Students who finish their second-year studies are required to complete ELIT 290 mandatory summer internship in a way that comply with all the legal and administrative conditions of the institution, organization, or workplace where they propose to do their internships.
Application Process
Before the Internship Begins:
The application process for ELIT 290 begins in Spring Semester prior to the summer in which the student will complete their internship. To begin the process, students must fill out and submit Form- 1a, which asks them to provide the necessary information related to the institution they will complete their internships at to the internship coordinator during the first week of May (see the ELIT 290- ELIT 390 Mandatory Internships Calendar for 2023-2024 Academic Year).
- Students whose Form 1a is approved by the internship coordinator must submit Form 1b to the departmental administrator by the last week of May. It is important to note that Form 1b is to be partly completed by the internship manager, who is the authorised executive of the institution/company, with the necessary signatures and stamps.
- As a rule, Bilkent University covers the cost of the students’ national insurance (SGK) necessary for the students’ internship placement. Should the institution/company require official documents regarding the University’s coverage of the student’s national insurance (SGK), students may obtain Form 1c (which is the national insurance entry (SGK) form), as well as Form 1d (which officially states how long Bilkent University will be paying for the national insurance of the student) and form 1e (which is an official letter from the internship coordinator that declares the duration of the student’s internship and insurance coverage), from the department’s website. Please note that this stage is not mandatory, and that you will need forms 1c, 1d, and 1e if the institution/company where you will do your internship requires them from you. If your internship manager expects you to provide Forms 1c, 1d and 1e, make sure you fill them out according to your specific internship details and get the signatures needed before submitting them to the institution where you will complete your internship.
- Please note that Bilkent provides national insurance only for students who are to complete ELIT 290 mandatory internships within Turkey. The insurance payment for those who propose to do their internships abroad will not be covered by the university.
- The duration of your ELIT 290 internship must be twenty (20) working days. Please make sure you deduct national holidays and weekends before submitting your 1a and 1b forms to avoid experiencing any insurance-related issues.
During Your Internship:
- During your internship, you are expected to complete weekly activity logs provided in Forms 2a and 2b, both in Turkish and English respectively. Weekly logs must also include the internship manager’s weekly evaluation of your performance. Each week’s report must be signed and stamped officially by the internship manager.
- At the end of your internship, your internship manager must complete Forms 2c and 2d, which provide their overall evaluation of the intern. These forms must be signed and officially stamped by the manager before they are given to the student in a sealed envelope.
After Your Internship:
- During Fall semester’s class registration period, you must enroll to “ELIT 290” course in order to qualify to submit your internship portfolios.
- Students are expected to submit Form 2a, Form 2b, Form 2c and Form 2d, Form 2e, and Form 2f in a size A3 envelope to the departmental administrator by the end of the last working day of September. Forms that are not filled out properly or are not signed by the internship manager where necessary will not be accepted. Late submissions will have a negative impact on the evaluation of your ELIT 290 internship fulfilment.
- ELIT 290 Summer Internship is a credit-free but mandatory course. At the end of the Fall semester, you will either receive a “Satisfactory” (pass) or an “Unsatisfactory” (fail) grade for this course. If you fail to complete the requirements specified in this directive, do not submit the required forms on time, and receive an “Unsatisfactory” grade, you will be required to repeat ELIT 290 internship during the following summer. Please keep in mind that you will not be able to graduate before you successfully complete both ELIT 290 and ELIT 390.
ELIT 290 forms
Form 1c (insurance form; if the company asks for it, you should ask the internship coordinator to sign this form).
Form 1d (obligation form; if the company asks for it, you should ask the internship coordinator to sign this form).
Form 1e (insurance-obligation form; if the company asks for it, you should ask the internship coordinator to sign this form).
Additional Documents:
Letter of Exemption from English/Turkish Forms
Students whose internship managers are not proficient in either English or in Turkish, and are, therefore, unable to fill out the English forms (2b 2d) or the Turkish forms (2a and 2c), should use this Exemption Letter Template to explain the circumstances and submit it with the rest of their paperwork.