Internship Information for Hosts

Internships are workplace placement opportunities provided by organisations to students for a prescribed period of time.

Students from all disciplines are encouraged to participate in internships that have the flexibility to adapt to student study commitments.

Why host a student?

Providing an internship opportunity to one of our students offers several benefits to your company.

Hosting an intern:

  • allows you to play a role in creating graduates with work-ready skills
  • enables access to students who contribute new ideas and bring the latest theories and techniques to your organisation
  • is an opportunity to complete outstanding projects
  • provides an insight into how future graduates fit within your organisation
  • can be the beginning of an ongoing professional relationship with the faculty and wider University.

Register to host an intern 

Our students are work-ready

The University of Adelaide provides a supportive environment for students to understand their professional commitments and expected behaviours before commencing a placement.

Our students complete a series of online pre-internship modules prior to signing a Student Internship Agreement.

Before commencing their placement, students are briefed in regard to their intellectual property rights, expectations around confidentiality and professional conduct, as well as their Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing responsibilities.

What's in it for students?

Of mutual benefit to the student, an internship experience that exposes a student to a positive and constructive workplace environment allows them to:

  • intern amongst highly skilled professionals
  • enhance their problem solving skills
  • work with strong industry mentors
  • develop their critical thinking skills
  • work effectively in teams
  • understand their passions and establish their preferred career path
  • understand their own capabilities
  • develop a set of professional competencies required by an accrediting body such as Engineers Australia, iChemE, Australian Computer Society (ACS), Australian Mathematical Society (Aust MS), Planning Institute of Australia (PIA)Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) or Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA).

Ready to host an intern?

We want each and every one of our students to have a positive internship experience.

  • What to expect

    An internship is more than ‘work experience’ for the student. It is professional and personal development designed to enhance the student’s academic studies and employability. 

    • A student or group of students will attend your workplace for approximately 20 days (between 120-140 hours, which is equivalent to about two days per week over a university semester).
    • You will have the opportunity to negotiate the exact days and times with your student/s.
    • Students should be supervised and mentored by an appropriate supervisor, who is regularly available to provide guidance and feedback on the learning objectives agreed to at the beginning of the internship.
    • The student/s undertakes a workload of relevant and meaningful tasks for the full period - ideally equivalent to a graduate level position.
    • The organisation provides facilities appropriate to the role, such as desk, computer etc. 
    • The supervisor completes a final report on the student’s performance.
    • Internships can be paid or unpaid.
    • Students are covered by University insurance in most cases, however we do require our hosts to also have public liability insurance of at least $10M.
  • Your responsibilities as host

    At a minimum we ask that you:

    • provide supervision by a suitably qualified person within an organisation consisting of more than 5 employees. (Note engineering students must be supervised by an accredited Engineer)
    • provide relevant tasks and activities appropriate to the student’s level of skill and competency, for the duration of the internship
    • provide the student with guidance and advice both verbally and in formal regular feedback sessions throughout the internship
    • provide a safe and supportive working environment that enables students to develop their knowledge and employability skills
    • provide the student with access to facilities and equipment appropriate to their role and responsibilities (for example, a desk and computer)
    • provide the student with an orientation at the start of the internship/complete a host feedback form at the end of the internship
    • maintain adequate Public Liability insurance for the duration of the internship and provide a copy of the insurance certificate of currency
    • host your intern according to the following legislation:
      • Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)
      • Fair Work Act 1994 (SA)
      • Equal opportunity laws relevant to South Australia
      • Privacy Act 1998 (Cth)
      • WHS Act – Sections 19, 20 and 21, and WHS Regulations – Chapter 3 which requires hosts to:
        • provide and maintain a safe working environment
        • provide safe systems (methods) of work e.g. procedures
        • provide safe plant, equipment and substances
        • provide information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure safety in an understandable language and form (including WHS policies and procedures)
        • manage hazards and provide information on any safety control measures including any personal protective equipment
        • consult workers and their representatives about WHS issues.
  • Points to consider

    Before committing to hosting a student intern, please carefully consider:

    • What time of year? Is the internship during semester or during the break?
    • Full-time or part-time? Full-time is based on a 35 hour week from 9am to 5pm. A part-time commitment during semester is a maximum of 14 hours for a student who is enrolled full-time.
    • What is the area of interest? What do I and the business want to achieve during an internship?
    • What level of capability should the student have? Both undergraduate and postgraduate students can participate in internships. Encouraging students to undertake placement towards the end of their studies enables them to apply their academic learning and knowledge in the workplace.
    • Is it paid or unpaid? All students signing a University Student Internship Agreement participate in unpaid internships in keeping with the Fair Work Act. However, a small allowance may be paid to the student for incidental costs (travel/lunch/clothing) incurred during the internship. Note: students engaging in a paid internship fall under an employment contract. Further information regarding average entry level salaries in Australi can be found on the PayScale website.

