CHEM4966: Chemistry Internship (6 credits) is one of the five chemistry courses eligible for fulfilling the Capstone Experience.

With a strong focus on integration and application of knowledge and skills gained in the early years of study, it offers students the opportunities to gain work experience in the Chemistry industry.

CHEM4966 is graded on "Pass with distinction/Pass/Fail" basis and is not counted in the calculation of CGPA.
SampleXpress

What is required for completing this course?

You will have to work for at least 160 hours (lunch hour excluded) in at least 20 working days .

The work carried out must be relevant to your Chemistry major , and meet the Course Learning Objectives (CLO) listed below:
  • to gain working experience in a real-world workplace experience
  • to have diverse learning experience
  • to integrate theory and practice, and to understand limitations of your current knowledge
  • to work in a team and to collaborate with people with diverse background
  • to broaden your social and cultural experience, and to develop your social and cultural values
  • to prepare for your lifelong career
Upon completion of the internship, you will conduct a 15-minute oral presentation and produce a written report (not less than 1000 words) describing what you have achieved and learnt. You may also include a self-reflection.

You will also need to receive a satisfactory evaluation from your supervisor, who will assess your performance during the internship.

A more detailed (but general) set of guidelines can be found on the Faculty website .

When to take action?

CHEM4966 is offered in throughout the year (i.e. 1st semester, 2nd semester and summer semester).
Note that due to the nature of the course, the Faculty does not open the enrolment during the online course selection period
and has set deadlines that are different from other courses .

Here are some key dates in this academic year (2023-2024):

1

Identify supervisor

Arrange before:
Apr 2023 (summer 23') /
Sept 2023 (1st sem.) /
Jan 2024 (2nd sem.) /
Apr 2024 (summer 24')

2

Preliminary application

Submit before:
20 June 2023 (summer 23') /
24 Oct 2023 (1st sem.) /
18 Mar 2024 (2nd sem.) /
14 June 2024 (summer 24')

3

Formal enrolment

Submit before:
30 June 2023 (summer 23') /
1 Nov 2023 (1st sem.) /
26 Mar 2024 (2nd sem.) /
20 June 2024 (summer 24')

4

Internship

Complete before:
31 Aug 2023 (summer 23') /
15 Dec 2023 (1st sem.) /
10 May 2024 (2nd sem.) /
30 Aug 2024 (summer 24')

5

Evaluation

Complete before:
8 Sept 2023 (summer 23') /
22 Dec 2023 (1st sem.) /
17 May 2024 (2nd sem.) /
6 Sept 2024 (summer 24')
Remember that administration processes take time. Inability to meet the deadlines may result in failing the course .

Note: If your home faculty is not the Faculty of Science, your application will be further processed by your home faculty (potentially adhering to a different deadline) and the final decision remains with them.
You must therefore check with your home department early regarding your eligibility before applying.

Am I eligible to apply?

You can apply if you are in your 3rd year of study (or above)
and
have passed at least 4 advanced courses  in your major curriculum (see Faculty website for the full list).

Note that the Faculty does not accept enrolment in retrospect , i.e. you cannot fulfil the requirements of CHEM4966 with past working experience.

How do I take part?

1

Identify supervisor


You are required to arrange your own internship position, be it internal (within the Department of Chemistry) or external, full-time or part-time. Note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the job nature is suited for the course (see Requirements above).

If you decide to take part in a full-time internship during the 1st/2nd semester, you will need to apply for leave of absence from the Faculty of Science (see Faculty website ).

Note that the Faculty does not accept enrolment in retrospect , i.e. you cannot fulfil the requirements of CHEM4966 with past working experience.

2

Preliminary application

Once you have identified a position, you should submit a preliminary application to the Department for initial checking. Remember to state explicitly how the job is related to chemistry; don't just give the job title!

Good examples include " develop databases and workflows to analyse high-throughput data generated from sequencing analysis " and " conduct sample preparation (e.g. ashing and microwave digestion) and undertake analyses using spectroscopic techniques (e.g. AAS, ICP-OES, ICP-MS) ".

Non-specific job descriptions (e.g. "lab testing") is not sufficient.

3

Formal enrolment


When you have obtained the initial approval from the Course Coordinator, you will receive a confirmation email from the Department and gain access to CHEM4966 Moodle page (for Summer semester 22-23  or 1st Semester 23-24 ). You should then submit the formal application form (which requires a signature from your future supervisor) through the course Moodle page . Additional documents may also be required.

Remember to notify your future supervisor that you are enrolling in this course and obtain their agreement in evaluating your performance for this purpose. Pass a copy of the evaluation form to your supervisor when you ask for their signature.

To better support your learning, we are now asking supervisors to also provide you with a written, non-graded half-way assessment. That way, we hope you can better understand your progress and know how to improve according to the expectations. Please also suggest a date for the half-way assessment when you approach your supervisor.

Once you have obtained the formal approval from the Course Coordinator, your internship may begin. Remember that the Faculty does not accept enrolment in retrospect, i.e. the starting date of your internship cannot precede your approval date.

4

Internship

Immerse in the internship and get the most out of it!

Politely remind your supervisor to:
(1) provide you with a half-way assessment near the agreed date; and
(2) return the final evaluation form to the Course Coordinator directly via email at the end of your internship.

Keep logs of your progress to aid your preparation of the written report and the presentation upon the completion of the internship (see Requirements above).

5

Evaluation

For internal internships , deliver a 15-minute oral presentation to your supervisor. Submit a written report (no less than 1000 words) to both the Course Coordinator via the course Moodle page (for Summer semester 22-23  or 1st Semester 23-24 ) and your supervisor.

For external internships , deliver a 15-minute oral presentation and submit a written report (no less than 1000 words) via the course Moodle page (for Summer semester 22-23  or  1st Semester 23-24 ) to the Course Coordinator.

Remember that you are responsible for making the necessary arrangement with your supervisor (and the Course Coordinator) for the presentations.

Politely remind your supervisor to return the evaluation form to the Course Coordinator directly via email.

Frequently asked questions

  • I have now completed my second-year study. Can I enrol in CHEM4966?
    Unfortunately, no. The Faculty states that the earliest a student is allowed to take the internship course is their Year 3 study.
  • Is it possible to do an internship without a laboratory component?
    Yes - as long as you can demonstrate its relevance with your Chemistry major and how it meets the CLOs !
  • Can I get paid during this credit-bearing internship?
    Yes - however you are reminded that Statutory Minimum Wage does not apply to student employees under the Minimum Wage Ordinance .
  • I have just completed a summer job. Can I use that work experience to enrol in CHEM4966 now?
    Unfortunately, no. The Faculty does not accept retrospective enrolment.
  • Why can't I see my enrolment record of CHEM4966 in the "Enrollment status" page under SIS?
    Due to the nature of this course, the Faculty has set deadlines for CHEM4966 that are different from other courses and does not formally process the enrolment until mid-semester.
    Rest assured and proceed with the internship if you have received the signed confirmation from the Course Coordinator.
  • Is there a form to fill in for the half-way assessment?
    The half-way assessment is to provide a mechanism for the supervisor to give you feedback in the middle of the internship period.
    So all we are asking is an informal, short paragraph (~100 words) - that's all.
More FAQs can be found within the set of guidelines on the Faculty website .