Frequently asked questions

Commonly asked internship questions

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• 1. What is an ‘internship’?

  An internship is a period of professional work experience involving a placement within an organisation in the industry associated with your course. The host organisation may be in the public, private, or community/not-for-profit sectors.

  As an undergraduate business student, you can choose to complete an internship through 26600 Business Internship (‘for credit’).

• 2. How do I enrol in the Business Internship Subject and am I even eligible?

  See the Handbook for requisite information and eligibility requirements.

  In order to enrol in the Business Internship Subject, you must also complete a series of preparation activities and submit relevant paperwork. See what's involved for enrolment steps.

• 3. What is the Internship criteria?

  If you intend to use your internship for 26600 Business Internship, you need to ensure it meets the following criteria:

  • The experience should provide you with opportunities for learning about business and/or managerial functions.
  • Internship needs to be 100 to 180 hours in duration and can be paid or unpaid.
  • Your host organisation/professional setting needs to be registered and approved on CareerHub.
  • The host organisation/professional setting needs to nominate a supervisor who will mentor you and provide feedback on your performance while at the internship.

• 4. What is the duration of an internship?

  As part of this subject’s requirements, you must complete an internship of between 100 to 180 hours with one organisation.

  An internship may be completed in a single block of time or spread over a longer period. How long you will have to complete these hours will be dependent on the host organisation’s requirements and your availability around your current work, study and personal commitments. For example, you might undertake your internship by attending Monday to Friday for four weeks or you might spend one day per week within a workplace over a period of 20 weeks.

  Workplace breaks (such as meal breaks) are not included in the calculation of total work hours.

• 5. When can I enrol in 26600 Business Internship and how long do I have to complete the internship and subject assessments?

  You can enrol in 26600 Business Internship after securing an internship and completing the required preparatory tasks. See what's involved in the enrolment steps.

  Once you submit the required paperwork and it is assessed, the Business Internships team will email you to confirm that your internship is valid and that you can enrol in the subject.

  There are six enrolment sessions (February, April, June, August, October and December) you can choose. Refer to the Short Session Calendar for session start dates.

  Please note: 

  • Applications will be accepted up to a week prior to the commencement date of your chosen session.
  • All sessions above are now open for application and subsequent enrolment.
  • Please ensure your internship commences after your enrolled session. Any hours completed prior will not be able to count towards the subject.
  • Only approved internships can be used for the subject.
  • You have six months from the start of your enrolled session to complete the internship and all subject requirements. You do not need to take this entire time to complete the subject and can opt to finish earlier if you are in the position to do so.

• 6. How do I source an internship and what is the CDPP?

  You are ultimately responsible for securing your own internship. However, it is important to note that there is a value and reason for this. In addition to the physical internship itself, going through the steps of sourcing your own internship strengthens:

  • your ability to identify and navigate employment job boards and relevant opportunities
  • your knowledge of how to apply for opportunities using professional application documents and techniques
  • your understanding of different organisational cultures and expectations.

  To assist you in building these skills and, in turn, helping you to find an internship, you are encouraged to complete the Career Design and Preparation Programme (CDPP).  The CDPP is one of the requisite tasks of being eligible to enrol in 26600 Business Internship. However, any UTS Business student can complete the program at any time during their studies.

  The Career Design and Preparation Programme can be found on your Canvas Community sites and covers the following topics:

  1. Introduction to Work Integrated Learning
  2. Career Design and Decision Making
  3. Writing Job Applications
  4. Interview Skills
  5. Set Learning Goals and Reflect on Experience
  6. Professional Workplace Conduct

• 7. I already found an internship. When can I start?

  You will need to wait until your session commences and you are given approval from our team. There is a series of preparation milestones that must be met first, before you are granted approval.

  No hours will be credited for work completed prior to this formal approval being granted. In other words, the commencement date for your internship as part of this subject cannot precede the university supervisor’s approval date.

• 8. As part of 26600 Business Internship, does the organisation I apply for and the internship itself need to have a direct correlation to my major?

  No, the organisation and internship itself does not need to be directly related to your major. You can choose to do a general business or management internship, so long as the internship itself offers you a genuine business learning experience.

• 9. Am I paid for the internship?

  Your internship may be either paid or unpaid. This is at the discretion of the host organisation.

  Students may count a regular job held while completing their course as an internship, provided the job is within the relevant industry and meets the requirements of exposure to management and/or professional functions.

  As with other types of internships, the commencement date for a paid internship can only occur after formal approval has been granted by your university supervisor.

• 10. Can I do unpaid work experience additional to the Business School internship subject(s)?

  If you choose to undertake additional unpaid work experience, (for example, you stay on with your host organisation after completion of the maximum 180 hours) you will not be covered by UTS insurance. There are limits on the extent to which UTS can sanction and support unpaid work placements outside course requirements due to the provisions of the Fair Work Act.

• 11. What will my host organisation or workplace supervisor be required to do?

  The host organisation will be required to:

  • Register on CareerHub. The ‘Register an Employer Guide’, available in the left-hand menu, provides step-by-step instructions on how to register.
  • Complete the Workplace Health and Safety Form, if not already completed.
  • If the position is unpaid, complete the Internship Agreement Form.

• 12. My host organisation has asked me if UTS will provide me with insurance for the duration of my internship. How do I obtain these insurance certificates?

  The UTS Business School supports structured work experience opportunities to give you practical experience that complements your academic studies and prepares you for the graduate workforce.

  Occasionally, students seek unpaid internships in order to develop degree-related skills. The Fair Work Act defines unpaid work arrangements, which are supported by the UTS Business School if completed for academic credit as part of your course.

  If your internship is paid, then you should be covered by the organisation's insurance policies. Please speak to your organisation about this.

• 13. Can I be credited for prior work experience?

  We do not provide credit recognition or exemptions for the internship subject.

• 14. What additional career-related support can I receive?

  The Career Design and Preparation Programme (CDPP) on Canvas is a fantastic resource for career and work integrated learning preparation. Students can find the CDPP in their Canvas Community sites.

  Students are also encouraged to contact businessinternships@uts.edu.au to arrange a meeting with the Internship and Career Support Coordinator, should they have any questions about the CDPP or preparing for undertaking an internship.

  The UTS Careers Service offers students additional support with resume writing, LinkedIn reviews, mock interviews, and career coaching. Students can access this support by visiting UTS Careers.

• 15. What if I have additional questions that haven’t been answered above?

  Feel free to email our team at businessinternships@uts.edu.au. Our response times vary depending on whether we are currently in a busy period (for example, at the start of a session). Usual response times are about one week for non-urgent enquiries.

  All correspondence should be sent from your UTS student email address only and must always include your student number and mobile number.