Description
The MA in Literary Studies offers students the possibility to exchange one elective for an internship at an organization/institution in the field of literature and culture, for instance a publisher, a cultural institution or the editorial office of a paper or review. An internship is an excellent way of experiencing working and living in one of the countries where the language you study is spoken. You learn how to work within a project and acquire practical skills to bring a project to a fruitful end in a new and culturally different environment.
This is why an internship is preferably done in a country where the language you study is spoken, or else in an organization in the Netherlands where this is the case.
An internship can also be extracurricular, in which case the credits will be added to the diploma supplement .
Internships are currently supervised by a university lecturer from your own Master track and by a supervisor within the host institution. Students are free to choose their own host institution, but need final approval by the Board of Examiners of the MA.
Academic research is a crucial aspect of the internship. Students are therefore required to:
At the start: submit an internship outline (approx. 1200 words) including:
- the working schedule: what are your tasks, when and where?
- a research proposal on a topic relevant both to the Internship Organization and the MA Literary Studies including the following: an abstract, a research question, methodology, plan, and initial bibliography. The language of instruction depends on where the internship takes place.
At the end of the internship: submit a final academic report of 4,000 words (including a bibliography) on the internship results, focusing on the topic chosen at the start. Language of instruction: English/French/German/Italian, according to the chosen track.
When approved by both supervisors, the Leiden University Career Service will submit your outline to the Board of Examiners. The final report has to be submitted to both supervisors. Final assessment is based on the report by the local supervisor of the work you carried out during your internship (50%) and on your final report (50%).
Course Load:
Preparation and devising a plan : ± 30 hours
Interaction with local and Leiden supervisors: ± 20 hours
Working on the project: ± 200 hours
Writing final report: ± 30 hours.
Remarks
When considering an internship, always contact the Leiden University’s Careers Service. It can inform and help you and it has a considerable number of internship vacancies, in Holland and abroad. Please first consult the Career Service website
The Internationalization Office can inform you on the grants available for an internship abroad.
- Please note that extracurricular courses or internships do not count towards the weighted average.