Version as of September 2016 | Semester I & II

Course unit syllabus

Placement
MA International Relations 60 ects
BA International Relations & International Organization
E.M. Feringa (coordinator)
B.L. Aardema
H. Sportel
L.M. Wieseman
1/ Type of course unit, number of ECTS credit points and
admission requirements

a. Type:
For Bachelor students, the placement is optional.
For Master students with a Dutch Bachelor diploma, the placement is mandatory.
For Master students with a non-Dutch Bachelor diploma, the placement is an elective,
which can be replaced by a third research seminar.

b. ETCS credit points:

Upon successful completion of your placement and placement report, you will receive a
certain number of credits (ECTS) depending on the type of placement and length of the
placement. In terms of duration, your placement should be at minimum 280 hours,
which is equivalent to working 7 weeks full time with a 40 hours work week.
Nevertheless, we recommend you to try and attain a placement that lasts for 10 weeks or
longer.

In terms of the allocation of credits, please consult the following tables:

for Bachelor IRIO 10 ECTS optional placement LBA000B10

The Bachelor placement has a duration of 7 weeks minimum. If you are going to do a
placement with a longer duration no extra credits will be allocated. The Bachelor
placement is part of the free space of you Bachelor degree programme. Only one
Bachelor placement will be approved within the free space of the Bachelor
programme.

placement equivalent to
for Master IR 10 ECTS LYX000M10
7-14 weeks full-time

placement equivalent to
for Master IR + 5 ECTS extra LYX000M05
15-19 weeks full-time

placement equivalent to
for Master IR + 10 ECTS extra LYX400M10
20 weeks full-time or more

for Master IR 10 ECTS second placement LYX500M10

Master students can choose to do a second placement. For this second Master
placement the same requirements, duration and criteria apply as for the first Master
placement. There will never be awarded more than 10 credits to this second Master
placement.

NB1: Please note that LYX000M10 is part of the standard curriculum of the Master IR
programme. LYX000M05, LYX000M10 and LYX500M10 are only awarded on top of

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 the mandatory 60 ects curriculum.

NB2: You cannot receive credits for work or placements you have done in the past.
Rather, the placement has to fulfil the criteria outlined by this syllabus. Without a clear
agreement between yourself, the university and the placement provider, you cannot
commence a placement: every placement requires prior approval by a placement
coordinator of the department IRIO in order to be recognised for your programme.

c. Admission requirements:

Bachelor Internship

Bachelor students must have completed at least 120 ECTS, including the
propaedeutical year, within the Faculty of Arts prior to the placement; they should
participate in the Career Day offered by the Mobility Office of the Faculty of Arts; the
placement plan has to been approved by the placement coordinator.

Master internship

Master students can only go on a placement when they have completed at least one IR
research seminar in their Master programme and have received their grade for this
course. We strongly advise you to complete both research seminars before going on a
placement. The placement can only commence after the placement coordinator has
approved the placement plan.

2/ Content of the course unit

Bachelor and Master Placements

Placements will provide you with the opportunity to gain relevant work experience outside a
university setting. This means that the placement will not only provide you with a unique
personal learning experience, but also contribute to the development of your professional and
academic career.

It is worth noting that due to the breadth and the interdisciplinary character of your
programme, you are relatively free to choose the kind of placement you would like to do, as
long as it fits the requirements outlined in this syllabus. So, it is your choice whether you
prefer to do a placement in a commercial setting, non-commercial setting, a large
international organisation or a small NGO. For example, some students choose to do a
placement in a large international organisation such as the EU or UN, whilst others prefer to
work in the international sector of a particular strand of business. Yet others like to work for
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of a national government or for NGOs and media
organisations.

It is important to note that you, the student, are expected to actively and independently search
for a placement. This means that you have to try and find, as well as apply for placement
vacancies on an independent basis. It also means that you should regularly check the

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 placement organisation IRIO in the Student Portal/Nestor and contact your placement
coordinator and the Faculty of Arts Mobility Office & Career Strategy when necessary. The
searching process and application process are important parts of the learning process!

