guide.

Guide to filling out the extracurricular internship attendance log

For information on closing the internship and its recognition on the student record (credits, thesis eligibility, etc.) please consult the following page:

Tutors for curricular internships and ECTS credits

Internship office

For information

E-mail assistance: [email protected]
Phone assistance (02.503.12032):

  • Tuesday: 10 am to 12 noon
  • Thursday: 10 am to 12 noon
How to manage the following events

Such requests are only possible for internships that were properly activated but never started.

The cancellation request must be submitted by the host organization on the placement services portal by accessing “Details” of the internship training programme and selecting the option “Closure” > “Cancellation”.

Use the date when the internship should have begun as the date of cancellation.

Requests to suspend the internship may only be submitted in the event of:

  • official closure of the host organization for a minimum of 15 calendar days;
  • intern illness, injury, or pregnancy for a minimum of 30 calendar days.
The suspension of internships in progress is provided also in the event of voluntary isolation or compulsory quarantine for interns with COVID-19 (analogous to suspension for sickness). The request must be submitted according to the procedure described in the “Suspension” section, indicating the reason as “Addendum – COVID-19 emergency”.

(Should these conditions not be met, the host organization shall report the absence of the intern by email to [email protected]).

The suspension request must be submitted by the host organization via the management portal by accessing “Details” of the internship training programme at least one week before the suspension goes into effect. The Internship Office will process the request and provide a response. The host organization and intern will subsequently receive email notification of acceptance or denial of the request.  

N.B. The completion date of the internship is not automatically postponed upon approval of the suspension. Interns may make up the period of suspension by submitting an online extension request to the Internship Office for approval.

Requests for extension of the internship must be submitted by the host organization via the management portal by accessing “Details” of the internship training programme at least one week before the end of the internship.

The Internship Office will process the request and provide a response. The host organization and intern will subsequently receive email notification of acceptance or denial of the request. If an extension is granted, the certificate of extension may be downloaded from the “Details” of the internship training programme page and printed.

The maximum length of curricular or extracurricular internships is 12 calendar months (if necessary conditions are met) less any approved periods of suspension.

For curricular internships only: in order to complete the activities provided in the internship training programme, the internship may be extended beyond 12 calendar months if the academic tutor submits their written approval to the Internship Office.

 

If for some reason the internship ends prior to the end date specified in the training programme, the host organization must submit a request by:

  • accessing the “Details” page of the internship training programme on the placement services portal, selecting the “Early termination” function, and indicating the new date of termination and the reason for the request;
  • submitting the “Internship termination form”, filled out and signed by the intern and by the host organization tutor, in the “Document management” section of the “Details” page of the internship training programme; and
  • if it is an extra-curricular internship, the host organization must also submit the COB/Unilav termination notice in the “Document management” section.

The Internship Office will process the request and provide a response. The host organization and intern will subsequently receive email notification of acceptance or denial of the request.

If the request is accepted, at the end of the procedure the host organization and the intern will be notified by email and will be able to download and print the certificate of early termination from the “Details” page of the internship training programme. They will also receive a link for an online evaluation.

Activities closely related to the internship objectives may be undertaken by interns in a different location than that indicated in the training programme.

During the execution of said activities, the intern must always be supported by the host organization tutor and/or by another representative of the host organization.

Where such transfers are not specified in the training programme, the host organization must send an email, sufficiently in advance, to [email protected], indicating:

  • the transfer period;
  • the address of the location for the transfer;
  • the reason for the transfer and the associated activities;
  • the name and contact information for the host organization representative supporting the intern.

If the intern is ill, he/she is not required to present a medical certificate either to the host organization or to the internship organizer.

If the intern is absent (because of illness or due to other reasons, including host organization necessities), the host organization must notify the Internship Office by email ([email protected]) on the same day that the absence occurs.

Per regulations, the intern has no obligation to make up any days of absence.

Only in the case where the absence is attributed to intern illness/injury/pregnancy of 30 days or more, or is the result of the host organization officially closing for a period of 15 days or more, the host organization must follow the procedure for requesting a “Suspension”.

Any variations in internship hours (daily or weekly) with respect to those initially specified in the training programme must be communicated by the host organization by sending an email to [email protected]. For curricular internships, the intern must send a similar email to his/her academic tutor.

Protection of the health of interns who are pregnant or new mothers pursuant to D.Lgs. 151/2001.

For interns who have notified the internship organizer (UNIMI) that they are pregnant, health protection measures will be implemented for the entire period of pregnancy and until the child is seven months old.

During the period of the protection measures, they intern may not be assigned tasks involving lifting or carrying heavy loads or those that are hazardous, physically demanding, or otherwise unhealthy.

Any such tasks must be suspended and, where possible, replaced with others by the host organization tutor.

If the intern cannot be assigned to different tasks in keeping with the above protection measures, she must suspend internship activities until her child is seven months old.

 

Procedure for reporting pregnancy to the University

Pregnancies must be communicated to the University by the end of the seventh month of gestation.

Expecting mothers at risk of exposure to ionizing radiation (tasks involving the handling of radioactive materials and/or use of equipment that may potentially emit radiation) are required to report their pregnancy as soon as it is confirmed.

Procedure for reporting pregnancy:

1. The intern must send an email to: [email protected]

The email must include:

  1. digital copy of a medical certificate issued by a gynaecologist or general practitioner with the name and surname of the expecting  mother, the week of gestation, and the expected date of birth;
  2. personal information and residence address of the pregnant intern and the UNIMI academic tutor and associated structure.

2. The UNIMI Health Office drafts a communication in compliance with applicable law. The communication is signed by the Rector and addressed to the pregnant intern and to the UNIMI tutor, who is responsible for informing the host organization tutor.

Curricular and extra-curricular interns are insured by INAIL, with the following specific conditions: 

  • extra-curricular interns have coverage for injuries sustained while travelling between home and location of internship;
  • curricular interns are only covered for risks directly associated with the activities listed in the training programme.

Any accidents / injuries must be communicated to the email: [email protected]

The intern will receive periodic emails during the internship with requests to fill out questionnaires for monitoring or mid-term evaluation purposes.

On the last day of the internship, the intern and host organization tutor will each receive an email (at the addresses provided in the internship training programme) with links to the final evaluation questionnaire. The intern and the host organization tutor are both required to fill out the questionnaire.

The last day of the internship is the date specified in the internship training programme or subsequently updated following a request for early termination or extension approved by the Internship Office.

The final evaluation is filled out online and automatically submitted to the Placement Services Portal.

Once both evaluations have been completed, the intern may download them from the page AlmaGo > Manage your internships > Internship details, which is accessible via UNIMIA (Work and Internships > Manage your CV).

To request awarding of ECTS credits, you must follow the specific instructions for your Degree Programme

Interns can download the certificate of internship activities from their Unimia page: Work and Internships > Manage your CV > AlmaGo > Manage your Internships > History.