This Assessment Briefs Handbook is correct at the time of writing and may be subject to change. Throughout your studies, to ensure you have the most up to date information, you should always consult the online version of this handbook held on Blackboard”.
1. Penalties:
- 1. If an assignment exceeds the word count or the length of the video presentation by more than +/- 10% of the total (not including appendices), a 10% penalty will be applied to the final mark. If a penalty is applied for exceeding the word count or the length of the video presentation, this should be made clear in the student feedback.
- 2. If an assignment does not follow the guideline, 10% penalty will be applied.
- 3. It is the student’s responsibility to submit his/her assignment in a correct Turnitin submission point. You will NOT receive your mark (Zero / non-submission) if you submit in a wrong Turnitin submission point.
- If your recorded video presentation cannot be viewed by the examiner (as a result of wrong settings and not following the provided guideline), you will receive a ZERO mark.
“DMU and Leicester Castle Business School staff are not responsible in any way for providing or giving students the PFE. It is a student’s responsibility to find an appropriate experience and have this approved”.
2. Field Experience Types
2.1. Students can do one of the followings:
- 1. A formal internship or work (many of these are paid positions but they must be defined as an ‘internship’ or ‘work experience’ to qualify).
Students can gain a formal internship or work at a company. This formal experience should be classified as an internship, and could include unpaid, short term experience in local or own country organisations/businesses. Equally, it could also include a paid work experience. Both of these experience types should include interaction with staff and clients to ensure content for the reflective journal.
- 2. Work in a social enterprise, community-based organisation, NGO, or DMU Volunteering (DMU Local).
Many students want the experience of volunteering and giving back to society. Voluntary Action Leicestershire, offers an opportunity for students to engage in 30+ hours of valuable experience that will not only be of benefit to the local community but also provide the context for the Professional Field Experience reflective journal. Click on the links to see current opportunities. http://www.valonline.org.uk/volunteers http://www.volunteerleicestershire.org.uk/
Volunteering is at heart of DMU’s commitment to the public good, following the development of the Square Mile, an award-winning programme of volunteering activities dedicated to working in Leicester’s most deprived areas. Key to this are the Square Mile volunteers, who take part in 125 #DMUlocal projects each year. The inspiration for #DMUlocal and Square Mile is improving the health, education and job prospects of thousands of residents in a literal square mile that covers Woodgate, Fosse, Newfoundpool and Beaumont Leys. Click on the link to see the current DMU local volunteering opportunities. http://dmulocal.dmu.ac.uk/student-volunteering/
- 3. A shadowing programme with a senior manager or executive.
Some students may have the opportunity to shadow a senior manager or executive in a commercial organisation. This is valid experience for a student, and can provide a professional context where interaction with senior members of a company and clients can give a strong basis for the reflective journal.
What Is an internship? Meaning, Definitions & How to Get One ( WikiJob )
As competition for graduate jobs increases, students need to think of new ways to set themselves apart from all of the other equally qualified and skilled candidates. Graduates who have relevant workplace experience tend to be more valued by employers, and this makes internships an attractive prospect.
When you look at the stats, the reason why internships are good for students looking for their first role becomes clear. According to Monster.com, 85% of companies use internships to recruit for full-time roles, with former interns projected to fill 37% of graduate vacancies, rising to an incredible 75% for investment banking.
But what exactly are internships, how can they help you and what will you be expected to do? We’ll explore these areas in this guide, which should help you to decide whether an internship is the right choice for you.
What is an Internship?
An internship is an opportunity offered by an employer to potential employees, called interns, to work at a firm for a fixed period of time. Interns are usually undergraduates or postgraduate students, and most internships last between a month and three months. Internships are usually part-time if offered during a university semester and full-time if offered during the vacation periods. DMU Global MBA summer internships last 30+ hours.
Some internships may include periods spent abroad or in more than one office. An internship should give you practical skills, experience and greater knowledge of an industry, in exchange for the employer benefiting from your labour.
With the emphasis firmly on training, internships give students real-life experience of the workplace and field they hope to break into. This not only helps them gain critical work skills and decide if the career they are experiencing is right for them, it also enables them to make valuable work contacts and acts as an important stepping-stone to securing a job and climbing the first rung on the. An internship can be either paid or voluntary. The trend is increasingly (and rightly) towards the former, as voluntary internships are often cited as exploitative. As you would expect, internships that pay well are usually the most competitive.
Why do I need to do an Internship?
As the statistics above indicate, having a good degree is no longer enough. As a result, more and more university leavers are looking for additional experience to give them the edge when applying for graduate schemes or positions.
While bulking up your CV with extra-curricular activities is nothing new, the sheer number of graduates entering the job market each year means that relevant, work-related experience is now a vital addition to your application. In many cases, one of the best and most accessible ways of gaining this experience is through an internship. It`s worth noting you may also gain valuable insights and experience through an externship, which involves shadowing a professional for a certain period of time. However, externships tend to be shorter and less hands-on than internships.
