Internship information for students starting their studies between 2017-2019
The internship practice, which is taken outside this institution and consists of 20 credits, is the requirement for receiving your university-leaving certificate.
The length of the internship: on full time training the internship is 20 credits (SZGYABA20), 400 working hours (2.5 months), on part time training it takes up 200 working hours.
A well-organised internship consists of a training period, followed by supervised independent work. Students might have the opportunity to become acquainted with various positions in some companies during their internships.
The exact rules of the internship are set in the Programme’s Curriculum (at point 8). The major points are the following:
- The length of the internship is 400 working hours (2.5 months). For correspondence students, it is only 200 working hours. The internship as a course (Internship A, Szakmai gyakorlat A, SZGYABA20) is worth 20 credits, and is a prerequisite of the pre-degree certificate.
- Most hospitality partners, however, offer much longer, generally one-semester-long, internships. Students wishing to take part in these are advised to take the course Internship B (Szakmai gyakorlat B, SZGYBBA12) for 12 credits. These credits count towards your elective (optional) courses. But you can take this course even if you already have your elective (optional) credits.
Suggestion for our students: We recommend that you seriously consider doing this longer (400+400 working hours) internship. It may be a significant professional advantage when starting a professional career if you have done a one-semester-long internship with a well-established company. International internship programs available through ERASMUS are also generally one semester long.
- Before starting the internship, the student must have 138 credits completed, including the Gastronomy Basics (Gasztronómiai alapismeretek, GAEK0BA06) and Hotel Management 2 (Szállodamenedzsment 2, SZNT2BA06) courses.
- Any company or institution involved in activities related the program’s degree course can be chosen, as long as it has available positions requiring a university degree. (Curriculum, 8.2)
For students in the Commercial catering specialisation, the recommended time for the internship is the 7th semester.
The internship practice subjects (Szakmai gyakorlat A and B) are administered on the online Career Platform and the Form Filler System. This online system is used for all administrative tasks in connection with the internship (choosing a place, signing a contract, assessment).
The subjects called Internships A and B (Szakmai gyakorlat A and B) should be registered in Neptun the same way as other subjects. Note: It is important to take the course in the semester which ends after the internship ends. For example:
-internship starting in July and ending in October - > sign up for autumn semester
- internship starting in September and ending in December - > sign up for autumn semester
The recommended period for completing is the 7th semester: between 1st July and 30th November
The student’s status must be active when starting and doing the internship.
The subjects Internship A and Internship B (Szakmai gyakorlat A and B) should be accepted by the corresponding department (Department of Hospitality) connected to the student’s specialization.
The process
Students have two ways to choose an internship place:
- Choosing from the list of BBU partners,
- Finding an institution, and requesting its acceptance as an internship partner.
The online system contains all partners that already have Cooperation Agreements with the University.
The aim of the online platform is to significantly reduce the time required for relationship management and administration processes by automating routine processes, leveraging modern technical solutions and relying on the everyday forms of communication students use.
The system consists of two major platforms:
1. internship - form filler ("Internship" menu)
2. career platform ("Career platform" menu)
The purpose of the internship form filler is to enable the end-to-end documentation of the internship online.
The career platform is a virtual space that enables the offers and demands of companies and students to meet, as well as companies to advertise mandatory internship opportunities and voluntary work for BBU students.
Online Career Platform and the Form Filler System can be reached here.
Students can access this platform with their Neptun username and password.
The process of administration always starts with the place of the internship.
Students must ask the partner /internship companies to register on the online platform. This should be done once a preliminary agreement between the student and the partner institution has been reached.
The first step of administration is that the university has to sign a Cooperation Agreement with the internship company. The Cooperation Agreement is made between the University and the partner institution through the online system. The Agreement states the legal issues, including the rights and obligations of both partners during the internship.
This Cooperation Agreement is made for the mandatory internship (Internship A, Szakmai gyakorlat A). The conditions of the optional Internship B (Szakmai gyakorlat B) should be set in an employment contract between the student and the partner company.
Why do we need two different contracts for a one-semester-long internship?
Hungarian tax laws provide significant tax breaks for companies employing students in internship programmes. However, these are available only for the 400 hours stated in the Ministerial decree; therefore, any time spent with the company over this time needs to go under a different contract.