This syllabus

Since the structural procedure for both Bachelor and Master placements are very similar, this
syllabus will give you an overview of the placement process and also provide you with an
indication of some of the issues you might encounter during this process. Where there is a
difference between the placement requirements between a Bachelor and Master placement,
these will be clearly indicated.

3/ Position of the course unit in the degree programme

The placement is a mandatory element for Master students undertaking the IR programme on
the basis of a Dutch Bachelor programme, and a highly recommended element for Master
students with a non-Dutch Bachelor degree. For Bachelor students it is an optional part of
their programme as part of their free space.

4/ Learning outcomes of the course unit

Upon successful completion of the placement, Bachelor students are able to:

1. Put into practice the knowledge and skills gained during the Bachelor programme on the work
floor.

2. Communicate properly and effectively in both oral and written form in English, Dutch and/or
another language in a professional environment.

3. Participate in a professional team and contribute positively to the teams performance.

4. Plan and work relatively independent and autonomous under supervision in a professional
working environment.

5. Identify personal strengths and weaknesses experienced during the placement and reflect on
these.

6. Orientate oneself in terms of career prospects.

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 Upon successful completion of the placement, Master students are able to:

1. Put into practice the academic skills and knowledge gained during their Master programme in
an original and creative manner and thereby gaining insight into the relation between theory
and practice. (PLO 1.3, 5.1)

2. Communicate conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these, effectively
and professionally in both oral and written form in English, Dutch and/or another language in
a professional environment closely related to the field of International Relations and
International Organisation. (PLO 4.2, 4.3)

3. Function as a full member of a professional team in a hierarchical IRIO orientated working

environment. (PLO 5.3)

4. Plan and work independently and autonomously in a professional IRIO environment. (PLO
5.4)

5. Self-reflect on personal learning goals and pairing them with personal strengths and
weaknesses. (PLO 5.1, 5.4)

6. Determine ones preferred career path in relation to the IRIO work field. (PLO 5.3)
The PLO numbers correspond to the programme learning outcomes in the Teaching and
Examination Regulations of the Master programme.

The learning outcomes of this course unit contribute to the following programme learning
outcomes (PLO) of the MA International Relations as described in article 3.2 of the Teaching
and Examination Regulations Part B: 1.3, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.3 and 5.4. You can find the full
wording of the programme learning outcomes here:
http://www.rug.nl/let/organization/bestuur-afdelingen-en-medewerkers/bestuur-en-
commissies/oeren/

5/ Mode of instruction and learning activities

The placement includes the following learning activities and modes of instruction to achieve
the learning outcomes:

Step 1: Orientation and preparation for the placement

o Intake meeting with the placement coordinator;
o Searching a placement.

Step 2: Formalities prior to the placement

o Developing a placement plan;
o Signing the placement contracts.

Step 3: During the placement

o Establishing initial contact;
o Conducting the agreed placement tasks and activities;
o Communicating a mid-term report.

Step 4: After the placement:

o Writing the placement report;
o Final meeting to evaluate the placement.

The placement can be conducted in any language, provided that all the documentation and

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 correspondence described in this syllabus are submitted in English and/or Dutch by the
student and the placement provider.

6/ Assessment
a. Mode of assessment

The placement report is the most important factor in the assessment of the placement,
but the final assessment will cover the following parts:

the orientation and application process;

the complexity of the placement;
the midterm report (oral or written);
the placement report by the student;
the evaluation by your placement provider through the IRIO placement assessment
form;
the final evaluation meeting with the IRIO placement coordinator.

Please note that you will not be marked for each separate element, but rather you will
receive one mark since the placement aspects are regarded as constituting one
integrated whole.(omvang werkstuk/referaat, aantal verwerkte bronnen, correct
taalgebruik). Het is belangrijk dat de beoordelingscriteria logisch aansluiten bij de
leeruitkomsten die met het betreffende toetsonderdeel worden getoetst. Zie de
Toelichting voor voorbeelden.

