Postgraduate Course: Internships in Informatics (INFR11307)
Course Outline
| School | School of Informatics |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Placement |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 60 |
ECTS Credits | 30 |
| Summary | This course is work-based. It is focused on the real-world application of informatics in a workplace environment. It includes experiencing how informatics methodologies and theory are applied to support business practices in a variety of non-academic organisations. Students who do this course will obtain practical experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of informatics approaches. |
| Course description |
This is a work-based learning course worth 60-credits that is an optional alternative to the Informatics Dissertation. Students undertake work-based (i.e. an internship) during the summer are expected to spend around 600 hours in total on this course. The course will adopt a SLICC approach with students developing their own learning experience and reflections during their internships and report on these both during and at the end of the course.
The main technical topic of each project will vary with the nature of the industrial placement. In addition, this course will cover the meta-skills required to operate in a professional environment including attributes for: lifelong learning, aspiration and personal development, outlook and engagement, research and enquiry, personal and intellectual autonomy, personal effectiveness and communication in both university and the workplace.
Students will be directed in their learning using the SLICC approach. They will plan, propose, carry out, reflect on and evaluate their internship from their own work from an informatics perspective. The SLICC framework requires that students use the generic learning outcomes to articulate their learning in their own defined project, reflect frequently using a diary, and collect and curate evidence of their learning in an e-portfolio. They will receive relevant formative feedback on the Reflective Report, which forms the summative assessment. All this is with the guidance of a professional practice academic tutor.
The course will encourage appraisal of students' own practical experiences in informatics and allow them to reflect on their learning in the context of informatics.
All internships need to be approved in advance by the academic tutor.
Assessment will be by submission of a dissertation containing two components: Students will maintain a regular diary during the internship and submit alongside a reflective report for assessment.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 5 (Sem 2) and beyond |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
600
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 12,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
588 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework 100% |
| Feedback |
Provided through interaction with supervisor. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the cross-disciplinary nature of informatics, and the complexities, challenges and wider implications of the contexts in which informatics methodologies are applied in the workplace.
- Draw on and apply relevant informatics methodologies, tools and frameworks to different settings in real world situations.
- Review, develop and apply skills and attributes (academic, professional and/or personal) including lifelong learning, aspiration and personal development, outlook and engagement, research and enquiry, personal and intellectual autonomy, personal effectiveness and communication in both university and the workplace.
- Frame and address business problems, questions and issues from an informatics perspective, being aware of the environment and context in which the problem exists.
- Review, evaluate and reflect upon knowledge, skills and practices in informatics.
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Reading List
| Placement dependent |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
In this course there is specific emphasis on the development and application of skills and attributes (academic, professional and/or personal), including and lifelong learning, aspiration and personal development, outlook and engagement, research and enquiry, personal and intellectual autonomy, personal effectiveness and communication in both university and the workplace. |
| Keywords | Internship,Informatics,Dissertation,Placement |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Sethu Vijayakumar
Tel: (0131 6)51 3444
Email: sethu.vijayakumar@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Lindsay Seal
Tel: (0131 6)50 5194
Email: lindsay.seal@ed.ac.uk |
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