Business and Government Internships

You must be enrolled in an internship unit for an internship to count towards your degree. Depending on your individual degree and the appropriate unit undertaken, you may receive 3, 6 or 12 credit points. There is also a 3 credit point unit (unit code 12086) available for postgraduate students. The placement hours to be completed will depend on the internship unit in which you are enrolled. You must check your study plan to ensure that an internship unit meets the requirements for the course progression towards your degree.

If you are undertaking the Bachelor of Justice Studies SCB001 you must complete 12046 BGL Internship A or 12047 BGL Internship B to meet the requirements of your course.

There are prerequisite requirements for internship units that must be met prior to enrolment:

• For the 3 credit point UG internship units (12046 and 12047) you must have completed 24 credit points and have a grade point average (GPA) of 5 or above.
• For the 6 credit point UG internship (12048) you must have completed 48 credit points and have a GPA of 5 or above.
• For the 12 credit point UG internship (12049) you must have completed 48 credit points, have a GPA of 5.5 or above and be interviewed by the Unit Convenor.
• For the PG internship (12086) you must have completed 24 credit points.

In some circumstances, your grade point average can be lower, but your enrolment will need to be approved by the Unit Convenor.

You must check your study plan to ensure that an internship unit meets the requirements for the course progression towards your degree and that you meet the prerequisites for enrolment. Contact the BGL Student Support Team (BGLStudent@canberra.edu.au) if you need an updated study plan or further advice.

If you are unable to self-enrol into the unit you will need to complete a Unit Registration Form (URF) available through your MyUC or contact the BGL Internship Team at BGLWIL@canberra.edu.au. The URF and your internship will need to be approved by the Unit Convenor and you will then be able to submit the form to the Student Centre for further processing.

For the 6 and 12 credit point units, you must make a time to speak to the Unit Convenor to ensure that the project or tasks meet the learning outcomes for internships.

Your Unit Convenor and Careers UC source a range of opportunities with local organisations which are advertised on CareerHub, the university’s online careers notice board. Specific BGL internship opportunities can be viewed on this site here. You are also encouraged to find your own internship with an organisation of interest to your future career.

If you are completing an internship as part of a Bachelor of Laws (SCB101), you must be supervised by a legal practitioner or judicial officer.

Careers UC services are available to assist you with all aspects of sourcing and applying for internships. The best way to access this is via their daily drop-in sessions.

Yes, this is possible, but your placement must be approved by your Unit Convenor prior to enrolling in the internship unit.

The BGL Internship team are very happy to provide support to students considering and participating in internship opportunities.  This may include discussion and decision-making regarding opportunities, assistance with placement opportunities and building ‘real world’ experience.

Every student undertaking an internship placement will have a workplace supervisor who will provide support, guidance and clarification on the requirements and expectation within the host organisation’s work environment.

The BGL Internship team run workshops over the course of each term and semester, along with a pre-placement activity to ensure that you have the tools necessary to undertake your placement.  The workshops also provide opportunities for students to interact and connect with other students for social support.  A BGL team member will connect with your supervisor throughout your placement, providing additional support to you and your supervisor.

Yes, there is a Host Organisation (WIL) Agreement form (only required if your Host Organisation does not have a current agreement with the University) and an Internship Placement – Learning Agreement form.  Once you are enrolled, these forms are available on your unit UCLearn page or by contacting BGLWIL@canberra.edu.au. You are also required to complete InPlace prior to the commencement of your placement.

You are required to lodge the full details of your internship including your Learning Agreement into InPlace prior to the commencement of your placement. Your Unit Convenor will formally approve your placement and notify your host supervisor that you are ready to start your internship.

Each Internship Unit has an assessment criteria with assessment tasks that must be successfully completed to pass the unit.

An application for extension must be made to the Unit Convenor and each case will be considered individually. Due to the nature of the internship process and the availability of placements with Host Organisations there is a degree of flexibility applied when assessing extension requests.

The role and responsibilities will vary between organisations. This will depend on the skills and knowledge that you possess and the areas in which you would like to further develop.

The purpose of an internship is to provide you with an opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills in a practical setting. Therefore, an internship should encompass a project or defined tasks, rather than simply doing day-to-day administrative tasks. Being able to define what you will do during your internship will ensure that you get the most value out of it.

It is common for your Unit Convenor to visit your workplace at least once during your placement to meet you and your supervisor to discuss your progress.

With special permission from the Unit Convenor you can undertake your internship placement at your normal place of work. However, permission will only be granted if the internship is in a new section of your workplace and you are learning new skills and knowledge with a different supervisor to your regular job.

Generally, internships are unpaid, however, some organisations may offer paid opportunities, particularly for the longer 6 or 12 credit point units.

If you are undertaking an unpaid internship, you must be enrolled in an academic internship unit to meet relevant Fair Work legislation and have university insurance cover during your placement. If your placement is paid, you should still be enrolled to gain credit towards your degree, but insurance is covered by the organisation hiring you as a paid employee.

If you are unsure about any aspect of your internship, please contact your Unit Convenor or Careers UC.

This opportunity depends on the host organisation and if they have any positions that align with your skills available in their organisation. Many internship students have received an offer of employment after completing an internship however there is no requirement for the host organisation to provide an offer of employment upon completion of your internship.

• Learn new skills, develop your knowledge and gain experience in your chosen career.
• The opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge to the ‘real world’ work environment.
• Working in a diverse environment will increase your self-confidence, improve communication skills, develop team building skills and extend leadership skills.
• Provide networking opportunities with industry partners and likeminded people.