Placements and WIL


Work Based Learning (WBL)

The challenge of finding a job is something that all students face following graduation. Employers value students with pre-existing workplace experience, and those who can readily translate what they learnt at university to the professional world are far more attractive to employers.

We strongly recommend students consider undertaking a WIL subject during their course to gain career-ready experience, make valuable industry connections, and gain insight into the types of opportunities available after they graduate.

Eligibility criteria apply to enrolment into WIL subjects.

Work Placements undertaken for academic credit (sometimes referred to as Industry Based Learning, or Internships)

Practical work placements in a real industry setting are offered right across the University. In addition to discipline-specific subjects, we offer a multi-discipline subject, with preference being given to students who do not have a compulsory WBL subject as part of their course.

Core Placement Subjects

Some courses (e.g. Bachelor of Exercise Science) may have core placement subjects. These subjects are compulsory and students are required to complete an in-industry placement in order to gain professional accreditation.

Elective Placement Subjects

Many WBL subjects are elective, and therefore not compulsory. However, we strongly recommend that students consider undertaking a WIL subject during their course to gain real-life experience, make valuable industry connections, and gain some insight into the types of work available in their field after they graduate.

If you have elective space in your degree, you could consider an Industry Placement Elective Subject, allowing you to put theory into practice and develop professional skills in a working environment.

WBL Resources

Click on the links below to find out more about WIL subjects in each discipline area.

Advanced Biochemistry and Medical Biology Internship

female and male in labcoats and gloves examining test tub with red contents
Opportunity to gain experience in current techniques in molecular and medical cellular biology.

The Advanced Biochemistry and Medical Biology Internship is a practical based subject where students will gain experience in current techniques in molecular and medical cellular biology by completing a 10 week laboratory placement project.

To get information about this subject's objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the  relevant handbook entry.

Note: In order to be approved to participate in this program, students must gain coordinator approval, as well as meeting set academic pre-requisites. Please refer to the handbook link below for details.

Subject Offered: Melbourne (Bundoora)

Elective (3rd Year): MED3PRJ Advanced Biochemistry and Medical Biology Internship

Agricultural Science, Animal and Veterinary Biosciences

female smiling at camera holding white baby goat

Agricultural Sciences, and Animal and Veterinary Bioscience students undertake placements in a wide variety of settings. La Trobe University students have been offered placements in settings such as:

To get information about an individual subject's objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the subject specifics in the relevant handbook entry.

Agricultural Science

Subject Offered: Melbourne (Bundoora) / Albury-Wodonga

Elective (1st Year): AGR1WIL Work Integrated Learning Program

Animal and Veterinary Biosciences

Subject Offered: Melbourne (Bundoora) / Albury-Wodonga

Core Subject (1st Year): AGR1WIL Work Integrated Learning Program

Allied Health

2 allied health female students with young male in sling and young girl smiling and talking

Allied Health encompasses a broad range of disciplines such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Podiatry, Human Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. Many Allied Health courses also include a compulsory placement component, which must be completed in order to meet course and/or registration and professional accreditation requirements.

In addition to health placements in a clinical setting, Allied Health students may also participate in a Community Engagement Experience subject. Students in the Applied Science/Master of Physiotherapy Practice must enrol in this subject, with remaining places being offered to students from other Allied Health disciplines.

To get information e.g. objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the relevant handbook entry.

Allied Health WIL Subjects

Subject Offered: Melbourne (Bundoora) / Bendigo

Core Subject (Master of Physiotherapy), Elective Subject (all other Allied Health courses): ALH3CEE Community Engagement Experience

Arts courses

If you are studying an undergraduate Arts degree, you may be eligible to apply for the following subjects. Check the handbook for more details.

DisciplineSubject CodeSubject NameCampusStudy Period
All disciplinesLTU2PP1
LTU2PP2
LTU3PP3
LTU3PP4
Industry Placement MinorAll campusesLTU Term calendar. 
See subject links
for term offerings.
All disciplinesLTU3INDIndustry PlacementAll campusesSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
All disciplines LTU5INDIndustry PlacementAll campusesSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
CommunicationsSTC3SAAStrategic Communications Agency ABundooraSemester 1
CommunicationsSTC3SABStrategic Communications Agency BBundooraSemester 2
CommunicationsSTC3SACStrategic Communications Agency CBundooraSummer
Journalism; Sports Journalism;
PR and Media
MAC3INTProfessional InternshipBundooraAll year
PoliticsPOL3PCWProfessional Competence - Transition
to the Workplace
BundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
Legal StudiesLST3LWCLegal Studies Workplace CompetenceBundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Humanities and Social SciencesHUM5SIPAustralian Internships and PlacementsBendigo



Bundoora
Semester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Winter
Semester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Winter

Criminology – as of 2018 Criminology is now taught by the La Trobe Law School. Please see the Law School webpage for more details.

Business courses

If you are studying an undergraduate Business degree, you may be eligible to apply for the following subjects. Check the handbook for more details.

