Internships

Internship requirements

• Entry requirements

  This subject is available to Bachelor of Commerce students. You must receive permission from the subject coordinator before enrolling in the subject via an application process. You must have completed a minimum of 100 credit points of undergraduate study at the time of application.

• Internship suitability

  The following situations are not suitable placements for this subject:

  1.  Working within your family business or where a member of your immediate family (parents, step-parents, spouse, partner or sibling) will be the work placement supervisor.
  2.  Organisations with fewer than five staff employed.
  3.  Retail assistant roles.
  4.  Hospitality front-of-house roles such as bar attendants and waiters.

  Normally, a role within a workplace where you are currently employed as a part-time or full -time employee is not suitable, unless you can work on a particular project with defined learning outcomes during the enrolment period, or there is enough evidence that the placement is substantially different from your current role.

  Students that are currently in an internship that would like to gain credit for CMCE20001 are required to demonstrate that they are undertaking activities that are substantially different from the previous tasks, in order to achieve a learning outcome. You can refer to the Intended Learning Outcomes in the handbook and address them as part of your application form.

• Health and Safety requirements

  Prior to starting your internship, please read the health and safety - off-campus requirements.

• Information for international students only

  Unrestricted work rights for student visa holders will end on 30 June 2023. From 1 July 2023, work restrictions for student visa holders will be re-introduced and capped at 48 hours per fortnight. For more information see temporary relaxation of working hours for student visa holders.

  International students on student visas must also ensure that they are compliant with the working hours' limitations attached to their visa. Commerce Internship is an elective subject that may count towards your working hours, even if your internship is unpaid.

  For further information see the Department of Home Affairs website: Check visa details and conditions.

• Unpaid internships and the Fair Work Act

  Students seeking to take an unpaid internship in Australia must meet the guidelines set out by Fairwork Ombudsman. Please see the website for guidance.

Coming Soon: WorkHub

The Faculty of Business and Economics is launching an innovative, on-campus internship experience for Commerce students from 2024.

• What is WorkHub?

  The WorkHub internship offers the opportunity to complete a for-credit internship over 12 working days. The internship will be offered through the Commerce Internship CMCE20001 or Business and Economics Internship BUSA90525 subjects. In semesters 1 and 2 the internship will be scheduled for one day per week. For summer, the schedule will be 2.5 days per week for five weeks.

• Where does WorkHub take place?

  WorkHub is a modern office space, located on Level 6 of the Spot building. The space includes open-plan workstations, meeting rooms, an ideation room, boardroom, team huddle spaces, and plenty of movable furniture and writable walls for brainstorming and team collaboration. WorkHub is definitely not a classroom. You’ll attend your intern days from 8.30am to 5pm and will need to wear business casual clothing.

• Who will be my host company in WorkHub?

  The WorkHub internship will be with a well-known national or international company. You’ll meet with company representatives on day 1, where they will present details of the project. Over the course of the semester, you will work in teams of 4 or 5 interns to complete the project. Each day you will have a 30-minute meeting with a company representative to discuss your progress and next steps. At the end of semester, you will deliver a boardroom presentation to the host company.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are internships paid?

  Internships are generally paid. Under the Fair Work Act, an internship needs to be paid unless it is:
  - with a not-for-profit organisation,
  - a ‘vocational placement’ as defined in the Fair Work Act (2009) as a required and/or assessable part of your course.
  With paid internships, your employer normally provides insurance cover. The University will only provide insurance cover if the internship is an assessable part of your course.

• I've found a placement opportunity myself and am ready to apply. What do I need to do know?

  If you have secured your placement and agreed on your start and end dates, you are ready to apply. Before submitting your application, please ensure you have completed all required documents, some of which need to be completed and signed off by your host company supervisor.

  Please see the section above 'How to apply: Self-sourced internships'.

• Does my internship have to be within the teaching period of the semester?

  Yes, due to the assessments that are part of the subject, the nominated internship must take place within the chosen enrolment period. Any additional hours are acceptable if assessment is completed by the end of the selected enrolment period; however, this is subject to approval.

• How much does the subject cost?

  The cost of the Business and Economics Internships is a standard University subject fee.

  • Interstate/Regional/Overseas placements may also incur additional travel and/or accommodation fees and expenses
• How soon can I start my internship once enrolled into the subject?

  If your application is successful, at least five business days are required between enrolment and your internship start date, for timely completion of pre-placement modules.

• How will this subject be assessed?

  The subject will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. Please refer to the Handbook for assessment information.

• What is the time commitment?

  The estimated total time commitment is 170 hours, comprising:

  • workplace attendance: 90 hours
  • learning activities not related to assessment: 36 hours
  • assessment tasks: 44 hours
• I have previously completed an internship, can I claim credit for this?

  Commerce Internship is a for-credit university subject with associated assessment tasks. Internships that have been previously completed cannot be considered for credit or backdated.

  Students that are currently in an internship that would like to gain credit for CMCE20001 are required to demonstrate that they are undertaking activities that are substantially different from the previous tasks, in order to achieve a learning outcome. Students must also complete a minimum of 90 hours during the enrolment period. You can refer to the Intended Learning Outcomes in the handbook and address them as part of your placement proposal.

  Normally, a role within a workplace where you are currently employed as a part-time or full-time employee is not suitable, unless you can work on a particular project with defined learning outcomes during the enrolment period, or there is enough evidence that the placement is substantially different from your current role.

• Why can't I see a university-sourced opportunity on SONIA or Careers Online?

  Opportunities will only be visible on SONIA and Careers Online when the application period is open.

  Each opportunity has a maximum number of applications that can be submitted. Once an opportunity has reached this maximum, it will no longer appear for you to select in SONIA.

• Can exchange students apply?

  Unfortunately, exchange students cannot enrol in CMCE20001.

• Can I complete Commerce Internship at the same time as MGMT30017?

  As MGMT30017 Global Management Consulting is an intensive subject where students travel overseas, if your internship crosses over with the overseas travel component, it may not be possible to do both CMCE20001 and MGMT30017 at the same time.

  You can complete these subjects in different semesters.

• Do my self-sourced documents have to be submitted in English?

  Yes, your self-sourced documents need to be submitted in English. Please also submit your documents in their original language including any official company logos, seals or letterheads.