The field training guide and its rules

About the programme

Field training is a compulsory course for students of the College of Computing and Information Technology. It puts the student inside an approved host organisation for at least eight weeks — five days a week, 240 training hours — to gain real practical experience, supervised by an academic supervisor from the college and a field supervisor from the organisation.

Eligibility conditions

• Having reached level 8 or above.
• Having completed at least 90 credit hours of the study plan. The training unit may reduce this to 85 where the guide allows.
• No suspension or active disciplinary penalty against the student.
• Approval of the academic advisor to register for training.

Choosing a host organisation

A student can obtain a training place in either of the following two ways:

• Nomination by the academic department: the department at the college proposes suitable host organisations matching the student’s specialisation, so that the training meets its objectives and its intended learning outcomes.
• The student’s own initiative: the student looks for a suitable host organisation well before the training period begins, then puts it to the academic department to study and approve — provided it fits the nature of the specialisation and the objectives and learning outcomes of field training.

What is expected of the trainee

Throughout the training period the trainee is required to:

• Keep to the host organisation’s official arrival and departure times.
• Dress appropriately and maintain a professional appearance and manner.
• Submit a periodic report to the academic supervisor showing how the training is progressing.
• Keep the host organisation’s information confidential and not disclose it.
• Contact the academic supervisor immediately on meeting any problem or obstacle.
• Follow professional conduct and the host organisation’s internal regulations.
• Not break off the training without a documented and acceptable excuse.

Absence and withdrawal

• Trainees must attend every training day at the times set by the host organisation; arrival and departure are recorded day by day.
• A trainee absent for five working days in total is barred from the training course and must repeat the training period.
• Withdrawing from the training course once training has begun is not possible except where there is a compelling excuse.
• In cases of utmost necessity the college’s field training unit may accept the student’s excuse and allow them to withdraw from the training course, referring it to the college’s vice-deanship for academic affairs for the formal procedure.
• Any wish to change host organisation must go through the college’s field training unit.
• Withdrawing without notifying the academic supervisor and the training unit is a violation.

How the training is marked

• The host organisation evaluates the trainee on performance, commitment and professional skills, and confirms the attendance record.
• The academic supervisor evaluates on the strength of the periodic reports and field visits.
• The trainee submits a final report and gives a final presentation at the end of the period.
• The final mark is calculated against the college’s approved criteria for the field training course, and released after the training unit signs it off.