DisciplineSubject CodeSubject NameCampusStudy Period
All disciplinesLTU3INDIndustry PlacementAll campusesSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
AccountingACC3AWPAccounting Work PlacementAlbury-Wodonga; Bendigo; BundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
Term 1
Event Management / Tourism and Hospitality / Marketing and Management
Agribusiness
BUS3ELPExperiential Learning ProjectAll Victorian CampusesSemester 1 (Bundoora)
Semester 2 (All)
Sports ManagementMGT3SVMVolunteer ManagementBendigo; BundooraSemester 2
Sports ManagementMGT3SPRSports PracticumAlbury-Wodonga; Bendigo; BundooraAll semesters
BusinessBUS5WILBusiness Work PlacementCitySemester 2

Computer Science and IT

male student sitting in library looking at laptop with headphones in at desk

Computer Science and IT students at La Trobe are offered a variety of work placement experiences across a number of year levels. Placements are undertaken across a wide variety of industries from government, to non-government organisations, small and large companies, and local and international companies.

In the past, La Trobe University students have undertaken work placements with companies such as:

  • the Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution,
  • VickTrack
  • Centorrin Technologies
  • Bendigo Bank
  • The Lifesciences Computation Centre

Click to read more about work placement opportunities available to Computer Science and IT students.

To get information about an individual subject's objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the subject specifics in the relevant handbook entry.

Computer Science and IT

Subjects Offered: Melbourne (Bundoora) / Bendigo

Data Science, Maths and Statistics

male sitting on couch looking at laptop with virtual background of blue colours with equations written in white
Master of Data Science (STM5IPL)

This subject has been developed to allow students undertaking the Master of Data Science degrees to enhance their formal learning in a practical setting and to develop their understanding of the Australian workplace culture.

It also provides employers with the opportunity to access talented and motivated students to work on meaningful projects of organisational value. Students will undertake 2 days of placement per week over a 12 week period where they will plan, execute and evaluate an appropriate workplace project.

Subject Details:

  • Runs semester 1 (5 March - 1 June), semester 2 (30 July - 26 October) and summer 1 (5 November - 15 February)
  • Select entry subject requiring Subject Coordinator approval
  • Students will need to have completed their first year of Masters of Data Science
  • Students must submit an Expression of Interest and Resume
  • Pre-placement preparation workshop
  • Assessment: resume/cover letter, 2 x Project Reports, Reflective Report and Employer Evaluation

Placement Details:

  • 2 days of placement per week over 12 weeks
  • Streams: Big data and cloud computing, Bioinformatics and Analytical Science
  • Project based (primarily)
  • Timing – as per semester dates for semester 1, 2 and summer (5 Mar - 1 Jun / 30 Jul - 26 Oct / 5 Nov - 15 Feb)
  • Mix of self-sourced and university sourced placements
  • Placements are generally unpaid

Master of Data Science students are skilled in:

  • working with Big Data tools like Hadoop, Apache Spark, Hive and cloud computing
  • the use of Amazon Web Services
  • Java and Scala programming
  • Cleaning and transforming data at a large scale
  • Data visualisation
  • Using statistical software packages to model data arising from complex study designs
  • Applying advanced statistical techniques to modern problems

Additionally, students in specialized streams have acquired the following skills:

  • Data and Cloud Computing
    • Data mining
    • Predictive analytics
    • Web development
  • Analytical Science
    • Model longitudinal and other forms of repeated measures data prevalent in modern applications
    • Combine evidence from several studies to increase power and make new discoveries
    • Reproduce, critique and validate complicated statistical analyses in a variety of contexts
  • Bioinformatics
    • Differential expression analysis using either next-gen sequencing based or microarray data
    • Cluster analysis and dimensional reduction of large omics data
    • Pathway analysis of omics data
    • Statistical analysis of omics data from public repository
    • Basic analysis of single-cell omics data
    • Sample size and study power calculations

Placement projects could include:

  • Analysis and cleaning of Big Data
  • Predictive analytics; to train a model and make various predictions on test data
  • Produce reports from aggregated quantities of interest from large data sets
  • Dimension reduction and visualisation of high-dimension data
  • The effect of model violations on the analysis of repeated measures
  • Projects that use omics data to identify transcripts, genes or pathways involved in onset and progression of diseases
  • Identification of novel biomarkers for better-targeted early intervention or better drug-response
  • Single-cell omics data analysis

To find out more, please contact:

Contact Name Email Address
Students Peter van der Kamp, Subject Coordinator

P.vanderKamp@latrobe.edu.au

Employers

Placements team

SHEWorkIntegratedLearning@latrobe.edu.au

Student Information Session

Information sessions for this subject cover key steps on how to source internship opportunities within your industry. We encourage all students who are interested in the subject STM5IPL to attend an information session as it will equip you with valuable insider information which can also be applied to your job search strategies.

Dates for Semester 2 and Summer Semester information sessions to be confirmed, watch this space!

Education courses

If you are studying an undergraduate Education degree, you may be eligible to apply for EDU1DLC: Diverse learning communities, which incorporates a project component.

Core placement subjects

The College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce (ASSC) Placement Operations team organises professional experience placements for education students who have mandatory placement components in their course. The placements provide the opportunity for you to work in a supportive educational setting, integrating theory with practice, and developing the skills and experience you will need as a teacher once you have graduated.

