University-sourced internships

How to access internships sourced through the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning.

Internship is 25-point subject providing you the opportunity to find and secure your own 4–20 week internship (total 340 hours - 160 hours in industry placement and 180 hours of your individual work) for academic credit toward your degree.

Each semester a large number of internship opportunities have been secured by the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning for the ABPL90434 Construction Management Internship subject. These internships are advertised on the Internships and Vocational Placements page. Students who meet the eligibility criteria for the subject will be invited to access the portal and apply for these opportunities.

The portal provides you with access to internship opportunities specifically for the ABPL90434 Construction Management Internship subject across a broad range of Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) organisations.

  • Eligibility

    Please refer to the Handbook for eligibility of the subject.

    If you are unsure of your course requirements or elective credits, you should book a course advice appointment.

  • Plan to succeed

    Students who prepare effectively for the internship subject are more likely to succeed in securing an opportunity. Most opportunities listed on the Internships and Vocational Placements page require you to address key selection criteria via a cover letter and provide your resume. Each time you submit an application for an internship, you will be expected to update your application documents to reflect your suitability for the position.

    There are two key areas in which you should focus your preparation:

    1. Create or update your application documents

      Internship employers will be interested in the skills and experiences you have gained so far. These experiences will be conveyed via your application documents. To ensure you are able to put an effective application forward, consider if you need to add to your resume by:

      • Undertaking some volunteer work
      • Working in a part time or casual role
      • Joining and contributing to a professional association
      • Getting active in your professional student club
      • Brushing up on skills in demand in your industry
      • Practising your written and spoken communication skills
      • Keeping up to date with developments in your industry

      Set up a plan a semester prior to when you expect to undertake your internship and upskill in areas where you have gaps.

    2. Prepare for interviews

      After applying for an internship on you will be notified if your application(s) has been shortlisted or if you have been unsuccessful. If your application is shortlisted, your application documents will be forwarded to the host organisation and you may be invited to an interview for the internship. A range of career orientated and professional skill workshops are advertised on Careers Online which you are encouraged to attend prior to an interview. Before your interview you should also undertake the following:

      • Study the organisations website or look for articles about the organisation in the media.
      • Re-read your application.
      • Download: Review the most common interview questions (PDF)
      • Review the selection criteria and ensure you can provide interesting examples to demonstrate the skills that are listed.
      • Prepare some questions for your interviewer to ask at the conclusion of the interview.

      Students who are not shortlisted are welcome to apply for alternative opportunities or source their own opportunity for the program.

  • Resources

    Utilise resources accessible to you whilst you are a student to gain a competitive edge in your approach:

    Familiarise yourself with the Information for Hosts and provide it to potential supervisors as an information source.

  • Find opportunities

    You are able to apply for multiple positions on the Internships and Vocational Placements page, however once you have secured an opportunity and verbally accepted, no further applications will be considered.

    Opportunities will be listed on the Internships and Vocational Placements page a semester prior to your enrolment into the subject (refer to Key dates below). If you are eligible, you will be sent an email that will invite you to attend an information session about the subject, provide you access to the portal and allow you to apply for the advertised internships.

    Internships will indicate which degrees are eligible to apply as each opportunity will align to specific disciplines of study. You can only apply for opportunities that list your degree as eligible. Alternatively you can source your own opportunity for the program.

    Note: Log in via this link first – EmployMe – and then you will be able to access the links above.

    Ensure you attend relevant sessions advertised on Careers Online and your plan of studies calendar throughout the semester to assist with your outreach strategies.

  • Submit your application

    Once you have successfully secured an internship you will need to submit your application to abp-internship@unimelb.edu.au with the following information:

    1. Note the following requirements for the internship:
      • The work you are undertaking on a day-to-day basis must compliment your degree.
      • Host organisations need to nominate a formal working environment where the student will work throughout the internship.
      • During your internship you need to be supervised by a staff member from within your organisation who is a technical expert in the area of the project (depending on the position) who can provide the you with technical support in your work.
    2. A position description that identifies what you are doing within the role, your duties and responsibilities. This needs to outline what skills required for the role including the name of the company.
    3. The number of hours per week (a minimum of 20 days of industry placement is required to fulfil the 160 hours of placement requirement).
    4. Start date and end date of the placement (160 hours must be undertaken within 4–16 weeks inside Semester 1, 2 and Summer time frames).
    5. Your supervisors contact details, including email and phone.
    6. The address where you will be based for the majority of the placement.
    7. Confirm if the placement is paid or unpaid.
    8. Your student ID, degree and major.
    9. Use your student email for all subject communications.
    10. Complete the CM Internship University-sourced Application form and submit your idea for the internship using the pre-proposal Guidelines.

    Collect the information above and submit your application to abp-internship@unimelb.edu.au.

  • Subject enrolment

    Enrolment will be permitted via email into Internship once the appropriate agreement has been returned by the host organisation (and yourself if appropriate). You will not be able to self-enrol into the subject until this time. The agreement will be managed by the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning (ABP). Once returned, you will be sent an approval email which will detail the steps you must undertake to submit an enrolment variation to Stop 1.

    To remain enrolled in the subject you must undertake OHS training and confirm your comprehension of the material. Information will be provided to you about this when your enrolment approval email is sent to you.

    For further details regarding subject requirements, refer to the subject Handbook entry.

  • Key dates

    The below provides you with an overview of the key dates for upcoming semesters. Please note that the internship commencement and conclusion dates will vary for each individual undertaking the subject dependant on their hours of work per week.

    Summer 2023
    DateActivity
    Mid July 2022 Students who are eligible for Summer University-sourced placements will admitted to the Internship subject
    August – November 2022 University-sourced positions will be advertised on the Portal
    Friday 19 November 2022 Deadline for students wishing to undertake a self-sourced opportunity to submit internship details for assessment for Internship. For more information, please see the self-sourced opportunity page.
    Late November 2022 Internships commence
    Mid–late February 2023 Internships conclude  
    Semester 1 2023
    DateActivity
    Mid-December 2022 Students who are eligible for Semester 1 University-sourced placements will admitted to the Internship subject.
    December 2022 – February 2023 University-sourced positions will be advertised on the Portal
    Friday 18 February 2023 Deadline for students wishing to undertake a self-sourced opportunity to submit internship details for assessment for Internship. For more information, see Self-sourced internships.
    Mid-late February 2023 Internships commence
    May – early June 2023 Internships conclude  
    Semester 2 2023
    DateActivity
    Early April 2023 Students who are eligible for Semester 2 University-sourced placements will admitted to the Internship subject
    April – July 2023 University-sourced positions will be advertised on the Portal
    Friday 15 July 2023 Deadline for students wishing to undertake a self-sourced opportunity to submit internship details for assessment for Internship. For more information, see Self-sourced internships.
    Mid–late July 2023 Internships commence
    Mid–late October 2023 Internships conclude


    The above does not include the assessments dates for the ABPL90434 Construction Management Internship Handbook entry for more information.

  • Information for international students only

    International students on student visas are limited to 20 hours per week for both paid/unpaid internships.

    All international students on student visas should ensure that they are compliant with the working hours limitations attached to your visa. ABPL90434 Construction Management Internship is an elective subject which may count towards your working hours, even if your internship is unpaid.

    For further information see the Department of Home Affairs website:

How to apply

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