Internships provide employers with cheap (and sometimes even free) labour and many businesses will bring on board interns for a number of weeks or months to assist with the completion of a major project or event. This can be great for students, because it can really help you to develop and evidence skills in project management, problem solving and client relationship management. Even if the internship is only brief, it can still equip you with a range of transferable skills and help you network and build valuable connections in the industry and plus it looks good on your CV.
It is entirely appropriate for students to gain the experience and content for their reflective journal in a family / friend business outside the UK. If a student wants to leave the UK, they MUST inform the University and complete the Leave Request Form from BAL Student Advice Centre.
3. Approximate schedule
|
Month
|
Activity
|
|
March 2023
|
Professional Field Experience briefing to global MBA students. This is critical so that students know exactly what is required. In addition, all students should read the module guide and become familiar with what is required from them.
|
|
April – May
2023
|
Students take responsibility for sourcing a valid PFE; DMUlocal/volunteering, work/internship, DMU innovation centre, shadowing a senior manager/executive. DMU cannot help with sourcing PFE experiences, it is solely the responsibility of the student.
|
|
April – May 2023
|
Students informed of their academic tutor.
|
|
May 19th
|
Student MUST submit their PFE Confirmation form at 11:59 AM - UK Time on the Turnitin submission point on the Module Blackboard shell. Remember, there is NO extension and NO late submission opportunities.
|
|
June – August
|
Students conduct in total 30+ hours of PFE and write their reflective journals.
(minimum 30+ hours in total)
|
|
June – August
|
Students and academic tutors / supervisors engage in a face-to-face or MS Teams discussion regarding the PFE and reflective journal. (2 x 15 minutes)
It is important to mention that the Supervisor and the Student are required to have two interactions / meetings during PFE (June-August).
|
|
August 31st
|
Students MUST submit both their Reflective Journal (Doc or PDF) & Recorded Video Presentation (based on PowerPoint) on the Turnitin at 11:59 AM (UK Time)
|
**** Very Important ****
DMU supervisors usually take Summer Annual Leave (June, July, August). However, on annual leave they do make supervision arrangements over the summer period. Students MUST communicate with their supervisor well in advance and arrange their both meetings before summer annual leave period. It is totally student’s responsibility to contact his/her supervisor as soon as the supervisor-student list is published on the module blackboard. You MUST book both your meetings well in advance once you know the supervisor’s name and your supervisor should confirm these two meetings.
4. Assessment
|
Type of assessment
|
Duration/
volume
|
Assessment weighting %
|
Final assessment Y/N
|
Minimum threshold mark %
|
Essential component Y/N
|
Learning outcome(s)
assessed
|
Anonymously marked
Y/N
|
|
PFE Confirmation Form
|
Provided Form
|
Compulsory
|
Compulsory
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Reflective Journal
|
3000 words
|
80%
|
Y
|
50 %
|
N
|
1, 2, 3, 4
|
N
|
|
Video Record Presentation
(Based on PowerPoint)
|
15 minutes
|
20%
|
Y
|
50 %
|
N
|
5
|
N
|
5. Assessment Notes
Assessment for the field experience includes completion of a reflective journal as well as a 15-Minute video record presentation (based on PowerPoint). Students will be given guidance on the contents of the reflective journal during a pre-briefing and in this module guide. Academic tutors will also guide the content of the reflective journal. For the presentation, students are required to give a 15-minute video record presentation (based on PowerPoint) on the key learning points from their PFE, which acts as an oral version of their reflective journal. Check the provided guideline on your module Blackboard shell on how to Record and Share your video presentation.
In the Reflective Journal, you are asked to identify critical learning events that occurred on your PFE, that have influenced you and your professional development. You then analyse the most significant of these events using a standard analysis template.
In your Reflective Journal, you should focus on one of the key managerial areas / concepts or theories that you learned and studied during your MBA and applied during your PFE. For example; you may focus on issues and challenges you faced and experience you gained in one of the following key managerial areas: For examples:
- Entrepreneurship Activities
- Customer Service and / or PR
- Business sustainability
- Project Management
- Leadership
- Innovation
- Marketing
- Strategy
- HR
You should support your arguments by providing citations from academic and credible sources. As an MBA student you should apply your academic knowledge to develop and improve your practical work experience. The Final Reference list and in-text citations MUST be in Harvard Style.
Video Presentation (Based on PowerPoint)
1) Video Record Presentation 15 minutes and must be based on PowerPoint (+/- 10%)
2) There is NO page limit and NO word limit for your PowerPoint presentation.
3) Once you recorded your video presentation and saved it on your PC (Check the guideline).
4) You need to upload your video on DMU Replay (Check the guideline)
5) You need to create your video presentation Link and share it (Check the guideline)
6) You need to create your Video Presentation QR code from the same link (Check the guideline)
7) You need to add (ONLY) the Video Link and the Video’s QR Code on the PowerPoint Presentation Cover Page and submit (ONLY) your Full PowerPoint on the Turnitin point. Your PowerPoint MUST NOT have the actual video file. ( ONLY video link ad QR code and your original PowerPoint presentation)
