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Scottish Internship Graduate Certificate

Degree Certificate

The Scottish Internship Graduate Certificate (SIGC) is an eight month long course incorporating a six month internship with career planning and degree related modules. It is designed to enhance your employability - whether you want to break into the graduate marketplace, are seeking ways to further develop your career path or hope to gain experience in a new area.

Why
Teaching & Assessment
Careers
Entry Requirements
Fees/Funding
Your Application

Why study for the Scottish Internship Graduate Certificate (SIGC) at Dundee?

The SIGC aims to equip you with the knowledge, understanding and practical experience necessary to enhance your employability.

The modules which comprise the programme are designed to help you to:

Make sense of UK working cultures and practices and your role within the world of work.
Be able to undertake career planning to manage your career and to participate successfully in graduate recruitment processes.
Undertake a meaningful period of work experience in a relevant field and undertake an original piece of work (project) which is of benefit to both you and the placement provider
Develop and use skills, knowledge and experience in a practical setting.

"I’d encourage any graduate who is unsure of what to do next [to take this programme] – it’s a great way to build confidence and gain valuable experience."
SIGC Student 2012

Who should apply for this course?

This course is aimed at graduates with all levels of work experience, whether you are looking to launch your career, seeking ways to further develop your career path or gain experience in a new area / sector.

You do not need to be a recent graduate to apply. We actively encourage applications from those who are returning to work or looking for a career change.

Please note the eligibility requirements for international students in the 'Entry Requirements' section.

"My internship has been at Waracle, a Dundee based software development company specialising in apps, social games and web design. As I don’t have a technical background I initially thought I'd only be working in research, but I have been able to expand my skills and have become involved in the design of the game too. I was given a lot of responsibility to make very influential decisions about the game and have discovered a sector I'm really interested in."
SIGC student 2012

Related courses

Global Internship Graduate Certificate (India)

Teaching & Assessment

This course is run by staff in the Careers Service

The start date is January each year, and the course lasts for 8 months. There are 10-25 places available each year.

How you will be taught

Throughout the programme learning and teaching will be based around intensive, face-to-face highly interactive and participatory lectures, seminars and tutorials. Additionally, students will use MyDundee, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to enhance and extend their learning. Assessment is by continual assessment; there are no exams for this programme.

What you will study

The programme consists of two credit-bearing modules:

Module 1: Preparation and Planning (20 credits)

This module, commencing in January, is a 6 week intensive University-based course taken prior to the internship. This module aims to enhance your self-awareness, career management skills and understanding of the world of work and thus prepare you for your internship. You will participate in highly interactive learning sessions where you will explore topics such as project management, team working, commercial awareness, networking and presentation skills.

Module 2: Internship and Development (40 credits)

This module combines the internship placement with further developmental learning which will help equip you with all the career planning skills you need to search for your next job or opportunity and to manage your career into the future.

Internship Placement:

Prior to the beginning of the programme, students will be carefully matched to an internship opportunity which relates to their degree and/or complements their career aspirations. Past internships have included those from the management, IT, engineering, HR and marketing sectors. During their internship, students will undertake a project which is beneficial to their placement host and which also helps them to develop or make full use of their skills, knowledge and experience.

Training allowances of a minimum of £200 per month for each month of the placement are attached to all internships, however, some employers may offer more than £200 a month.

Internship placements will commence at the end of February and last for 6 months. Throughout your internship, you will be given appropriate support from workplace supervisors and university tutors.

Module delivery:

This module will be delivered by a mix of distance learning and on-campus 'call-back' days:

'Call back' days, consisting of full or half day masterclass delivered by Careers Service or external speakers. Topics covered will include creating a winning CV, succeeding at interviews and making a professional impact.
Online learning material
Visits by tutors to students on placement

How you will be assessed

Module 1 - Preparation and Planning

Assessment will be via:

Online skills assessment (Dundee Graduate Skills Award)
Group oral presentations
Written report on internship sector

Module 2 - Internship Placement

Assessment will be via:

Reflective written account
Placement appraisal (conducted by Tutor with student and supervisor)
Job study report
Internship placement report
Individual oral presentation (delivered in September at end of placement)

Careers

As the UK employment market becomes ever more competitive, internships provide a vital route to graduate recruitment. SIGC suits graduates with all levels of work experience from those looking to launch their careers to those seeking ways to further develop their career path or alternatively gain experience in a new area / sector.

Past participants in the programme have benefited from a real advantage in the UK graduate recruitment market by gaining valuable hands on experience within their sector. Many of our graduates have found paid positions with their internship organisations. Others have gone on to prestigious graduate recruitment schemes or found graduate work locally. Some have also chosen to study further or have pursued further internship experience.

The exact nature of career opportunities will be dependent on previous qualifications, experience and career aspirations of individual students. However, it is expected that SIGC will significantly boost student employability and career prospects in a variety of sectors including finance, Information Technology, Management and Engineering amongst others.