See Education placements for details of those placement subjects.

Engineering

2 males in reflective vests smiling at camera standing in front of military camouflage vehicle
Engineering at La Trobe University

Engineering students at La Trobe University are given the opportunity to complete a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement in their 4th year of study for the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), a professional qualification accredited by Engineers Australia.

Students are expected to carry out engineering work as if employed by the company for six months. The student’s work is expected to be a contribution to productivity or the company’s strategic goals.

La Trobe University students have worked with a number of high profile organisations including:

  • the German Aerospace Center (DLR)
  • Fraunhofer Society
  • BMW
  • Thales Group
  • Melbourne Water

Read more about La Trobe University's Engineering WIL program here. (PDF 3.27MB, 2018 edition)

To get information about an individual subject's objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the subject specifics in the relevant handbook entry.

Subjects Offered

Bundoora / Bendigo

Elective (4th Year): EMS4WIL Work Integrated Learning

Elective (4th Year): EMS4WEX Work Integrated Learning Extension

Exercise Science

in males in la trobe gym, one spotting the other doing bench press

Exercise Science is available to students in the Melbourne campus through the School of Allied Health, and in Bendigo as part of La Trobe Rural Health School.

Click to read more about Exercise Science at La Trobe University.

Students in this discipline aim to become experts in sport and exercise science, with an emphasis on community wellness. La Trobe University students undertake placements in a variety of different settings including:

  • community Health settings
  • corporate health and wellness
  • developing and monitoring exercise programs
  • sport injury prevention

La Trobe University has had a partnership with the ERA (Exercise Research Australia) since 2016. In this period more than 60 La Trobe University (LTU) Exercise Science students have undertaken the ERA program. In 2018, LTU and the ERA hope to extend this to more than 80 students.

Listen to students talk about their placement experience

To find out more about an individual subject's objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the subject specifics in the relevant handbook entry.

Exercise Science Subjects

Subjects Offered: Melbourne (Bundoora) / Bendigo

Core Subject (Exercise Science): EXS2AES Applied Exercise Science

Core Subject (Exercise Science): EXS3EPP Exercise Programming And Prescription For People With Special Considerations

La Trobe Sport Intern Diaries

La Trobe University students undertake internship opportunities in a variety of settings. Read about their stories here!

Find out more about our health placements.

Law and Criminology Placements

Double degree law students may be eligible to apply for WIL subjects available for Arts and Business students. Check the handbook for more details.

DisciplineSubject CodeSubject NameCampusStudy Period
All disciplinesLTU3INDIndustry PlacementAll campusesSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
CriminologyLCR3INTCriminology InternshipBendigo & BundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Winter
LawLAW2PLPPublic Interest Law PracticeBendigo; BundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
LawLAW3ELREmployment and Labor Relations LawBundooraSemester 2
LawLAW4INBLaw Internship BBendigo & BundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Winter
LawLAW4INTLegal Internship Bendigo & BundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Winter
LawLAW4LPPLegal Practice and Conduct: Clinical PlacementBundooraSemester 1
Semester 2
LawLAW5INBLaw Internship BCitySemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Winter
LawLAW5INTLegal Internship CitySemester 1
Semester 2
Summer
Winter

Psychology

three females sitting in chairs, two taking notes as talking

Students undertaking this subject complete their work placement with the Department of Health and Human Services. In order to enrol in this subject, students must have been offered a placement by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Documentation: In order to participate in this subject must hold a valid Working With Children Check card, a current Police Check Certificate, and where indicated, a current and valid drivers license.

To get information about an individual subject's objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the subject specifics in the relevant handbook entry.

Psychology

Subject offered in Melbourne / Bendigo / Albury-Wodonga

Recommended Elective: PSY3PFP Psychology Field Placement

Alternative Option: Entry into this subject is limited to a set number of students, however students who are not offered a placement for this subject are encouraged to consider the cross-discipline subject "Future Ready for Work" as a possible alternative.

Find out more about our health placements.

Public Health

students sitting around table with laptops and notepads, talking and working collaboratively

Work placement opportunities are offered to Public Health students as a 3rd year undergraduate elective. Placements take place in a variety of public health settings such as:

  • community centres,
  • city councils
  • primary health networks
  • non-government organisations
  • hospitals

Public Health courses at La Trobe University.

To get information about an individual subject's objectives, requirements and study options, please click on the link below to access the subject specifics in the relevant handbook entry.

Public Health

Subjects Offered in Melbourne (Bundoora):

Recommended Elective: PH3FPI Field Placement Induction (placement preparation on campus)

Core Subject: PHE3PFP Participatory Field Placement (work placement in the field)

Subject offered in Bendigo:

Core Subject: PHE3FEB Field Experience (work placement in the field)

Find out more about our health placements.

Industry Project Opportunities and Study Tours

In addition to practical work placement subjects, we offer students the opportunity to participate in other work related experiences including industry projects and study tours. Click on the discipline area below to find out more information about project based work integrated learning opportunities.

Current opportunities

There are currently no university-wide projects/challenges available.