Engineering Internships

Engineering (all disciplines)

Our programs are designed to prepare you for graduate work environments and provide opportunities to apply newly acquired skills to real-life situations.

You will develop connections with prospective employers through a range of practical projects, internships and industry-led teaching.

All Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Master of Engineering students are required to complete an approved internship.

You must complete both your academic requirements and required period of internship to be eligible to graduate and obtain professional membership with Engineers Australia.

Requirements

Internships can be part-time or full-time. The number of weeks approved will be based on a 36.75-hour working week (for example: 8 weeks x 36.75 hours = 294 hours).

Public holidays, sickness and time off are taken into account when calculating the number of hours worked, and are deducted from the final number.

  • Required duration of internship

    Engineering program Internship weeks required Types of internship
    Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
    (2019 curriculum) *
    8 weeks (294 hours)
    Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
    (pre-2019 curriculum) *
    12 weeks (441 hours)
    Master of Engineering
    (2016 onwards)
    12 weeks (441 hours)
    Master of Engineering
    (pre-2016)
    0 weeks N/A

    Other postgraduate engineering programs:

    • Master of Biopharmaceutical Engineering
    • Master of Marine Engineering
    • Master of Materials Engineering
    • Master of Petroleum Engineering
    • Master of Petroleum Engineering Science
    • Master of Software Engineering
    0 weeks N/A

    * Students who commenced from 2019 but entered the university with credit/advanced standing must contact Ask SET to confirm which curriculum they are in and therefore how many weeks of internship they require.

  • Appropriate Engineering internships

    Engineering internships must be undertaken in an engineering environment, under a qualified engineer’s supervision (someone eligible for Engineers Australia corporate membership).

    To get the most out of your internship, you should ideally be exposed to a range of engineering activities that fall into the following categories:

    • project management planning and analysis
    • design, modelling, drafting, prototyping, installation and testing
    • operations and maintenance
    • testing or repair of engineering works, facilities, equipment or software
  • Appropriate General internships

    General internship opportunities must expose you to an organisation that may provide an opportunity to develop leadership skills. While some areas of work are not appropriate for engineering experience, they may be suitable for general experience if the practical skills learnt can be easily transferred to an engineering-related work environment.

    Examples of suitable internships include:

    • tradesperson assistance (e.g. plumber, electrician, mechanic)
    • data processing
    • administrative or secretarial work in an office environment
    • supervisory roles

    Examples of unsuitable internships include:

    • shop assistant, bar, hotel or restaurant work (non-supervisory)
    • supermarket night-fill
    • delivery or courier work
  • Can I complete an internship with a business owned by a close family member?

    Internships conducted with a business owned by a close family member is not acceptable. It does not challenge students to source positions themselves, and may create a potential conflict of interest when authenticating the student's internship experience.

Preparing for internships in CareerHub

The Internship Management System is a self-paced system designed to develop and enhance your knowledge and skills in the following areas:

  • sourcing internship opportunities
  • applying for internships
  • commencing an internship
  • writing reports and reflective journals

The Internship Management System is not mandatory to complete in order to undertake an internship. However we do strongly advise you complete the steps to help you prepare. 

  • How to get started

    To get started log into the Internship Management System in CareerHub and complete the five self-paced stages:

    • Skills Training
    • Professional Development Training
    • Finding Opportunities
    • Preparing for your First Day
    • Reflective Writing.

    Each stage has a compulsory element that will need to be completed before moving on to the next. The self-paced system allows you to go back to review each stage as many times as you like, so you can complete them in your own time and also use them as a source of reference.

    It is recommended that you begin the Skills Training and Professional Development Training stages whilst in your first year of study.

Finding an internship

It’s ultimately your responsibility to self-source your internship experiences. Taking on this task allows you to develop and practise the skills you’ll need when searching for graduate employment.

We advise that you begin researching where you would like to undertake your internship early on in your degree. There are many resources to help you find and learn how to apply for opportunities.

  • Using CareerHub to find an internship

    Managed by the University’s Career Services, our online CareerHub enables you to search for paid and unpaid internships, graduate and full-time opportunities, as well as volunteer positions that may count towards your degree's internship requirements.