In case the Agreement was signed in the online platform, it is not necessary to sign it again in the following semesters. Students can find those companies in the system with which the university have already signed an agreement.
The Agreement created through the online system must be printed by the partner institution, signed and stamped, and then sent to the Career Office. (1149 Budapest, Buzogány u. 11-13.)
Deadline: three weeks before starting the internship.
This statement is filled out by the partner institution, stating the acceptance of the student for the internship program. The student must provide the following information for the partner company:
- Name
- Neptun ID code
- Faculty
- Degree course
The student receives the statement of acceptance prepared by the partner institution through the online system (Student Statement). The deadline for receiving the statement of acceptance should be 3 weeks before the internship starts.
The student receives the statement of acceptance prepared by the partner institution through the online system (Student Statement).
The student:
-must confirm his/her wish to do the internship at the given partner institution, in the position stated, and during the time period given
-must also accept that the University will share his/her personal information with the partner institution in order to prepare a Cooperation Agreement
-must state that he/she will finish his/her course requirements by the beginning of the internship
- students have to accept the professional indemnity insurance
Student can access the system with their Neptun ID (username) and password.
Then, the instructor responsible for the Department’s internship programs will decide whether the position is acceptable from a professional point of view. Both the partner institution and the student will receive the decision (Statement by the Department).
Any questions regarding professional aspects of the internship for students in catering specialisations should be addressed to Dr. Klára Karakasné Morvay during her office hours or by email at: KarakasneMorvay.Klara@uni-bge.hu
The student, under the supervision of the partner institution’s instructor or professional guide, performs the internship during the time period stated in the online system. Any significant change from the conditions described in the Cooperation Agreement and any problems must be reported to the university by the student or the partner institution.
Two evaluations are made at the end of the internship:
1. The partner institution fills out the form titled Internship Certification and Evaluation Form. The performance of the student is evaluated in several aspects, giving percentages. According to the complex values the department writes the student’s grade in the Neptun.
2. The student gives feedback to the University by filling out a form titled Evaluation of Partner Institution. The average values of student evaluations will be available through the system, giving information to prospective students planning their internships.
Deadline for uploading: One week after the last day of the internship.
For students studying with a Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, it is important to: Rules and Regulations of the Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme, these students can fullfill their internship only in Hungary.
In the case of self-funded foreign students, state scholarship and self-funded students: The online system is available both in Hungarian and in English. Therefore, the procedures for internships done abroad are the same as those done in Hungary.
Declaration on the conclusion of liability insurance
In the case of internships abroad, the students must also undertake in a Student Declaration that for the duration of their internship to be spent abroad, they will take out health, occupational safety and other liability insurance on their own responsibility and at their own expense.
Pannónia Scholarship Programme
For internships abroad, you can also apply for a Pannónia Scholarship Programme in this case it is still necessary to complete the administration of the mandatory internship in the online Career Platform, and the application for the Pannónia Scholarship Programme can be submitted to the International Relations and Mobility Office at least 2 months before the planned trip.
There may arise a good reason why a student wants to change the partner institution where he/she has started doing the internship. Important: In this case, please contact both the Career Office.
In case of choosing a new partner institution, the original internship has to be closed in Career Platform:
1. the original partner (filling out the Internship Certification and Evaluation Form)
2. the student (filling out the Evaluation of Partner Institution Form).
The new partner institution has to start the process by indicating the remaining time-period in the Career Platform.
Important: If the University accepts time done at both internship partners, then the total time done at the two partners must add up to the required number of hours of the internship.
In case a student has past work experience that corresponds to the internship requirements (see 8.2 of the curriculum) an Request for recognition form must be filled out and submitted through Online Career Platform. The request will be evaluated by the Department connected to the student’s specialization.
For Full time students, relevant work experience can be accepted if it has been done after course requirements have been met, and if it meets internship requirements.
Important: Please, do not submit a request in case you want to have work experience done earlier to be accepted.
Please enclose the following documents to the request:
- An employer’s certificate that demonstrates the duration of work and the job fulfilled.
- A certificate and evaluation form (on a form provided by the University, available here) on which the company evaluates the student's competences in percentage terms.
- 5-page report which includes description of the company, describing tasks, describing professional experiences (based on your studies), evaluation of the company (work condition).
The request can be found in the Online Career Platform under the Internship Administration/Request for recognition.