Credit where credit is due: UNYP Business Administration students can get study credits for their internships

There’s no doubt that a successful internship will give you insight into potential careers, and could also be a fast track to a full-time job. But Bachelor of Business Administration students at the University of New York in Prague can get even more out of their internships. 

“There are a few possible scenarios,” says Dr. Dan Šťastný, Dean of the School of Business Administration at UNYP. “Quite often, students find an opportunity in Prague and combine their internship with studies throughout the academic year. Sometimes they dedicate a full summer to an internship, in Prague or elsewhere, and sometimes the university helps to place students for particular internships through our connections in various companies.” 

“For an internship to count, it has to be related to the broad field of business administration, say working in management or marketing departments, for example, but not necessarily within a profit-seeking organizations. Non-profits or government organizations are equally eligible. Right now, you can get a maximum of six ECTS credits for your internship, which counts as one standard course, and takes about 150 hours. If somebody has an internship for only 100 hours, we will give them four credits; if they have 40-50 hours, we will give two credits. This means that students have the option of taking one long internship or three short ones, depending on their individual situation.”

“I don’t think anybody seriously doubts that students benefit from real-world work experience. The question for counting internships as a part of the curriculum and awarding credits for these experiences is: how do you administer that process? Currently, the numbers of students willing to do this are small, so I manage to supervise them myself; with assigned supervisors in the companies where the internships take place, of course. Naturally, when students find the internship themselves, we make sure that the company is legitimate,” concludes Dr. Šťastný. 

Applying for an internship while studying at UNYP will help you develop your professional identity and get a job after graduation. 

We asked fourth-year UNYP Business Administration student Axel Torrico about his internship experience at EPOCA S.R.L, Centro de Especializacion y Postgrado en Odontologia y Ciencias Afines (Centre of Specialization and Postgraduate in Odontology and Related Sciences), which forms part of the College of Odontologists of La-Paz. Axel was able to get the internship, which lasted for more than two months, through his father’s connections at the College of Odontologists of La-Paz.

“During my short period working as an intern, I was assigned to work in two different projects in different parts of the organization. On the first project, my duties were closely linked to the supervision and design of an advertisement for the launch of a new project from the company – a dental insurance program. For the second project, I was part of a team responsible for developing a strategic plan for a new fast food shop that the company wanted to open. My role in this team was to formulate a marketing strategy plan that would focus on the name, brand story, logotype, slogan, physical ambiance, and menu. 

I decided to do an internship since I believed it would be beneficial for my growth as a student and future professional. Nowadays, it is crucial to acquire as much experience as possible before graduating so you can be prepared for the labor requirements of our time. I remember that I had to develop a very precise marketing plan, and contact and interview the right individuals who could help me execute the plan (cooks, graphic designers, etc.). This was a very rewarding experience, since I was able to apply some prior knowledge that I had acquired while studying at UNYP. Overall, it was a great opportunity to really taste the labor market demands, and apply the tools that UNYP and other learning experiences had already given me. Before graduation, I plan to do an internship in Prague or get a part-time job. I would definitely recommend taking up an internship opportunity to other students, since it guarantees one of the most important requirements of the current labor market: experience, which can only be acquired through hard work and predisposition.”