Previous internships included projects in Design, Human Resource Management, Information Management, Engineering, Marketing, Events Management, Sales and Social Research.

My internship at Aviva gave me the opportunity to work for a multi-national financial organisation. With my IT and Information Processing background, I gained experience in Information Management and was involved in implementing new information management strategies to enhance the business performance of the whole organisation. It was a huge challenge, but incredibly rewarding.
SIGC student 2010

I worked for NUS Scotland, which is recognised by the Scottish Parliament as the key voice of students in Scotland. I became a political researcher and completed several of my own projects. I produced research papers and delivered presentations – one presentation was in Brussels at the European Parliament! I have developed my research skills immensely and learnt a great deal about working in a professional environment.
SIGC student 2011

Entry Requirements

All applicants should have, or expect to gain by the beginning of the programme, a minimum of an ordinary degree or equivalent from a recognised institution.

All International applicants should have, or expect to have a Post Study Work Visa by the November prior to the start of the course. If you already have a Post Study Work Visa, please ensure that it is valid for the duration of the course.

Unfortunately, due to UKBA restrictions on International students undertaking internship placements this programme is NOT open to international student visa holders.

If you have any questions, please contact a member of the SIGC team at cs-sigc@dundee.ac.uk

If your first language isn't English, then you need to demonstrate you have a good command of the English Language, with an IELTS score of 6.5 and above. Please check our Language Requirements page for details of equivalent grades from other test providers, and information about the University of Dundee English Language courses.

Fees and Funding

Training allowances of a minimum of £200 per month for each month of the placement are attached to all internships, however, some employers may offer more than £200 a month.

You may be eligible for additional funds from the Part-time Fee Grant from SAAS. For more information visit the SAAS website

Living Costs

Dundee is ranked as one of the most affordable places for students to live in the UK, and the cost of living is around 15% cheaper than the UK average.
Increasing numbers of students are successfully undertaking part-time work to supplement their income. You can get advice from our Careers Service, both about job opportunities and how to find a suitable study/work/life balance. EU and international students are also allowed to work up to 20 hours per week.
As a student in Scotland, you have free access to the National Health Service. Visits to doctors and hospitals, as well as prescriptions, sight tests and dental checkups, are available free of charge.

How to Apply

All application should be made via UKPASS.

There are three application deadlines:

31st May 2012
27th September 2012
8th November 2012

With the application form, you MUST upload or send under a separate cover the following:

An up to date CV, including a CV aim, indicating the sector/internship area you are interested in.
A copy of certificates for all Higher Education.

Timeline for Applicants
Date	Event	Details
	Applications open	Apply online via UKPASS
Thursday 30th May 2013	Closing Date (1st Round)
June 2013 onwards		If you apply by the first round closing date and are successful, your interview will take place from June onwards. If successful at this stage, a conditional offer for a place on the programme will be made.
Thursday 26th September 2013	Closing Date (2nd Round)
June - October 2013	Interviews with Careers Service	2nd round interviews will be ongoing throughout the summer. If successful at this stage, a conditional offer for a place on the programme will be made.
Thursday 7th November 2012	Closing Date (3rd Round)
November 2013 onwards	Interviews with Careers Service	Final interviews will take place from November 2012. If successful at this stage, a conditional offer for a place on the programme will be made.
By end of December 2013	Interviews with Placement Providers	All candidates who have been successful at the Careers Service Interview stage will be invited to meet with suitable placement providers for interviews/selection during December. If no suitable/desirable placements are found, your application will be terminated at this point.
December 2013	Acceptance and Confirmation	If you are successful in your interview with a placement provider and are offered a placement by them, you will be issued with an unconditional offer for the programme and should respond as soon as possible to confirm your place.
Monday 13th January 2014	SIGC Begins!	The programme will start with an induction, followed by Module 1: Preparation and Planning. Placements will begin on Monday 24th February 2014 and run until Friday 22nd August 2014. The Programme will end with a final day of assessment and de-brief on Wednesday 3rd September 2014. Please note, if you wish to attend your graduation ceremony, this will take place in November 2014.

Course Contact

Careers Service
University of Dundee
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Scotland

Telephone: 01382 384 017 (from the UK)
Telephone: +44 1382 384 017 (from outside the UK)

Fax: 01382 384 116 (from the UK)
Fax: +44 1382 384 116 (from outside the UK)

Email:cs-sigc@dundee.ac.uk

Admissions Contact

Postgraduate Admissions
Admissions and Student Recruitment
University of Dundee
Nethergate
Dundee
DD1 4HN
Scotland

Telephone: 01382 384 384 (from the UK)
Telephone: +44 1382 384 384 (from outside the UK)

Fax: 01382 385 500 (from the UK)
Fax: +44 1382 385 500 (from outside the UK)

Email: postgrad-admissions@dundee.ac.uk