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HUM30020

Academic Year 2026/2027

Internship-Autumn (Humanities) (HUM30020)

Subject:
Humanities
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Arts and Humanities Adm
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
30
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Alexander Thein
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Online
Internship Module:
Yes
How will I be graded?
Distinction/Pass/Fail (GPA Neutral)

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module is linked to a 12/14-week internship with a employer host (e.g. state body; charitable organisation; arts, heritage or cultural organisation; educational institute; commercial business). The purpose of the module is to enhance core skills, aptitudes and competencies that are fundamental features of the BA Humanities degree programme, and also transferable and relevant to diverse workplace settings. An internship generally helps students to acquire a range of new skills, develop their existing strengths and discover latent talents. Typically, skill acquisition occurs in some or all of the following spheres: IT, time management, team working, leadership, communication (written and oral), adaptability, professionalism. Through engagement in continuous work practice over three months students have the opportunity cultivate valuable knowledge and experience of the sector in which their internship is located, as well as awareness of the intellectual and practical requirements of the specific working environment. The skills and knowledge obtained will often influence the direction and planning of students' future learning and career pathways. Students will demonstrate the acquisition, consolidation and enhancement of workplace learning by means of reflective writing in weekly journal entries on their internship and a final report that provides an overview of the working experience.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate:
a) career development awareness through practical actions and reflective written work.
b) the acquisition of key communications, cognitive and professional skills.
c) a sense of differentiated communication approaches including increased proficiency in the language and dynamics of the workplace.
d) enhanced personal organisational skills including time management; ability to follow instructions; ability to prioritise; ability to work to deadlines; accountability and individual responsibility.
e) an ability to differentiate and make connections between disciplinary approaches and methods.
f) adaptability and flexibility in relation to the demands and expectations of different learning and working environments.
g) a broader understanding of social, cultural, economic organisational structures, practices and customs including identifying, understanding and working to professional standards.
h) a reinforced sense of disciplinary competencies and skills/
i) ability to communicate to peers, internship hosts, and the University community the value and purpose of the internship.

Indicative Module Content:

Your internship host will provide a job spec that outlines your role and responsibilities with your the organisation. This will differ for each individual student and internship.

Your assessment for this module (Weekly reflective journal and end-of-trimester final report), will require you to provide reflective and critical analysis of your learning experience and its relationship to your disciplinary knowledge, skills and understanding.

You will have a one-to-one check in meeting with the module coordinator during your internship at which your work experience will be discussed.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Novice

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Novice

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Novice

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Novice

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

30
Autonomous Student Learning

300
Placement/Work Experience

420
Total

750

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Active, task based learning provided by the internship host, leading the acquisition of skills as set out in the module learning outcomes. Student engagement with the module online on the VLE through the Learning Journal and Final Assignment, and attendance at information and briefing sessions on assessment.

Generative AI may be permitted for certain assignments in this module, subject to the instructions of the module coordinator and in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy. For further information visit: https://www.ucd.ie/artshumanities/study/aifutures/generativeaifaqs/

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): An end of trimester high level report on the internship. This can be either in the form of a e-poster or a video. Week 15 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
50
 No
Reflective Assignment: A Reflective Journal that provides an summary of work undertaken during each week of the internship. Students should submit ten journals over the trimester. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
50
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

1) In module feedback on Reflective Journals will be provided through an individual meeting (on the VLE) with the module coordinator and written feedback post assessment. 2) Individual written feedback on the end of trimester assignment will be provided post assessment.

Name Role
Dr Edward Coleman Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Alexander Thein Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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