Internship with APEL
APEL (VÕTA) can only be used to recognise recent, relevant, and full-time professional work experience that clearly matches the internship learning outcomes.
Before starting the APEL process
APEL requirements for Internship I (6 ECTS)
APEL requirements for Internship II (6 ECTS)
APEL requirements for Internship I + II (12 ECTS)
You may apply for APEL for Internship I if you meet all of the following conditions:
- At least 1 year of professional work experience, which is related to your field of study
- Experience must be with one employer
- Experience must be full-time (40 hours per week)
- Experience must be recent (completed no more than 1 year ago)
APEL requirements for Internship II (6 ECTS)
You may apply for APEL for Internship II if you meet all of the following conditions:
- At least 2 years of professional work experience, which is related to your field of study
- Including at least 1 year of management experience (people and/or process management)
- Experience must be with one employer
- Experience must be full-time (40 hours per week)
- Experience must be recent (completed no more than 1 year ago)
You may apply for APEL for both internships together if you meet all of the following conditions:
- At least 3 years of professional work experience, which is related to your field of study
- Including at least 2 years of management experience (people and/or process management)
- Experience must be with one employer
- Experience must be full-time (40 hours per week)
- Experience must be recent (completed no more than 1 year ago)
APEL process
Stage 1: Eligibility review
Before writing the APEL report, students must first submit documents for eligibility review.
Please send the following documents to internship@ebs.ee:
Required documents
Documents must demonstrate
Deadlines
- Company information (including company registration code and website)
- CV
- Employment contract
- Job description (if available) or list of tasks, responsibilities, or projects completed during the employment, signed by direct supervisor/manager
The eligibility assessment process takes up to 14 calendar days after all required documents have been submitted.
Only after a positive pre-assessment can a student start writing the APEL report.
The submitted documents must clearly demonstrate:
- duration of employment,
- relevance to the study programme,
- level of responsibility,
- and management experience (if applying for Internship II or Internship I + II).
Based on these documents, the committee will decide whether the student qualifies for the APEL process.
The completed APEL application and all required supporting documents must be submitted by:
- 1 March for the spring semester;
- 1 October for the autumn semester;
Late or incomplete applications will not be processed.
The eligibility assessment process takes up to 14 calendar days after all required documents have been submitted.
The assessment of the final APEL report and application may take up to 30 working days after submission of all required documents.
Please note: Graduating students cannot complete the APEL process and submit/present the APEL report during their final semester. The APEL process must be completed before the semester of graduation.
Stage 2: APEL report
The APEL report is an analytical and reflective assignment based on the student’s professional experience. The report must demonstrate how the student’s work experience meets the internship learning outcomes and requirements.
- The report requires students to:
- analyse their organisation and work environment,
- describe and critically evaluate their professional responsibilities and projects,
- identify practical challenges or development opportunities within the organisation,
- connect their professional experience with relevant academic theories and literature,
- and reflect on their own professional development and learning outcomes.
The report is not a simple description of job tasks or a CV. Students are expected to demonstrate analytical thinking, professional reflection, and the ability to connect practical experience with academic knowledge.
Separate guidelines, structure, requirements, and assessment criteria will be provided for each internship APEL.
To successfully pass the APEL assessment, the APEL report and defence must meet the assessment requirements and receive at least 51% of the total evaluation score.
The assessment of the final APEL report and application may take up to 30 working days after submission of all required documents.
You can find the APEL report instructions here:
Stage 3: APEL report defence
After submitting the APEL report, students are invited to an APEL report defence with the assessment committee.
APEL defence
Defence committee
Participation
The purpose of the defence is to:
- verify the authenticity and depth of the professional experience described in the report,
- assess the student’s understanding of the organisation, projects, responsibilities, and proposed solutions,
- evaluate the connection between practical experience and academic knowledge,
- and clarify any questions related to the submitted report or supporting documents.
The committee may ask additional questions about:
- the student’s role and responsibilities,
- management and decision-making experience,
- projects and outcomes,
- organisational challenges and proposed improvements,
- and the theories or academic sources used in the report.
Participation in the defence is considered a mandatory part of the APEL assessment process if requested by the committee.
Additional information
- The APEL committee has the right to request additional evidence related to previous work experience.
- The APEL application processing fee is 50 €. A copy of the payment confirmation must be submitted together with the application.
- In case of a positive assessment decision, the APEL fee for transferring the credit points must be paid, which is calculated based on the credit point price list (50% of the credit point price of the respective programme). More information about the payment policy is available here.
- A positive assessment decision may include the obligation to share professional experience with fellow students.
- In case of a negative assessment decision, the student may complete the internship through the regular internship course.
- If you intend to complete the internship via APEL, do not register for the internship course in MyEBS before receiving the committee’s decision.
- If any questions, please contact Head of Internship: Liina Reimann liina.reimann@ebs.ee