Project placements in companies and organisations

As part of their degree, most students can do a project placement, where they work with a company or a public or private organisation.

A project placement is an unpaid learning experience with huge benefits for both students and host organisations. Students contribute qualified knowledge and get to test their theoretical and methodological competencies in practice.

They can work on a specific task, investigate a given problem, test a specific method or observe a practice. As part of their project placement, students have to write an academic assignment, typically addressing an issue that they focus on with the host.

The assignment will be assessed by the university and transferred to the student’s diploma. The academic requirements for the project placement, such as learning outcomes, supervision and form of examination, are defined by the individual degree programme – as is the number of ECTS credits the project placement is worth.

The scope of a project placement can vary. Some students may need to take one or more courses at the university at the same time. A project placement is not the same as employment, which means that the student will not be granted the status of an employee.

Project placements require an investment from both parties: time, commitment, planning, and aligning expectations.

It can be a good idea to appoint a contact person to help the student, introduce them to the company/organisation, and provide feedback and advice during their time with you.

The company/organisation should:

• be aware that a project placement is a learning experience and not an employment
• consider whether their project placement is suitable for a Bachelor’s or Master’s student
• design well-organised tasks in collaboration with the student
• ensure that the tasks are at an appropriate level of difficulty and complexity for the student
• consider appointing a contact person for the student
• involve the student in the company culture

It’s a good idea for the host and student to meet and discuss the learning outcomes, academic requirements, tasks and a time frame for the project placement. Be specific – this helps both parties to fulfil expectations and avoid misunderstandings.

The university must approve the project placement before it starts.

It’s also a good idea to draw up a written agreement so that you can document the arrangements you’ve made with the student.  The faculties at AU can provide examples of how to draft a written agreement.

A good agreement includes:

• Definition and specification of tasks
• A translation of learning outcomes, e.g. which theoretical knowledge and methods the student will apply during the project placement. Consider including some specific personal, contextual or conceptual learning outcomes.
• What the host wants to get out of the placement.
• The duration of the project placement. When does it start and end? How many hours should the student spend on the project placement? It can be a good idea to specify this in weeks. Depending on the student’s class schedule, their weekly availability may vary.
• Practicalities such as keys, copy cards and system access.
• Financial conditions, such as whether student’s transport, lunch or other expenses will be paid for by the company/organisation. The student cannot be paid in the form of a salary during the project placement, since they are not employed. It is permitted to pay the student a gratuity of up to DKK 3,000 per month and to cover documentable expenses.
• Any legal matters such as confidentiality and insurance.