The NOVA FCT Curricular Profile, in place since the 2012/2013 academic year, aims to enrich NOVA FCT students’ education with complementary skills, namely soft skills, entrepreneurship, network with companies and scientific research.
This Curricular Profile requires that all Bachelor’s degrees (three years) and Integrated Master’s degrees (five years) complete a Scientific Research Introduction Program (PIIC) or a Professional Practice Introduction Program (PIPP).
These programs may be taken by students of the respective courses, and all students must complete, in their 3rd curricular year, a course unit directly linked to their participation in one of these programs.
More than 700 students per academic year experience this real‑world work context.
This program consists of short internships undertaken in companies by NOVA FCT students who are typically halfway through their five‑year higher education path.
For this purpose, we rely on the collaboration with companies that, valuing their Social Responsibility initiatives, wish to partner with NOVA FCT in its commitment to provide training aligned with labor market needs.
The main goal of this course unit is to provide students with a first contact with a professional environment related to their field of studies. During the program, students will learn how work is organized in a company, respecting basic rules such as schedules, task execution according to instructions, and observing the professional activities of graduates from their field. Students are also expected to develop transversal skills such as written and oral communication and autonomous learning.
Another goal is to allow companies to play an active role in students’ university training.
We expect this initiative to improve students’ preparation and reduce the gap between academic training and real‑world professional practice.
In addition to any excellent support our students may provide to the company, this is also an excellent opportunity for the university to strengthen its relationship with companies and better understand their needs regarding academic training.
The tasks are defined by the company and should include contact with technical activities at a higher‑education level. Since students are in the 3rd year of their degree, they are not expected to carry out project‑level tasks or responsibilities of similar complexity.
If needed, the program coordinator for each course will confirm the suitability of the proposed tasks.
The program has a minimum duration of 80 hours and must take place over four to five weeks, either in January/February or June/July each year. Each student participates only once, but new students join every year. Company participation is annual and limited to the number of students the company agrees to host.
There are no direct costs for the company. Travel, meals, and accommodation expenses are covered by the students, just as they are during the academic year. Companies are only expected to assign someone to supervise and guide the students. It is appreciated if students can access company services such as a cafeteria or transport, when available.
(Note: The internship is unpaid. However, the host company/entity may provide a monthly allowance if it wishes, according to its internal rules.)
School Insurance: During the internship period, students are covered by school insurance provided by NOVA FCT. The policy is available at: http://www.fct.unl.pt/
The company supervisor only needs to complete a short questionnaire evaluating the student’s performance, with optional comments.
Students must also submit a brief report describing their experience in the company. This report is assessed by the program coordinator.
Companies may submit internship offers by registering at: https://employer.
Bachelor’s Degrees (3 years): Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry (PIIC), Mathematics, Applied Mathematics to Risk Management, Applied Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Materials Engineering, Micro and Nanotechnology Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Geological Engineering, Physics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Integrated Master’s Degrees (5 years): Environmental Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Micro and Nanotechnology Engineering, and Chemical and Biochemical Engineering.
