The Information Technology studies include 30 ECTS credits of practical training.
Teacher in charge of work placement: Dennis Biström
Purpose of the practical training
The aim of the practical training is to give students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during their studies, as well as to become familiar with typical tasks within the industry. Students should contribute meaningfully to the company’s operations, which is why we believe you should be paid for your work. The practical training and the thesis cannot be carried out simultaneously, but they can certainly be completed at the same company!
Scope and periods of the practical training
The practical training comprises a total of 30 ECTS credits, which corresponds to 20 weeks of full-time
work. In total, the practical training amounts to 800 hours of work. According to the curriculum, the
practical training periods are scheduled during the fourth year of study, but you can flexibly choose to
complete the practical training during the summer months or at other times that better fit your individual
study plan.
What is accepted as practical training?
Only work within industries related to your professional studies can be accepted as practical training.
The most important aspect of the practical training is to understand the connection between theory and
application, and to see through examples how theory is put into practice. These reflections should
be documented in an practical training diary.
Practical training 1 is a foundational practical training, but with a clear connection to the technical field.
During the first practical training, foundational studies should be integrated into the practical training so
that the student investigates and analyses their environment from a general information technology
perspective. Practical training 2 is a specialisation, which means that the tasks should support the content of the
subject studies.
Practical training 1 and 2 are scheduled during the fourth year of study, periods 3 and 4. However, this
is more of a recommendation than an absolute rule. Students can flexibly choose to complete the
practical training during the summer months or at other times that better fit their individual study plan.
Examples of work that can be accepted as a work placement include:
- Product development
- Planning
- Production (e.g., software production)
- Installation
- Maintenance or service
- User support
- Procurement of products
- Sales or marketing
The supervisor should have the opportunity to visit the workplace and meet the employer during the
practical training.
Teacher in charge of practical training
The completed forms should be submitted by email to the teacher in charge Dennis Biström at
bistromd
The practical training plan is the first document you need to fill in, and since it can be a bit tricky to fill in a
PDF, I have created a small tool that you can find at https://cgi.arcada.fi/~bistromd/praktik/
Practical training plan
To start the practical training, a preliminary task with a goal description must be completed. The
"Practical training plan" form should be used. The plan must be approved by the teacher in charge of practical training before the practical training begins and must be signed by the student and the supervisor.
Practical training diary
During the practical training, the student keeps a learning diary, where they document the work
at least weekly and note reflections on how theory and practice are connected. The diary is
attached to the practical training report.
Assessment
The practical training is assessed with the grades pass/needs completion/fail. The practical training can be failed
if it significantly deviates from the original practical training plan or if there is no practical training plan at all.
Reporting
Before you start the practical training, you should submit the "Practical training plan" form to get approval for the
work placement. If you have not submitted a plan, there are no guarantees that the
practical training can be approved. While completing the practical training, you fill in an "Practical training diary" that
describes what you have done and experienced each day.
When the practical training is completed, you ask for a work certificate from the employer and ask them to
fill in our "Practical Training Assessment" form.
Then it is time to write the "Practical training report". This should be submitted within a month after the
practical training is completed. The title page of the practical training report uses the "Practical training cover sheet"
form, which summarises practical information about the practical training.
The practical training report you write should be a summary report with reflections on what you have
experienced. The practical training report should be 3-5 pages long.
Attachments
The following should be attached to the practical training report:
- Practical training diary (kept during the work, model available under Forms)
- Work certificate from the practical training workplace
- Practical training assessment (Arcada's form filled in by the supervisor/contact person at the workplace)
Looking for a practical training placement?
You can find practical training placements at:
- Arcada Job Portal where you can register your profile and upload your CV, find jobs, get support for job seeking, take part in online events, follow companies and more. Arcada Job Portal is based on an international tool, JobTeaser, which is an international portal with companies, practical training placements, job ads, career support material and events both in Finland and abroad.
- My Future Work is Arcada’s annual networking and recruitment event for students, work life contacts and staff. It connects companies and organisations looking for future talents with students on the hunt for practical training, commissioned thesis work, summer jobs or first job after graduation.
- Other places
- LinkedIn External
- tradenomi.fi (provides career coaching for members that include job search and career development)
- Different social media channels
- General job portals (e.g. Oikotie, Duunitori, Jobly)
- Private recruitment & employment services
- Company career pages
- Recruitment ads in newspapers
- The Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE-Services)
- Direct contact with companies
- Networking and recruitment events
- Private contacts (family, friends, acquaintances etc.)