Internships and other opportunities

Why do it?

Getting out and seeing the world doesn’t have to mean stalling your study or postponing your career.

Internships, student-led placements, research and volunteering are a great way to put into practise what you’ve learnt during your degree. You might choose one of these opportunities over exchange because the units you want to study with one of our overseas partners aren’t offered when you want to go. Maybe you want to travel during the semester holidays, but also want something concrete to add to your CV.

The reason you choose to intern isn’t that important, but the benefits are. It’ll open you up to a world of networking opportunities (professional and personal), develop your employment and career prospects, and you might even be paid for the work you do.

Making the most of Monash’s established connections all over the world is a great way to start, but if your degree and career will benefit from a highly specialised and personalised program, we can help with that too – contact us about non-credit placement opportunities.

Internships

Monash Oxfam in South Africa student placement program

An internship with Oxfam in South Africa could see you working with community-based organisations to bring much needed help to local people. You might help raise awareness around HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, teach local kids literacy and numeracy skills, help increase access to potable water by building wells or assist human rights lawyers in Durban (for students of law).

Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Program (UCWIP)

Spend eight weeks in the offices of the United States Congress in Washington DC and you might find yourself working for Republican or Democratic offices, the House or the Senate – you might even bump into President Barack Obama.

As part of this internship you’ll attend hearings, press conferences and briefings at the US Department of State and Australian Embassy, and attend field trips to places like the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. It’s a great opportunity if you’re passionate about politics and government, and want to work within the offices of some of the most powerful people in the world.

AIESEC Monash

With over 60 years of experience in developing high-potential youth into globally minded responsible leaders, AIESEC is a global, non-political, independent, not-for-profit organisation run by students and recent graduates of institutions of higher education

AIESEC Monash was established in 1976 and has grown into a well-established and committed youth organisation, which offers life-changing exchange and leadership experiences to students from all faculties and disciplines of the University.

 

Student-led placements

Monash Motorsport

The Monash Motorsport Team is comprised of over 50 students, from a range of faculties across Monash University – all with a common goal: developing racing cars that compete with the best in the world.

The team has recently returned from a successful bout of overseas student motorsport competitions, coming third at the Formula Student UK (FSUK) and fourth in the Formula Student Germany (FSG) competition. Along with poll positions, they amass countless new skills and the experience of being able to apply their engineering abilities in a fast-paced, real-world environment.

Monash Association of Debaters

The Monash Association of Debaters (MAD) is the largest and most successful debating society in the Southern Hemisphere. MAD has a rich history spanning nearly 50 years, and they’re passionate about building on this legacy and entrenching their position as the most friendly and inclusive club at Monash.

Get involved with debating competitions with other Monash students, or represent Monash at the Intervarsity Competitions (in Melbourne, Sydney or at the Worlds). You could also contribute to the Monash Debating Review (MDR) – it’s the only international peer-reviewed debating journal, and routinely hosts high-quality academic writing on debating issues like gender bias in competitive high school debate, the politics of climate change, and the role of a whip speaker.

Research

Monash Undergraduate Research Projects Abroad (MURPA)

With MURPA, you can gain a unique summer placement in a leading research group overseas. You could spend your eight-week research placement working on research projects from Avian Flu Drug Discovery, to Spatial Visualisation for Urban Modelling.

MURPA also involves an advanced seminar scheme, which allows you to attend seminars given by world leading experts before you leave for your internship. Using a cutting edge HD interactive video link to the University of California, MURPA attracts some of the world's best researchers "virtually" to Monash – so you can "meet" potential mentors and get information about prospective projects.

Volunteering

Volunteering is part of the Monash Passport. You will learn to turn theory into action – to apply what you've learnt in your studies to the wider world. You might help new international students settle into life at Monash, work with developing communities to find solutions to their engineering problems, or provide free legal advice to the local community.

There are many volunteering opportunities all over the university – at every campus. Find out more about volunteering through Monash.