Host an intern

Hosting a Deakin intern can bring a fresh perspective to your projects, while providing a student with practical and meaningful work experience in their chosen field. Interns are eager to learn and gain real-world experience to help them in their career journey. 

Our internship process is flexible to ensure it can suit almost any organisation, and cover part-time, full-time, unpaid and paid placements, both domestically and abroad.

Benefits of hosting an intern

Future talent

Contribute to the development of future industry professionals, building your own talent pipeline. 

New perspective

Benefit from new ideas, with students drawing on the latest knowledge and techniques.

Mentoring opportunities

Provide an opportunity for your team to gain mentorship and supervision experience. 

Supported process 

Our dedicated Work Integrated Learning (WIL) teams are here to support you every step of the way. 

How do internships work at Deakin?

Students at Deakin University have the opportunity to complete an internship for course credit. 

Internship start dates are flexible to work around your projects, but interns must complete a set number of hours (usually 100 to 160 hours). Students completing an approved internship and enrolled in a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) unit, are covered under Deakin’s insurance policies. 

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Hi, I'm Andrea from DeakinTALENT. One of the best things about my job is seeing the difference we can make when we connect the right person to the right organization. Recently, we visited Logan, who is an environmental engineering student who we placed at Barwon Asset Solutions as a project intern. I work with Suzanne, the project lead, to advertise the role and match her with Logan, who's now taking steps towards his dream career. I work in a team of highly skilled recruiters, and we'd be delighted to take the hassle out of hiring for you if you'd like to engage with one of our students or graduates. It's a simple three-step process. First, we chat with you about the role and who you're looking for. We then promote your opportunity to targeted students, ensuring we attract the right candidates. Finally, we screen each application on your behalf and provide you with a curated short list of candidates ready for interviews. It's all about finding the right fit for you while making the process as seamless as possible. We can't wait to work with you to find your team's next edition.
Deakin’s WIL teams can support internships in the following study areas:
    • Communication
    • Media
    • Film and Television
    • Design
    • Creative Arts
    • International Studies
    • Humanities
    • Languages
Please note that Teaching placements are managed by the vocational placements team.
    • Accounting and Finance
    • Information Systems
    • Business Analytics
    • Marketing
    • Management and Human Resources
    • Law
    • Public Health and Health Promotion
    • Health Sciences
    • Psychology
    • Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Please note clinical placements (i.e. Nursing, Medicine, Social Work, Optometry, Medical Imaging) are managed by the clinical placement teams.
    • Information Technology (IT)
    • Engineering
    • Architecture
    • Construction Management
    • Environmental Sciences

Frequently asked questions

Internships undertaken for course credit do not need to be paid. However, the student must be enrolled in a WIL unit and in most instances will be strictly limited to a maximum of 160 hours. If a student works beyond their approved internship hours, you may be liable to pay the student the appropriate wage if an ‘employment relationship’ is found to exist under the Fair Work Act (2009). Your organisation may also offer paid internships, which we strongly encourage. This will appeal to students who may need to take time away from their paid employment to be able to commit to your organisation.
We encourage organisations to consider their resources (such as supervision, equipment, physical space and project tasks) prior to recruiting multiple interns. The relevant WIL team may be in touch to discuss this with you before conducting any recruitment activities.
Students can complete their internship at an alternative location to the organisation’s main business premises (including working remotely from home). Details of the internship location must be included in the internship agreement documentation for risk management purposes.
Virtual (online/remote) internships are a great option for students who may face barriers accessing in-person opportunities (such as those with caring responsibilities, financial barriers or who are studying online). Virtual internships provide a valuable opportunity for students to gain industry experience that is an authentic reflection of the online work environment.
Deakin University provides insurance cover for students completing an internship experience approved by Deakin University. Insurance cover is provided under the following policies: General and Products Liability (including liability to Host Employers), Professional Indemnity, Personal Accident and International Travel. If an employment arrangement exists between your organisation and a student, you will be required to provide WorkCover insurance to the student. Visit Insurance for students on placements or work experience to learn more.
Once you have chosen a student to complete an internship at your organisation, an internship agreement will need to be completed and signed by both the student and a representative from your organisation. The student will then submit this to Deakin’s placement system for verification before they can officially commence their internship. Additional documentation may be required in some instances, but the student or relevant WIL team will advise you of this.
For an internship to be approved by Deakin, the student needs to be supervised by a professional in your organisation currently employed in a role related to the student's tasks. For example, an intern designing graphics and visuals for your organisation would need to be supervised by a professional whose primary role in your organisation is related to graphic design. Part of the internship experience is offering students access to feedback, guidance and mentoring from an experienced member of your team. If your organisation does not currently have an employee or department in the field related to the tasks the student is undertaking, Deakin won't be able to advertise your position as an internship. However, we can assist you with advertising your position as a paid casual/part-time employment opportunity. Learn more about employing Deakin students.

Interested? Contact us

Arts and Education: artsed-wil@deakin.edu.au
Business and Law: bl-wil@deakin.edu.au
Health: health-wil@deakin.edu.au
Science, Engineering and Built Environment: sebe-wil@deakin.edu.au