Assessment: deadline
b.
Your placement coordinator needs to receive the placement assessment form filled in by
your placement provider and the placement report written by you within four weeks
after your final placement day. The final evaluation meeting should take place shortly
after.

When you submit your placement report to Ephorus via the Student Portal/Nestor,
make sure that you also warn your placement supervisor that you have uploaded your
report: Ephorus does not send a signal that something has been uploaded.

c. Examples of placement reports

On the Student Portal/Nestor you can find previous placement reports submitted
by other students within the Department IRIO. You can find them under:

Step 1d: Selecting placement possibilities

These reports are part of the depository of the Faculty of Arts.

Please note that at the end of your placement after the grading you will be
requested to upload your own report as well. It is possible to indicate that your

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 report needs to remain confidential.

d. Conditions for resits

If your placement is marked sufficient, you cannot undertake a resit to improve your
mark. In the unfortunate event of an insufficient mark, where the report is showing
some severe gaps, you may be required to undertake a limited resit for which where you
will have to resubmit an improved placement report.

In case the whole placement is deemed insufficient, you, the student, will be required to
undertake another placement at a different organisation and you will not receive ects
credits for the failed placement.

Please note: the authority for grading and assigning credits solely lies with the
University, not with the placement provider.

7/ Assessment
a. Assessment criteria

The criteria that the placement has to meet are:

The placement should be international in orientation, also when the placement will
take place in the Netherlands. For Master students, this means explicitly that your
duties and responsibilities must have a clear international component to them. For
students following the Master IR track East Asian Studies, the international
character should have a clear link to East Asia. (learning outcome 3 and 6)
The job description for MA placements should include a sufficient element of
independence, adequate space for individual input and creativity. It should challenge
you to learn new competences in line with your ambitions. (learning outcome 4 and
5)
Your work should be of a sufficient academic working level. Possible tasks could
include preparing the content/speakers of an event; writing a specific policy paper;
providing answers to parliamentary questions; identifying key stakeholders of a
project/domain; performing background research and further support; etc. These
examples merely serve as a guideline. The main message here is that purely
administrative tasks will not be deemed as sufficient. (learning outcome 1 and 2)

On the basis of the different parts that constitute the placement, you will be assessed
according to the level of achievement of the learning outcomes, ranging from
insufficient, mediocre, satisfactory, good to above expectation. The combination of the
assessed learning outcomes and the performance in the orientation and application
process, the complexity of the placement, the midterm report, the placement report by
the student, the evaluation by your placement provider and the final evaluation meeting
with the IRIO placement coordinator will form together the basis for your mark.

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 In the appendices, you can find the grading forms that are used for the Bachelor and the
Master placements.

b. Calculating preliminary and final marks

Please note that you will not be marked for each separate element, but rather you will
receive one mark since the placement aspects are regarded as constituting one
integrated whole.

8/ Cheating and plagiarism

Cheating and plagiarism are subject to the provisions set down in the OER (Article 8.17 of
Part A of the BA OER or Article 4.13 of Part A of the MA OER).

The Board of Examiners is always informed in cases of suspected cheating or plagiarism.

9/ Calculation of student workload

The placement is normally awarded with 10 ECTS. Under Dutch regulations, this means that
you should expect on average a total workload of 280 hours for this course unit.

Only in the case of the first Master placement, an extended placement will recognised by
awarding more ects. Please see section 1b of this syllabus.

10 / Resources and forms

All resources required for preparing, conducting and completing the placement are available
via the organisation Placement IRIO in the Student Portal/Nestor.

For information and forms on scholarships, visa and insurance, please use the resources
provided by the Mobility Office of the Faculty of Arts in its organisation in the Student
Portal/Nestor.

Important: Please note that you should always follow the instructions and use the forms
provided in the organisation Placement IRIO in the Student Portal/Nestor first. These take
precedence over the general resources and forms provided by the Mobility Office for the
whole Faculty of Arts.

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11 / Placement Procedure
The following will help you through the process, as it outlines the step by step procedures that
you should follow. In case of any questions, please contact your placement coordinator.