    CareerHub also houses many events such as employer presentations, which provides you with valuable opportunities to meet company representatives on campus.

    We strongly encourage all students to register with CareerHub to gain access to the University database of internships and other opportunities.


    How do I join CareerHub?

    Use your Student ID and password to register for CareerHub.

    You can also subscribe to receive notifications and updates regarding when employers will be on campus, and opportunities that suit you become available.

  • Other internship sources

    All approved internship opportunities will be promoted on CareerHub.

    We also promote opportunities for local and overseas placements in our faculty news. Make sure you bookmark this page and check back often as new opportunities are posted regularly.

  • Flagship projects

    Flagship projects are strongly multidisciplinary, bringing together academics and students across schools and faculties, with participation from industry.

    They deal with real-life problems, current technologies and practices, and challenge your learning experience beyond your program.

    Placements are available all year round to suit your study timetable.

  • Engineers Australia: EA Connect

    EA Connect is a free service for student and graduate members of Engineers Australia. It promotes internship opportunities suitable for all training levels in one secure and exclusive location. Search by location and engineering discipline to find the right match for you. Opportunities are constantly updated, so be sure to check back regularly.

    If you're already a member, log in and view the latest opportunities. Alternatively, sign up for free membership using the student online application system. As soon as your application is processed you'll be able to log in to EA Connect. Plus, you can browse the member site to access a range of information and resources to help guide your career.

  • Can I get an introduction letter to present to a potential host organisation?

    The faculty can provide an introduction letter, which may be presented to a potential host organisation when seeking an internship. The letter will confirm that you are a student of the University seeking an opportunity to fulfil the requirement as part of your degree.

    If you require a letter, you can request it from Ask SET.

  • Can I use previous work experience to meet the internship requirements of my degree?

    Yes, you are able to utilise previous experience towards the internship requirements of your degree if the previous experience meets the requirements as listed above. You will still need to register your internship in SONIA Online in order to have it considered, please see information regarding the registration process below.

Register your internship in SONIA Online

The University of Adelaide requires you to register your internship to ensure it complies with the internship requirements for your degree and to organise an agreement between yourself, the University and the host organisation.

Please note: students that have previously completed an internship but have not had their internship assessed are still required to register their internship in SONIA Online, please refer to the How to use SONIA Online section below.

  • Why do I have to register my internship in SONIA Online?

    Registering your internship helps protect you as a student and has a number of benefits including:

    • ensuring that your internship is pre-approved before undertaking the internship – this means you can be assured that your internship meets the internship requirements before beginning
    • enabling the faculty to keep track of when and where a student is on internship – this allows check-ins to be completed and important information to be communicated if required
    • providing legal documents for each internship including insurance cover and an internship agreement between the student, host organisation and the University
    • providing a mechanism to receive valuable feedback from the host organisation.
  • How to use SONIA Online

    Once you have completed the Internship Management System stages in CareerHub and have an internship that needs to be registered, you can begin the process of formally submitting your internship for approval through SONIA Online.

    All information on how to submit a potential internship for approval and to complete the required forms can be found in the SONIA Online Student Guide.

    You are required to repeat these steps in the SONIA Online system until you have completed the total required hours to satisfy the internship requirements of your program (see the Requirements section above).

During your internship

We will periodically check in with you over the course of your internship, with communications sent near the beginning, middle and end of your internship (depending on duration).

If during your internship you have any questions or concerns, contact the Ask SET team. They’ll either help you themselves, or refer you to the appropriate support service as required.

  • Unfair treatment, bullying and harassment

    Ensuring your safety and wellbeing is of paramount concern for both the faculty and University.

    If you’re subjected to behaviour or placed in a situation that causes distress, the host company should provide avenues to address your concerns. This can range from mediation to immediate removal from the situation.

    Regardless, please contact the Ask SET team immediately to report or discuss. 

    You can contact us confidentially via email, phone or in person. The University provides several avenues of support, and we’ll work with you to determine the most appropriate.

Assessment

Once you have completed all your required internship weeks/hours, you are required to submit an assessment via the Engineering Internship Course.

Engineering Internship Course


Further information

If you would like more information about internships or your question hasn’t been answered here, please contact AskSET.

Contact us Current opportunities