The remuneration survey for internships and master’s theses by Biosfääri ry has been completed.
In the fall of 2023, Biosfääri ry carried out a remuneration survey for internships and the practical work portion of master’s theses. The survey is now completed and confirmed at the board meeting in January 2024.
The survey collected 143 responses from students. Based on the responses, the situation in the fields of bio- and environmental sciences is quite positive: approximately two-thirds of both internships and the practical work portions of master’s theses were paid, and the average salary was higher than the minimum wage requirement set by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). For internships, payment was more common during the master’s phase. Almost all unpaid internships were conducted at the university or a university-affiliated institution. University research groups were the most common internship locations overall.
The most surprising result of the survey was the assistance received from supervising teachers and educational programs regarding internships and their compensation: about one-third of the respondents felt that they had not received any useful help, and over half responded that there had been no assistance or that it had been weak.
You can read the entire survey below. Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey!