Teacher(s)
Language
French
Content
This course prepares students for the work placement which takes place in the second year of the Master’s degree in Public Administration. Students spend their second year of the Master’s programme working in professional environments outside the university. In this way, students gain experience and begin to explore the job market in advance. Public administrations and parliaments at various levels (federal, regional or community, and local), ministerial departments, administrative agencies, consultancy firms, engineering consultancies, and non-profit organisations are just a few examples of possible placements. MADPU2101 focuses primarily on identifying suitable placement opportunities and developing an effective strategy for contacting placement supervisors, setting professional and personal development objectives linked to the work placement, and reflecting on the links between university program and access to employment.
Teaching methods
Face-to-face meetings and various forms of interaction between the professor and the students. Engaging with relevant texts. Consulting useful websites.
Possible contact between the professor and the placement supervisors.
Where applicable, students who have previously taken the course may share their experiences.
Possible contact between the professor and the placement supervisors.
Where applicable, students who have previously taken the course may share their experiences.
Evaluation methods
Individual written reports addressing issues related to professionalisation, professionalism, the specific characteristics of work within a host organisation, and other challenges associated with translating academic expertise into practice. These reports must include documentary evidence of the initiatives and steps taken by students in preparation for the professional immersion placement that will take place during the second year of the Master’s programme in Public Administration. For example, students are expected to explain how host organisations have been selected, why these organisations are relevant to their educational and professional trajectories, which soft skills they intend to develop, what timetable has been established for securing an internship in the coming months, and related matters. The report may also discuss problems or difficulties encountered during the internship process. Reflective analysis constitutes one of the assessment criteria for the internship report. The content and reporting requirements will be discussed with students during class sessions.
Reports must make appropriate use of, and critically engage with, scientific literature, including the citation of relevant DOIs (and, where appropriate, grey literature), and must include a bibliography formatted according to the applicable academic referencing standards.
Reports may be subject to an oral defence during the examination period.
For the purposes of the assessment of this course unit, the use of artificial intelligence is strictly prohibited, whether as an ideation tool or as a substitue writer.
This assessment is non-repeatable and therefore does not allow for a standard resit examination. However, students who obtain a marginal fail grade (8 or 9 out of 20) may be given the opportunity during the second examination session to submit additional internship reports with a view to improving their final grade.
As a condition of admissibility, and failing which the maximum grade awarded shall be limited to 5/20, the assignment must include the following declaration, which the student confirms having respected in the preparation of the internship reports:
“In light of the trust that the public is entitled to place in the degree to which I aspire, I solemnly declare on my honour, and out of respect for both the University and fairness towards my fellow students, that I have completed this work personally and in accordance with the principles of academic integrity and intellectual honesty. I hereby certify that all intellectual sources and borrowings have been duly acknowledged and referenced in accordance with the applicable academic standards. I further certify that I have not made use, to any extent whatsoever, including through translation, of the ideas, statements, or graphical representations of a third party, whether or not paraphrased, without explicitly and clearly acknowledging their source within my work. Furthermore, I fully understand that plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct constitutes a serious offence and may give rise to the procedures and sanctions provided for in Articles 107 to 114 of the UCLouvain General Regulations Governing Studies and Examinations.”
Reports must make appropriate use of, and critically engage with, scientific literature, including the citation of relevant DOIs (and, where appropriate, grey literature), and must include a bibliography formatted according to the applicable academic referencing standards.
Reports may be subject to an oral defence during the examination period.
For the purposes of the assessment of this course unit, the use of artificial intelligence is strictly prohibited, whether as an ideation tool or as a substitue writer.
This assessment is non-repeatable and therefore does not allow for a standard resit examination. However, students who obtain a marginal fail grade (8 or 9 out of 20) may be given the opportunity during the second examination session to submit additional internship reports with a view to improving their final grade.
As a condition of admissibility, and failing which the maximum grade awarded shall be limited to 5/20, the assignment must include the following declaration, which the student confirms having respected in the preparation of the internship reports:
“In light of the trust that the public is entitled to place in the degree to which I aspire, I solemnly declare on my honour, and out of respect for both the University and fairness towards my fellow students, that I have completed this work personally and in accordance with the principles of academic integrity and intellectual honesty. I hereby certify that all intellectual sources and borrowings have been duly acknowledged and referenced in accordance with the applicable academic standards. I further certify that I have not made use, to any extent whatsoever, including through translation, of the ideas, statements, or graphical representations of a third party, whether or not paraphrased, without explicitly and clearly acknowledging their source within my work. Furthermore, I fully understand that plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct constitutes a serious offence and may give rise to the procedures and sanctions provided for in Articles 107 to 114 of the UCLouvain General Regulations Governing Studies and Examinations.”
Other information
MADPU2101 prepares students for the MADPU2206 course, which constitutes the internship itself, in the second year of the Master’s degree.
Course materials (including slides, diagrams, scholarly articles, examination questions, and other teaching resources) are protected by copyright. Any dissemination of these materials online without the professor's prior permission may constitute an infringement of copyright and could give rise to legal action.
Students are encouraged to share their own materials (such as notes, summaries, and study aids) only within private settings or restricted circles and not through platforms that commercialise or otherwise monetise user-generated content.
Course materials (including slides, diagrams, scholarly articles, examination questions, and other teaching resources) are protected by copyright. Any dissemination of these materials online without the professor's prior permission may constitute an infringement of copyright and could give rise to legal action.
Students are encouraged to share their own materials (such as notes, summaries, and study aids) only within private settings or restricted circles and not through platforms that commercialise or otherwise monetise user-generated content.
Online resources
www.student.be/fr/student-life/10-conseils-pour-reussir-ton-stage/ (limited English content)
Bibliography
Manceau, Céline (2020) 500 réponses aux questions des recruteurs : stage, alternance, premier emploi, Paris : L'étudiant (disponible en bibliothèque à l'UCLouvain).
Sauvayre, Romy (2021) Trouver facilement un stage, Paris : L'étudiant (disponible en bibliothèque à l'UCLouvain).
Sauvayre, Romy (2021) Trouver facilement un stage, Paris : L'étudiant (disponible en bibliothèque à l'UCLouvain).
Teaching materials
- Informations utiles sur la plateforme Moodle
Faculty or entity
Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)
Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Public Administration
