Professional placements

Bernays students are required to complement the theoretical knowledge acquired in classes throughout their studies with practical work at placements with the aim of connecting practice, science and higher education, in order to achieve the best results in learning and develop competencies, knowledge and skills that will enable them to be more competitive in the labour market and increase employability.

Since the first day, Bernays has been continuously building a network of partners, which currently consists of more than 130 leading media companies, marketing and public relations agencies, domestic and foreign companies and corporations, world-famous hotel chains, tourist boards and various organizations from the field of communication industry and business economies in which students go for internships.

The entire placement system is planned and set up down to the last detail, all with the aim for students, through the three years of undergraduate studies, to gain experience in all areas of communication management and business management, and graduate students to develop the competences necessary for successful management of communications and public relations, as well as leadership and management. For this purpose, students participate in work placements in placements that provide all the conditions for acquiring the necessary practical knowledge and skills in their field of study.

In addition to professional practice, students have contact with the real sector through practicums, specially designed practical courses led by a number of experienced practitioners. During professional undergraduate and graduate studies at Bernays, each student goes through more than 1,000 hours of practice in a number of partner institutions, as well as in exercises within the practicum.

Work placements are organized every year in the summer semester using the most innovative system in Croatia - our Placement Market. Students and employers are connected through a system through which all data exchange is carried out, and students can independently choose the desired organization and the offered dates for professional work placements by applying for the job vacancies.

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Duration of placement in Communication programmes

Undergraduate:

Work placements as part of the Communication Management undergraduate professional study programme lasts at least 360 hours. In the first year, students attend 60 hours of field classes, for which they receive 2 ECTS; in the second year of study, work placements last 60 hours and students receive 2 ECTS upon completion. During the third year of study, work placements last 300 hours and students receive 10 ECTS.

Graduate:

Work placements at the Public Relations Management graduate professional study programme lasts at least 240 hours in the first year of study, for which 8 ECTS are received; 300 hours in the second year of study brings 10 ECTS, which totals to at least 540 hours that students spend in work placements.

Students of the communication management professional undergraduate study programme gain their first experience in media newsrooms of all kinds, and then improve their communication skills, creative and analytical competences in public relations agencies and marketing agencies, corporations and prominent Croatian companies, working on the development and implementation of various communication and creative strategies.

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Duration of placements in Business Economics study programmes

Undergraduate:

Work placements in the Business Administration undergraduate professional study programme is carried out in the third year of study and lasts for 300 hours, for which students receive 10 ECTS. In the tourism management track, students participate in a total of 90 hours, for which they receive a total of 3 ECTS.

Graduate:

Work placements in the Leadership and Management graduate professional study programme lasts at least 300 hours in the second year of study and brings 10 ECTS. In the first year, students attend a Prakticum in the total duration of 90 hours, for which they receive a total of 3 ECTS.

Students of the professional undergraduate study programmes in business economics carry out work placements in numerous companies, whether they are large corporations, medium-sized companies or startups, financial institutions, consulting companies, non-profit organizations or the public sector, dealing with activities compatible with the professional study program.

Duration of placement in Tourism study programmes

Undergraduate:

Work placements as part of the Management and Marketing of Tourist Destinations undergraduate professional programme are carried out in the third year of study and last for 300 hours, for which students receive 10 ECTS. In the first and second year, students attend a total of 210 hours of fieldwork, for which they receive 7 ECTS.

Graduate:

Work placements as part of the Experience Management in Tourism graduate professional study programme lasts at least 300 hours in the second year of study and is worth 10 ECTS. In the first year, students attend the Experience Management Practicum for a total duration of 90 hours, for which they receive a total of 8 ECTS.

Students of the professional undergraduate study programme in tourism participate in work placements in travel agencies and destinations, hotel chains, tourist boards, destination management companies, event management companies and agencies, professional organizations in tourism, national parks and nature parks, marinas and harbours of nautical tourism, companies and institutions, as well as other public or private organizations that engage in activities compatible with the professional study programme.

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Placement Market - The most innovative student placement system in Croatia

The organization of professional placements is one of the activities that Bernays is particularly proud of. In addition to providing all students with professional placements and making arrangements on their behalf for all conditions for participating in placements, Bernays has one of the most modern systems for selecting and participating in obligatory work placements. In this manner, students are ensured to acquire the maximum applicable knowledge during their studies.

Bernays uses an electronic system called the Placement Market to organize student placements. It is a specialised administrative system, which is available to students through the BEduca system. This system contains a database of all Bernays partners where students can complete their professional work placements.

Students of all years are notified through the Placement Market during the summer semester in three rounds of the dates and locations where they can complete their placements, as well as the conditions for participating in professional work placements in organizations with which Bernays has concluded cooperation agreements. Through the mentioned system, students can independently choose the desired organization and the offered dates for professional placements by applying for job vacancies. The organization chosen by students in the Placement Market assigns a mentor to the student on the first day of the internship, who follows and guides the student throughout the placement and signs documents on the completed professional placement at the end of the placement.

Up to the present, Bernays has signed partnership agreements with more than 130 organizations, and thanks to this, students spend over 25,000 hours in placements every year.

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Individuals responsible for student placements and administrative support