Step 1: Orientation
Step 1a: Arrange an Intake Meeting

As soon as you have been accepted to the Master IR you should go to the Secretariat IRIO
(Harmony Building, fifth floor, tel: + 31 (0)50 363 8986) in order to arrange an intake
meeting with one of the placement coordinators. The Secretariat will assign you to one of the
placement coordinators of the department. Bachelor students who plan to do a placement
should follow the same procedure and request the Secretariat IRIO to be assigned a
placement coordinator.

However, before you meet your placement coordinator, you really need to have
considered the following issues first:

Do you prefer a placement in your home country, the Netherlands or abroad?

Do you prefer to undertake a placement in a commercial or non-commercial setting? So
for example, would you prefer to work in a company or consultancy or an international
institution? Or perhaps would you like to work in an NGO? Where you would like to work
requires some careful thought.
What kind of placement are you looking for? Are you interested more in a research
oriented placement or would you prefer a policy oriented placement? Do note that, in
practice, placements often entail a combination of different areas as responsibilities and
tasks are diverse. It is often more a matter of seeking to emphasise one area over and
above others.

Step 1b: The Intake Meeting

During the meeting with your placement coordinator you will explore what kind of placement
you prefer to undertake, after which you actively look for a placement. For this, you should
take into account the progression of your studies, your preferred area of specialisation, and
language skills. Make use of the resources available in the Student Portal that help you
orientate yourself in the vast terrain of possible placement providers: check out Step 1d
Selecting Placement Possibilities. You have access there to lists of previous placements by IR
students and their placement reports. This can serve as a source of inspiration as well as
possible contacts.

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Step 1c: Searching a Placement

After the intake meeting with your placement coordinator, you are required to actively search
for a placement. This means that you will have to start contacting companies, agencies,
institutions or organisations that seem interesting to you and where you would like to
undertake a placement. You can contact possible future placement providers by both
telephone or in writing (either by email or sending them a fully-fledged CV and covering
letter).

When you are writing a covering letter you should include the following:

Some information on your degree programme and your track for example, its
interdisciplinary and interfaculty character as well as a short summary of your
specialisation. In those cases where placement providers have already had some
experience with IR students, you can leave this out.
That the placement is a mandatory component of this degree programme and thus a
recognised aspect of the curriculum.
An impression of your own specific skills, qualities, talents and motivation. Try to
emphasise why you are the best candidate for a particular position and for a particular
organisation.
Provide some information on the course units you have followed which are relevant to
your possible placement.
You can try and suggest a possible placement project. Think carefully here about how you
could be of service and of help to the possible placement provider. Be careful not to cut
yourself off from other opportunities the potential placement provider might offer.
Emphasise why you would like to undertake a placement at that particular place. Tell
them what attracts you in the companys profile, the organisations aims etc.
Mention the desired length and timing of the placement period.
Offer to talk further about the placement on the telephone or, if the placement is within
travelling distance, offer to come and see the possible placement provider.
Include a Curriculum Vitae.

Do not forget to enquire beforehand as to whom you should direct this particular letter, and
make sure that someone else (a friend or relative) reads (and checks) the letter before you
send it to the placement provider in question. Make sure to keep in regular contact with your
placement coordinator during the application process.

For help and tips and tops you can also contact Next Career Services of our University. It
offers workshops, training, free CV check etc. See www.rug.nl/next.

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Step 2: Formalities Prior to the Placement
Step 2a: Placement Plan

Once you have found a possible placement, by which we mean that the placement provider
and yourself have confirmed a mutual interest in the placement offered, you will need to set
up the placement plan. In this plan, the job description (i.e. tasks you will perform and
responsibilities you will carry) as well as your personal learning objectives will need to be
articulated clearly.

In order to set up this placement plan you will need to use the placement plan form that you
can find in the Placement IRIO organisation in the Student Portal/Nestor under step 2a.
Please note: the placement plan should not be confused with the placement contract, through
which these agreements are formalised. You will need to describe your main responsibilities,
your other tasks as well as how much time you will spend a week on all of these tasks where
applicable. Do make sure to mention how much independence you will have when carrying
out these tasks and responsibilities. Then you need to make an appointment with your
placement coordinator to discuss your plan. Please note: the placement can only
commence AFTER the placement coordinator has approved the placement plan!

