Creative industries placements and internships

Internships consist of students working on-site as part of an organisation for a minimum of 80 hours. Internships are generally unpaid and are formally assessed. A project is a planned body of work provided by an employer to an individual student or team of students that results in the delivery of an agreed, tangible outcome. Projects are also formally assessed and can involve either a single discipline or a collaboration of disciplines offered within the University. More information on these programs can be found under program details. 

Work experience and volunteering are any not-for-credit opportunities that fall outside the internship or project course within the University and can be completed in any year of your program. Work experience is generally related to the discipline you are studying, while volunteering can be any opportunity not directly related to your discipline. Both are generally unpaid and non-assessed. 

For all types of industry experience, students must contact their placement coordinator to ensure they are covered and protected by the University’s insurance policy.

Industry experience, which includes internships, projects and work experience opportunities will expose you to your chosen industry and help you to build important networks by introducing you to professional practitioners working in your field. It is an important element of your studies and career development and will help you put what you have been learning into context. It will also help you to work out the areas of your chosen field in which you would like to specialise during your professional career after university.

Additionally, industry experience, as well as volunteering opportunities, will contribute to your personal development by helping you build on your confidence, interpersonal, communication and organisational skills. It is a valuable addition to your resume as you draw closer to completing your studies.

Students enrolled in the programs listed below and have completed 72 units (equivalent to 16 courses), prior to commencing their internship or project are eligible to complete the course:

• Bachelor of Journalism and Professional Writing (including its associated double degree)
• Bachelor of Communication and Media
• Bachelor of Media Arts
• Bachelor of Creative Industries

Students with a grade point average (GPA) of 5 (Credit), are eligible to complete the internship component of the course. Students who do not meet this requirement or are unable to undertake an internship, are required to undertake an industry-based project. Both internships and projects must be approved by the Course Coordinator before their commencement. 

Please note, if you are enrolled in a legacy degree*, please consult with your Program Coordinator for eligibility prior to enrolment.

*Enrolled in a UniSA Creative Industries degree prior to 2015 and did not transition to a new program.

Ideally, the 80 hours (minimum) of internship or project will be completed in the study period in which you are enrolled in COMM 3063 Internship or Project.

However, you may commence prior to the study period in which you are enrolled. Please contact us for approval. All students must contact their placement coordinator to ensure you are covered and protected by the University’s insurance policy.

If you start an industry experience before receiving approval then those hours will not count for credit within COMM 3063. In that case, you may complete an additional 80 hours at that organisation during the Study Period, or elect to use it as not-for-credit work experience and find another internship or project to use for COMM 3063 credit.

Yes, students are ultimately responsible for finding their own opportunities for internships, projects, work experience and volunteering. However, organisations can sometimes be inundated with student internship requests. If you plan to approach an Adelaide news outlet or creative industries agency (e.g. PR, advertising or marketing firms or film and media organisations) please consult your placement coordinator prior to making contact with any organisation. 

You will be required to complete the registration form that lists the potential organisations you would like to approach and work for, as well as your goals and objectives.

Concurrent to your own research into opportunities, the University conducts constant industry engagement activities, seeking out opportunities for internships and projects. Depending on whether it is an internship or project opportunity, these positions will be advised through the COMM 3063 course site on your online student portal.

Work experience and volunteering opportunities are advertised either through Career Hub (login required) or on occasions via email to all students. 

Yes, if you are currently enrolled as a UniSA student, you are eligible to be covered by the University’s Insurance policy. This applies to internships, projects, work experience, volunteering opportunities and any type of fieldwork. The FS23 Insurance is an important legal document required for all placements, with the only exception relating to students who will be getting paid for their work. In this instance, the host organisation should be covering you. 

Please contact your placement coordinator well before commencing your industry experience to begin organising the insurance process.

It is important that you set your goals and objectives first. What type of experience are you looking for? What type of organisation or working environment would you like to work in? What would you like to gain from your experience? What do you hope to achieve? It is important that you take the time to prepare yourself for industry experience. As a student of UniSA Creative, you can complete our Industry Experience Preparation Module. 

Once you have determined these goals and objectives, you will then need to prepare/update your resume, and if applicable, your LinkedIn account. There are many online resources and workshops run by Career Services that can help you market yourself in the best way possible. You should also do as much research as possible on the organisations you want to work for, as well as speaking with people and building your networks to help you gain the right type of experience.

Firstly, try to identify an organisation that offers the best opportunity for you to experience the professional skills development and personal qualities that you would like to gain. You are not limited to South Australia when undertaking your internship, project, work experience or volunteering opportunity, although there are some implications. Please contact your UniSA placements coordinator if you find yourself in this situation. 

You may nominate your own host organisations, or select from those advertised on your course website. If you are nominating your own organisation, you must first gain approval from UniSA Creative before approaching them. Please complete either the internship or project registration form, and wait for a response from the Creative Industries Placements Office.

Students seeking to approach organisations for work experience opportunities should still seek approval from Creative Industries Placements to prevent clashes with assessed internship and project students. No approval is necessary for work experience and volunteer opportunities advertised on the Career Services website. 

Please advise your placement coordinator immediately with the following details of your opportunity:

1. Host organisation name and supervisor’s phone number and email address
2. Intended start and end dates of your placement
3. Your full name, student ID and program code

This will kick-start the insurance process, which is taken care of by Creative Industries Placements. For internship and project students, you will also need to organise your learning agreement forms as well as your timesheets. Creative Industries Placements will prompt you with what you need to do once you email them confirming that you have secured your opportunity.

While host organisations will not be expecting you to be experts in your field, or understand their organisation in any great depth, awareness of the issues surrounding the industry will help you assimilate into the organisation at a faster rate, making your time with them more valuable, both for them, and yourself.

Whether it is a formal internship or project you are completing or simply a volunteering experience, hosts will expect you to be professional in the way in which you conduct your work and relate to others. This includes arriving on time, dressing appropriately and following any procedures and rules outlined by the organisation. If you are unsure of your host’s expectations, please clarify this with them beforehand.  

If you have problems during your time with an organisation, address them quickly, directly, and politely. If possible, discuss them with your supervisor as that is how problems are addressed and resolved in the workplace. If you cannot sort problems out in this way, raise them with the Creative Industries Placements Office, sooner rather than later. We are here to support you. Whether your problem is minor or major, a quick resolution will make your experience far more valuable. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Most internships and projects will not be paid, however, you may receive payment for the work if the organisation wishes to do so. 

Be aware that this will void the insurance cover your receive from the University and you MUST notify your placement coordinator if your internship or project will be a paid opportunity.

If you are paid you will be in an 'employment relationship' with the organisation. You should, therefore, speak with your supervisor and check to see that you are covered by the organisation's insurance policies.