Placements and WIL

Need help with your placement? Contact us via the Work Based Learning (WBL) Placements Enquiry Form.
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.
WBL Resources
- For industry partners and WBL placement hosts: Host Guide
- For WBL placement students: Student Guide
- La Trobe University insurance information for students
Click on the links below to find out more about WIL subjects in each discipline area.
Advanced Biochemistry and Medical Biology Internship
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
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:
- Australia Zoo (yes, THE Australia Zoo)
- Conservation Volunteers Australia
- RSPCA
- Pets Haven Foundation
- South East Animal Hospital
- Meredith Dairy
- The Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre
- This short video shows the placement experience of some students at MDFRC
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
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.
Discipline | Subject Code | Subject Name | Campus | Study Period |
---|---|---|---|---|
All disciplines | LTU3IND | Industry Placement | All campuses | Semester 1; Semester 2; Summer |
All disciplines | LTU5IND | Industry Placement | All campuses | Semester 1; Semester 2; Summer |
Communications | STC3SAA | Strategic Communications Agency A | Bundoora | Semester 1 |
Communications | STC3SAB | Strategic Communications Agency B | Bundoora | Semester 2 |
Communications | STC3SAC | Strategic Communications Agency C | Bundoora | Summer |
Journalism; Sports Journalism; PR and Media | MAC3INT | Professional Internship | Bundoora | All year |
Politics | POL3PCW | Professional Competence - Transition to the Workplace | Bundoora | Semester 1; Semester 2 |
Legal Studies | LST3LWC | Legal Studies Workplace Competence | Bundoora | Semester 1; Semester 2; Summer |
Humanities and Social Sciences | HUM5SIP | Australian Internships and Placements | Bendigo 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.
Discipline | Subject Code | Subject Name | Campus | Study Period |
---|---|---|---|---|
All disciplines | LTU3IND | Industry Placement | All campuses | Semester 1; Semester 2; Summer |
Accounting | ACC3AWP | Accounting Work Placement | Albury-Wodonga; Bendigo; Bundoora | Semester 1; Semester 2; Term 1 |
Event Management / Tourism and Hospitality / Marketing and Management Agribusiness | BUS3ELP | Experiential Learning Project | All Victorian Campuses | Semester 1 (Bundoora); Semester 2 (All) |
Sports Management | MGT3SVM | Volunteer Management | Bendigo; Bundoora | Semester 2 |
Sports Management | MGT3SPR | Sports Practicum | Albury-Wodonga; Bendigo; Bundoora | All semesters |
Business | BUS5WIL | Business Work Placement | City | Semester 2 |
Computer Science and IT
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
- Elective (3rd Year - Bendigo): CSE3IBA Industry Based Learning
- Elective (3rd Year - Bendigo): CSE3IBB Industry Based Learning B
- Elective (3rd Year - Melbourne): CSE3ILA Industry Based Learning A
- Elective (3rd Year - Melbourne): CSE3ILB Industry Based Learning B
- Elective (5th Year / 1st year Masters - Melbourne): CSE5IBL Industry Based Learning
Data Science, Maths and Statistics
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
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
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.
Discipline | Subject Code | Subject Name | Campus | Study Period |
---|---|---|---|---|
All disciplines | LTU3IND | Industry Placement | All campuses | Semester 1 Semester 2 Summer |
Criminology | LCR3INT | Criminology Internship | Bendigo & Bundoora | Semester 1 Semester 2 Summer Winter |
Law | LAW2PLP | Public Interest Law Practice | Bendigo; Bundoora | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
Law | LAW3ELR | Employment and Labor Relations Law | Bundoora | Semester 2 |
Law | LAW4INB | Law Internship B | Bendigo & Bundoora | Semester 1 Semester 2 Summer Winter |
Law | LAW4INT | Legal Internship | Bendigo & Bundoora | Semester 1 Semester 2 Summer Winter |
Law | LAW4LPP | Legal Practice and Conduct: Clinical Placement | Bundoora | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
Law | LAW5INB | Law Internship B | City | Semester 1 Semester 2 Summer Winter |
Law | LAW5INT | Legal Internship | City | Semester 1 Semester 2 Summer Winter |
Psychology
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
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.