Step 2b: Placement Contract

After the approval by your placement coordinator, you will need to formalise the agreement
with the placement provider and the university by means of a placement contract. In
principle, you are expected to use the IRIO placement contract available in the Placement
IRIO organisation in the Student Portal/Nestor under Step 2b. It can happen that a
placement provider wants to use its own contract: this is normally possible alongside the
IRIO placement contract. All contracts have to be signed by the placement provider, the
student, the placement coordinator IRIO and by the Mobility Office of the Faculty of Arts.
Non EU-students need to sign an additional contract related to a work-permit when having a
placement in the Netherlands; this may also apply for other EU countries! For more
information about this work-permit please contact the Mobility Office.

The Mobility Office can also help you to find possible financial support as well as help with
regard to other practical issues such as insurance, visa, medical care etc. For both
placements inside and outside the Netherlands you need to have a proper liability insurance.
The university provides a basic insurance: please contact the Mobility Office for more
information. Do not underestimate the practical arrangements you will need to take care of or
the possible costs involved if you do not have a proper liability insurance.

Should you still have other placement applications going on, this is also the moment to
inform them that you have taken up another offer.

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Step 3: During the Placement
Step 3a: Initial Contact

During your placement, you should ensure that you keep in contact with the placement
coordinator of the Department IRIO and inform him or her concerning how your placement
is going. This means that immediately after commencing your placement, you should report
your initial impression of your placement to your coordinator.

Step 3b: Mid-Term Review

Halfway during your placement, you are required to send your placement coordinator an
email, or contact him or her by telephone/Skype, outlining your experiences so far with
regard to your tasks, responsibilities and the supervision by your placement provider. This is
what is called the mid-term report, which should be between half a page and one page in
size. Failure to do so will negatively impact your grade at the end. Should you come up against
unexpected urgent problems or issues during your placement, then you are required to
contact your placement coordinator at the earliest possible opportunity. You need to ensure
that the university is sufficiently informed of your progress and activities at your placement.

During the mid-term review, the placement coordinator will contact your placement provider
to discuss your progress and supervision.

Step 3c: Placement provider Assessment Form

Before the placement starts, your coordinator will have sent an initial thank-you letter and an
assessment form to your placement provider. Your placement provider will need to fill this in
and send it directly to your placement coordinator at the university. Without this assessment
form the placement cannot be graded. In order to avoid delays in completing your placement
(i.e. passing the course unit and receiving your credits), make absolutely sure that your
placement provider takes care of this. It is therefore important that you remind him/her of
this requirement towards the end of your placement. Should your placement provider have
mislaid the assessment form, then please contact your placement coordinator who will be
happy to send the form directly to your placement provider.

Step 4: After the Placement

Step 4a: The Placement Report

You must submit an electronic version of your final placement report through Ephorus under
Step 4 in the Placement IRIO organisation in the Student Portal/Nestor within 4 weeks

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after your final placement day. The placement report should be within the 10-15 pages
range, excluding appendices, and should be written in either Dutch or English. Be aware that
the placement report should be well presented, well-structured and well written. A good
structure means that you will need to include a contents page, introduction and conclusion.

Step 4b: Placement Report Content

In terms of the content, it is important to note that:

1) On the one hand, you are required to emphasise in a fair amount of detail the activities
and tasks that you have undertaken during the placement.
2) At the same time, you will also need to show a significant amount of personal reflection on
the learning process of the placement as a whole. So do not hesitate to say you have found
certain things rather difficult or unexpected, and then explain how you sought to
overcome such difficulties. It is therefore helpful if you, during your placement, keep a
notebook where you write down not only your activities but also your reflection on these
activities.
3) You should not provide a comprehensive overview of the institution, company or
organisation, nor the nature and objectives of its activities. Rather, the placement report
should reflect your own activities and the things you have learned from them.