    In regard to payment, we recommend stipends are paid in (one or a few) instalments only since its not intended to be a wage. Please refer to the Student Internship Agreement for available payment methods, noting the payment options are only applicable to full-time students. Part-time students may contact their School for advice regarding stipend payments.  Please refer to the below table as a guide to possible stipend amounts. These figures are broadly based as a percentage of an entry level annual salary of $65K and flexibility may be applied depending on the student’s need.

    Stipend use Weekly stipend rate
    Local travel, meals $250 - $375
    Local travel, meals, incidentals, general living expenses $375 - $500
    Local or interstate travel, meals, incidentals, general living expenses, IT equipment $500 - $690
    Local or interstate travel, meals, incidentals, general living expenses, IT equipment, protective clothing or equipment (PPE) $690 - $865
  • Timing

    All students are advised to undertake a placement in the penultimate or final year of their program of study. It is common for students to take up internship opportunities during the summer break and a variety of options are available during the semester breaks throughout the year. 

    Our systems allow great flexibility, enabling our students to go on internship at any time throughout the year, for a period of time that best suits both the student and the host. We are also conscious of ensuring students balance their study obligations with their placement commitments, so ideally:

    Engineering internships

    Best undertaken during formal University holidays:

    • late April, July or late September
    • 4-5 weeks during July
    • summer holidays from December to mid-February

    Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science internships

    Part-time internships can take place 2 days per week in an organisation over 10-12 weeks during semester:

    • Semester 1 (February - June)
    • Semester 2 (July - November)

    Alternatively, during the formal University holidays:

    • 2 weeks in late April or late September
    • 4-5 weeks during July
    • summer holidays from December to mid-February
    Architecture and Built Environment internships

    Part-time internships can take place 2 days per week in an organisation over 10-12 weeks during Semester 2 (July - November).

    Alternatively, some students have negotiated internships during the formal University holidays:

    • 2 weeks in late April or late September
    • 4-5 weeks during July
    • summer holidays from December to mid-February

    Arrangements are dependent on the requirements of the organisation and the availability of the student. 

There are two possibilities when you are ready to commit to hosting an intern. Either you have already found your student and are ready to sign a Student Internship Agreement (internship agreement example), or you need to advertise an internship opportunity to find the right student.

  • Advertise an opportunity

  • Student internship agreement

    If you have already been approached by a student and found a student you would like to offer an internship opportunity to, you are ready to complete a Student Internship Agreement (SIA). The terms of our Agreement covers items in the ‘Your responsibilities as host’ section and also asks you to consider things like IP and confidentiality arrangements. 

    The SIA is initiated by the Student as an electronic Agreement, so we ask that you refer to our template agreement in the first instance to familiarise yourself with the content and clauses, noting we have indicated the University’s default position with regard to IP and Confidentiality. If you would like to select any of the other options, you will have a chance to do that when you complete the electronic Agreement. 

    If you wish to talk through some of the terms prior to signing the Agreement, please contact the student who can help you liaise with a Faculty Administrator if needed. 

    Follow the steps to initiate a Student Internship Agreement:

    1. Read the host responsibilities section
    2. Refer to the points to consider section
    3. Refer to the Student Internship Agreement template
    4. Consider your options and details for sections 4 to 8 in the Agreement
    5. Source your insurance certificate for uploading with the electronic Agreement
    6. Email your student to prompt them to initiate the electronic Student Internship Agreement.
  • Industry project opportunities

    Alternatively, you may want to engage with an appropriate academic to have a technical conversation about a project you have in mind that could involve working with our students.

    Contact askecms@adelaide.edu.au to connect you with the right person and arrange a meeting.

The School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences has developed strong partnerships with industry through research and engagement in student placements.

The school is seeking new industry partnerships to provide placement opportunity across our five programs.

Hosting a student placement


What's next?