You can do your degree project in collaboration with an external company. This can be a great opportunity for you; many companies offer thesis students jobs or internships after the studies.
Supervisors
You will have two supervisors; one from the university and one from the company. The role of the company supervisor is to guide you in doing the task the company has set out for you and to explain how the company’s systems work in case you need to access them.
Company and university requirements
It is important to think about the requirements when doing a project at an external company. Companies usually want students to implement something, for example creating a prototype for a new idea or testing a new framework. Companies might not be interested in the research part of a degree project at all, which on the other hand is a requirement from the university. It is important that the company understands that you are doing a degree project and that you are not just a free development resource, and which requirements the university has on thesis projects. Ask your university supervisor or course manager for guidance if you have any problems with the external company.
Working at home/university or at the company?
Some companies provide office space you, so you can work at the company every day or some days a week. It can also be the case that you work at home and only visit the company for meetings. Discuss how to carry out your project with your company supervisor.
Travelling
It can happen that the company you do your project at is located in another city and that you have to travel by bus or train to visit them. If that is the case ask the company if they can pay for your travels. You cannot get any financial support from the university.
Non-disclosure Agreement
Companies generally don’t want to share company secrets with outsiders. To be sure that you don’t reveal any sensitive information they can ask you to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This is often not a problem, but read the NDA carefully so you know what you sign up for! A common bullet point in NDA’s for employees is that the employee is not allowed to work in a similar business for five years after they have left their employment. You should not sign up for this unless the company offers you an employment.
Ownership
If you develop something for a company in your degree project, you are the owner of what you develop. If the company wants ownership of what you develop, you must transfer the ownership to the company via some written agreement.