Additionally, in your report you will need to include at least the following issues:

A rationale as to why you have chosen a particular placement;

An overview as to how you went about the preparation for your placement (how you
approached the institution, the application procedure, the substantive preparation
relating to the content of your job description, financial issues etc.);
Your expectations prior to the placement;
A short description of your chosen institution, company or organisation where you quickly
elucidate the nature, structure and objectives of your workplace;
A comprehensive description of the undertaken tasks during the placement, including an
evaluation of your working attitude and placement supervision;
A brief impression of your housing, cost of living and social surroundings in the place
where the placement was held;
Possible tips for future placement students who would like to seek a placement with this
placement provider;
An overview of both the activities and tasks undertaken during your placement as well as
the personal learning process you have undergone during the placement;
A reflection as to what extent your expectations were or were not fulfilled, and very
importantly why not. An analysis of the difficulties and problems that you came across;
A reflection on the connection between the placement and your degree programme and
track. Here, you could, for example, consider to what extent your practical experiences

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 during the placement complimented your academic knowledge of the field. You could also
consider whether the interdisciplinary character of the degree programme positively
contributed to the fulfillment of your tasks. Another thing you could contemplate is
whether your activities during your placement connected to your track in the Master
programme.
A reflection on your future career orientation and prospects, and the role that the
placement played therein. Did the placement offer you more clarity as to what you would
or would not like to do in the future? Did it provide you with some useful contacts? Would
you like to work in the area of your placement or not?
In terms of submitting your placement report, you need to upload your placement
report via Ephorus under Step 4b Submitting the placement report by the student in the
organisation Placement IRIO in the Student Portal/Nestor within 4 weeks after the last
day of your placement.

Step 4c: Assessment

As a last step, you are required to make an appointment with your placement coordinator for
your final evaluation meeting. Such a meeting though not preferred can also be held over
the phone or be conducted using Skype. During this final evaluation meeting with your
placement coordinator, your placement will be assessed as a whole.

12 / Copyright
Respect the copyright on the teaching material.

All teaching material is protected by copyright. Students may not make photocopies of
teaching material, exams and lectures other than for their own study purposes. In addition,
teaching material may not be further distributed in any format. Deliberate violation of
copyright is a criminal offence. The University of Groningen will take appropriate measures
upon detecting such violations.

In addition to the above, copyright is further regulated with regard to the students placement
in the standard placement contract. See its article 9a.

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Appendix 1. Checklist

Checklist of Your Responsibilities

Just so as to avoid any misunderstandings, it is your responsibility to:
1) Book an appointment via the secretariat for an intake meeting.
2) To find a placement that suits your interests and is compatible with the requirements outlined in the syllabus.
3) To have the placement plan approved by your placement coordinator before the commencement of your
placement .
4) To ensure the placement contract is filled in and signed by the relevant parties involved.
5) To arrange possible financial support where relevant and appropriate.
6) To keep in touch during the placement with your placement coordinator by means of an initial email and a
midterm report.
7) To remind your placement provider that they have to fill in the IRIO assessment form towards the end of the
placement .
8) To submit a placement report within 4 weeks after your placement day, fulfilling the criteria outlined in the
syllabus.
9) To arrange a placement evaluation meeting with your placement coordinator.

Responsibilities of your Placement Coordinator

The placement coordinator primarily fulfils a supportive and administrative role. In this capacity, he or she
will:
1) Hold an intake meeting with you where he or she will discuss your preferences and priorities.
2) Hold an interim consultation with you and the placement provider halfway during the placement.
3) Assess the placement report in combination with the placement assessment form.
4) Hold the evaluation meeting with you upon completion of the placement report.

Furthermore, you can always approach your placement coordinator (through email or phone) for advice.

Appointments
In order to arrange an appointment with the placement coordinators for the first time, you should contact
the Secretariat IRIO Tel: + 31 (0)50 363 8986, or email: irio@rug.nl

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Appendix 2. Placement Plan

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Appendix 3. Placement Contract

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Appendix 4. Placement Assessment by provider

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Appendix 5. Grading form Bachelor placement

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Appendix 6. Grading form Master placement

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