Internships in master degrees
Expand your professional skills and knowledge by completing an internship during your master degree.
Your postgraduate internship at Swinburne
Postgraduate internships are available as part of master programs in ICT, engineering and business.
They run for 12 weeks from the first week of each semester, embedding students within approved organisations to gain first-hand experience.
Your time commitment depends on the credit value of the internship:
- 12.5 credits: 2 days per week
- 25 credits: 4 days per week (for business students only)
On this page:
Companies we work with
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Safe Steps
Description
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Vision Verse
Note: While we collaborate with a variety of esteemed partners, please be aware that this does not guarantee participation with these organisations. Internship opportunities are contingent on the availability of positions and your performance during the recruitment process.
Internship options
Select your master degree to find out more about your options.
Business master degree internships
Internship units
- BUS80027 Business Internship Project (12.5 credit points)
- BUS80028 Business Internship Project Extended (25 credit points)
- INF80005 Business Information Systems Internship Project
Eligibility
- For INF80005, complete INF70005 and either INF80014 or INF80025. Completing RAM and BPM is beneficial.
- 12.5 credit internship (150 hours): Complete 4 units (50 credit points) and have 1 free elective.
- 25 credit internship (300 hours): Complete 8 units (100 credit points), have 2 free electives and maintain a 60% average.
To be selected for your internship, you may be required to do an interview with one of our industry partners.
Note: Local and international students studying through Swinburne Online (SOL) or Open Universities Australia (OUA) are not eligible for an internship.
Are you an international student holding a student visa?
An internship does not increase the duration of your course and is covered on your study visa. All you need is one free elective unit.
Unless the internship is a mandatory requirement of your degree, the hours you work as part of your internship will count towards your visa’s work hour limits.
Possible projects
Your internship might see you working on projects like:
- Building a business case for a product or service
- Exploring possible solutions for complex problems
- Developing a discrete part of a project or program
- Proposing and developing support resources for an industry host’s team
Typical assessments
Your performance during your internship will be assessed against factors like:
- Delivery of outcomes specified by your host, e.g. project presentations, written reports, etc.
- Preliminary plans, progress reports and final reports
- Reflection on insights you’ve gained during your internship
Engineering master degree internships
Internship units
- ENG80003 Engineering Postgraduate Internship (12.5 credit points)
Eligibility
- Complete at least 100 credit points of an approved degree:
- Master of Engineering Science
- Master of Professional Engineering
- Other postgraduate Engineering courses in consultation with your Course Director
- Maintain a 65% average
- No more than one failed unit in the preceding semester
- Pass your pre-internship and industry interviews
- Have a free elective for enrolment
To be selected for your internship, you may be required to do an interview with one of our industry partners.
Note: Local and international students studying through Swinburne Online (SOL) or Open Universities Australia (OUA) are not eligible for an internship.
Are you an international student holding a student visa?
An internship does not increase the duration of your course and is covered on your study visa. All you need is one free elective unit.
Unless the internship is a mandatory requirement of your degree, the hours you work as part of your internship will count towards your visa’s work hour limits.
Possible projects
Your internship might see you working on projects like:
- Industry R&D for feasibility studies
- Product design and development
- Process analysis and improvement
- Inspections, data collection and evaluation
Typical assessments
Your performance during your internship will be assessed against factors like:
- Your learning plan
- Preliminary plans, progress reports and final reports
- Reflection on insights you’ve gained during your internship
ICT master degree internships
Internship units
- ICT80004 Internship Project (12.5 credit points)
Eligibility
- Complete at least 100 credit points of an approved degree:
- Master of Business Information Systems
- Master of Information Technology
- Master of Information Technology (Professional Computing)
- Master of Science (Network Systems)
- Master of Engineering Science
- Maintain a 60% average
- No more than one failed unit in the preceding semester
- Pass your pre-internship and industry interviews
- Have a free elective for enrolment
To be selected for your internship, you may be required to do an interview with one of our industry partners.
Note: Local and international students studying through Swinburne Online (SOL) or Open Universities Australia (OUA) are not eligible for an internship.
Are you an international student holding a student visa?
An internship does not increase the duration of your course and is covered on your study visa. All you need is one free elective unit.
Unless the internship is a mandatory requirement of your degree, the hours you work as part of your internship will count towards your visa’s work hour limits.
Possible projects
Your internship might see you working on projects like:
- Business analysis
- Systems analysis
- iOS development
- Android development
- Web development
Typical assessments
Your performance during your internship will be assessed against factors like:
- Weekly work log and timesheet
- Project presentation at your host organisation
- Software requirements specification document (for ICT80004 only)
- Preliminary plans, progress reports and final reports (for ICT80005 only)
- Report on project deliverables to the host organisation
Applying for an internship
Register to do an internship in your final semester.
Frequently asked questions
During your course, internship hours count toward permitted visa work hours unless listed as a mandatory work component on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
You can check if your course includes a mandatory work component on the CRICOS website.
For questions about visas or visa conditions, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.
Professional Internships Semester 2, 2024
- Monday 6 May 2024: Position descriptions made available to all eligible students
- Monday 5 August 2024: Last day to confirm Professional Internships
- Monday 15 July - Monday 12 August 2024: Internship commencement dates
- Friday 25 October 2024: Internship end by this date.
Summer Term 2025
- Monday 14 October 2024: Project descriptions made available to all eligible students
- Monday 16 December 2024: Last day to confirm professional internships
- Monday 6 January - Monday 13 January 2025: Internship commencement dates - students begin their internship with host organisation
- Friday 14 February 2025: Internship end by this date (last day of semester/term).
Internship dates change annually. If you miss the application deadline, consider the next intake. Remember you will need at least three units remaining in your degree after completing your placement.
You can register for an internship at any time. Securing an internship is a competitive process and will rely on the quality of your résumé, cover letter, academic record, interview and sometimes a portfolio.
Each organisation will have a slightly different screening process that may involve interviews, group assessments and other tasks.
We’re here to help though – follow these steps:
Step 1: Register
You can register your interest online as soon as you’re ready. Your eligibility will be confirmed within 3 days.
Step 2: Create a resume and cover letter
If you’re eligible, you’ll receive an email with resources to help you create a professional résumé and cover letter.
Step 3: Apply
Once your résumé has been finalised, you will get access to view and apply for relevant internship opportunities.
Note: You’re able to self-source your own internship, as long as it is relevant to your course of study and the industry partner fits within our guidelines.
Internships are an opportunity to apply what you’re learning at Swinburne in a professional setting.
While you’re ‘on the job’, you will:
- work on projects with real-world impact
- experience day-to-day work in a highly regarded organisation
- learn directly from experienced industry professionals
- build skills and capabilities employers want
- grow your professional networks
- gain an impressive addition to your résumé.
Internships are usually unpaid.
You’ll be charged one standard unit tuition fee for the Professional Internship unit, depending on your unit study area.
While on a placement, you’re considered a full-time student of Swinburne and can access all of our support services.
As well as your academic and industry supervisors, you can also reach out to these services for further support: Student HQ, AccessAbility Services and Student Placement team at profplacements@swinburne.edu.au.
Are you an employer looking to recruit a Swinburne student?
Get access to the next generation of talent before hit the grad market. Our students bring fresh perspectives to workplaces along with leading industry knowledge that can help your team reach its goals.
While they learn, you’ll have the chance to mentor future talent and revel in the enthusiasm of a student with limitless ambition.
