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.
On this page:
Companies we work with
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Safe Steps
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Vision Verse
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99aupairs
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Fresh To Go Foods
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Geckon
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QeeriAI
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Universal Biosensors
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Synqron
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Touch Green
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 (114 hours): Complete 4 units (50 credit points) and have 1 free elective.
- 25 credit internship (228 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
- 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 Information Technology
- Master of Data Science
- Master of Cyber Security.
- 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
Business information systems master degree internships
Internship units
- INF80005 Business Information Systems Internship Project (12.5 credit points)
Eligibility
- Complete at least 100 credit points of an approved degree:
- Master of Business Information Systems.
- Maintain a 60% average.
- 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
- 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.
Master's Internships intake dates Semester 2, 2025
- 5 May 2025: Project descriptions made available to all eligible students from this date
- 28 July 2025: Last day for industry to confirm master's internship student
- 4 August – 31 October 2025: Students complete internship during Semester 2
- 1 September 2025: Project descriptions made available to all eligible students
- 22 September – 12 Dec 2025: Pre-interviews for internships conducted
- 20 February 2026: Last day for students to submit documents for self-sourced internship
- Week commencing 22 Feb 2026: Last date to confirm internships position with industry
- 2 March – 31 March 2026: Students complete internships during Semester 1
Internship dates change annually.
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. To be selected for your internship, you may be required to do an interview with one of our industry partners.
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 master internship unit, depending on your unit study area.
While on an internship, 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.
