The master focuses on the acquisition of capabilities that are relevant to the real world and can be effectively applied in the real world both in academic research and in private companies and public bodies. Hence the master foresees a traineeship/internship period followed by a final exam consisting in the discussion of an original work Several options are possible. The internship can be in fact spent in a company, public body or research institute, or group.
The internship (or "Tirocinio curriculare" in Italian) grants 8 CFUs, while the thesis grants 16 CFUs.
The student has two options:
1. Internship report.She/he can decide whether to discuss a thesis based on the work done during the internship. In this case, the internship must be prolonged to cover 22 CFUs (the remaining 2 CFUs being for the preparation of the final Thesis). Since 1 CFU corresponds to 25 hours of work, in this case, the internship corresponds to ca. 550 hours of work in the hosting body, and the final exam will consist in the discussion of an original work written by the student on the results obtained during the internship.
2. Academic thesis. The student may decide to keep the internship and the thesis separate. In this case, the internship corresponds to only 200 hours of work in the hosting body. In this case, the internship can also be spent in a Research Institute (both public and private). The final exam will then consist of a discussion of an original work done by the student on a research project. Also, in this case, the internship and the academic thesis can be -if necessary- paired.
Internship report
The student, during the internship, will be under the joint supervision of a person delegated to this task by the host, and of a UNINA professor designated by the coordinator upon request of the student. At the end of the internship, the student will present a written report and a work diary which will be used by the academic supervisor to evaluate the results of the internship. Reports must be in English.
In the case of an extended internship (22 CFUs), the final exam will be based on the discussion of an extended written report which must match the standards of an academic thesis (see below). The contents of this report will be regulated by a specific agreement between the host institution and the LMDS, to protect intellectual property and/or copyrights).
Academic thesis
It can be done within UNINA or at other Universities in Italy or abroad or at research Institutes both national (such as INFN, INAF, INGV, CNR) and international. Research theses are always conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. In the case of a thesis conducted in collaboration with UNINA but outside the SPSB or at other institutions (see above) a second supervisor (domain expert) will be required. The thesis must lead to an original result, must be written in English, and must be exhaustive, i.e. it must be understandable also by a competent person who is not an expert of the specific field. Data science is also about communicating the results of your work to domain experts and, therefore this is a very important requisite.
The thesis or final report must be written in Latex using the template downloadable here.
Procedures for the Internship
UNINA has a specific office taking care of internships. Please check the site to make sure that you have the most recent documentation and to monitor special calls (in Italian "Bandi") for internship applications.
As a first step, you must read the student's vademecum. Unfortunately, it is in Italian. If you need an English translation, contact the coordinator. The procedures, however, are summarised in what follows:
First of all, be aware that the procedures for traineeships/internships are rather different for activities "intramoenia" (i.e. in other Departments or University structures outside of the SPSB) or "extramoenia" (i.e. outside UNINA.)
Internships should be performed in the second semester of the second year but exceptions are possible if agreed upon - well in advance - with the coordinator of the Master.
Internships require the existence of an agreement between the University Federico II (or a Department) and the host institution. Here you can find a list of existing agreements. If the company you are interested in is not in this list, DO NOT PANIC!. It is possible to stipulate specific agreements with new legal entities and to do so, you just need to follow the procedure outlined below.
1. Inform the coordinator of the master.
2. Download the right form: (Italy only, European countries, and non-European countries). This agreement will define the collaboration between the two parts. Get it signed by the host institution (two copies).
3. Hand the signed copies to the coordinator who will transmit them to the delegate for the traineeships.
4. Wait until the bureaucracy has been completed and the host appears in the list of the agreements (see above). Usually it takes between 20 and 30 days.
5. Download the "Student's guide".
6. Fill this online form.
7. Go on "modulistica" and click on "Compila progetto Fomrativo extramoenia" and fill the online form (there is also the English version)..
During the internship, the student is required to fill the activity booklet downloadable here.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: remember that in signing the various documents you also agree to respect the intellectual rights and any "privacy agreement" foreseen in the contract. This clause holds during and after the traineeship period.
At the end of the internship, the host institution and the academic tutors will fill out a report summarizing your activities and your performances. This report together with your relationship must be handed (or e-mailed) to the coordinator of the master who will transmit the results to the secretary.
Procedures for an Academic Thesis
The thesis work must take place in the second semester of the Second Year. In any case, it cannot start before the student has completed all but three exams. Students must:
Read the regulation (Ita, EN) and chack that you have fulfilled all requirements. Pay special attention in respecting the deadlines and the procedures.
Fill out this online form
Once it is completed the student needs to:
i) Reserve a slot in the planned session (see calendar). To do so, he needs to fill out this form and to pay the "laurea Tax" using this bulletin.
ii) 15 days before the session he must hand to the secretary (either via mail or in person using a CD or a USB pen) a pdf file containing the manuscript. This manuscript must be written in Latex or Tex using the template which can be downloaded here.
iii) the final exam will consist of a 30/40 minutes presentation plus Q&A time.
The internal regulation for the evaluation of the final score (which will take into account the academic record and the final exam) can be found here.