At Curtin you will graduate with the skills and experience required to thrive in the working world. Helping you develop industry-ready skills through authentic, hands-on learning – enhancing your employability in the process – is a key part of our commitment to you (according to the latest QILT Employer Satisfaction Survey, our graduates have been rated the best in Australia for employer satisfaction – demonstrating they possess the skills and qualifications highly valued by employers!).
Part of how we prepare you for life after uni is through work-integrated learning (WIL). WIL experiences blend theoretical concepts with practice-based learning – including activities, projects, placements and learning approaches that get you working in industry or the community during your course. WIL may come in the form of fieldwork; hands-on learning; internships and placements; specific initiatives; or showcases.
In this article, we’ll look at each of these areas one by one and see how WIL enables you to implement and consolidate your new knowledge and skills in a way that employers love. We’ll also hear from Curtin students and graduates about how their WIL experiences gave them a career-ready edge.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork refers to practical, hands-on learning experiences outside the traditional classroom setting and is a cornerstone of learning in many of our degrees. These experiences allow you to apply newly acquired theoretical knowledge in real-world environments including hospitals, community health services, natural ecosystems, legal clinics, and on industry sites.
In the health sciences, fieldwork activities may encompass:
- Clinical practice
- Practical work placements
- Participation in laboratories and simulations
- Site visits and field trips
- Study tours
- Work experience
- Camps and excursions.
Many of these activities are conducted in collaboration with industry and aligned closely with course requirements set by accrediting bodies, putting you on the best possible footing for taking the important first steps in your career. Throughout these experiences, you will learn from your lecturers, tutors, industry professionals, community role models, clients, patients, and their caregivers.
“I worked as an ambulance officer full-time during my second and third year at Curtin. By the end of my degree, I was more than job-ready as I already had hundreds of hours of experience.”
Emma Potter, Bachelor of Science (Paramedicine)
If you’re studying an Environmental Science or Coastal and Marine Science major then you will participate in extensive fieldwork across diverse ecosystems – including bushland areas, major waterways, Rottnest Island and Busselton Jetty – bettering your understanding of environmental conservation in the process.
“I really enjoy the practical aspect of my course and the fieldwork opportunities, which are crucial to gaining professional connections. I completed a vacation program in the Pilbara, working alongside environmental advisors on dingo management, as well as turtle monitoring and rehabilitation of native flora and protected species. After I graduate, I’d like to have a career in marine conservation, working alongside Indigenous Peoples.”
Brodie O’Breza, Bachelor of Science (Coastal and Marine Science)
Hands-on learning and capstone experiences
Along with guest lectures from industry professionals and thought leaders, many courses offer the opportunity to work with research groups and industry partners through dedicated hands-on learning experiences. These opportunities, which include one-year projects and capstone experiences, allow you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, enhancing your skills and preparing you for your future career.
Our science programs, for example, offer extensive opportunities embedded within the degrees, providing you with practical experience across various disciplines – allowing you to contribute to your field of study while still an undergraduate. In your final year, you’ll undertake a capstone project that integrates your learning and skills development, and provides opportunities to showcase your knowledge, often in collaboration with industry partners and faculty leaders.
In the Advanced Science degree, you’ll engage in year-long project units, beginning in the second year of study. In these project units, you’ll work in research centres, industry settings, or both. It’s a hands-on approach that allows you to develop deep insights into your chosen field – and helps prepare you for that industry showcase in the fourth year!
“I enrolled in the Bachelor of Advanced Science at Curtin as it offered specialised learning opportunities and units that focused on developing practical skills. As students, we had the opportunity to integrate with research groups in the Curtin laboratories and undertake projects, which was an extremely valuable experience.
“The lecturers, demonstrators and course coordinators at Curtin went above and beyond to facilitate a personalised and supportive learning experience.”
Ruby La Rocca, Bachelor of Advanced Science (Chemistry), Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) (Honours)
Curtin’s engineering programs also emphasise practical, hands-on learning experiences in collaboration with industry – including field trips to mine sites and processing plants. As an engineering student, you’ll be required to complete 480 hours of industry experience across your degrees. You’ll use a logbook to track your hours, ensuring that 75% of your time is spent working under a qualified engineer, with the remaining 25% in general employment, technical roles, or lab work. Read more about opportunities – including placements with CCIWA Business Partners and DIIGS Defence Internships – on the Science and Engineering industry experience page.
Curtin Law School provides a dynamic learning environment that prepares you for a successful legal career through hands-on experiences, real-world casework, and international study opportunities. You’ll study in the heart of Perth city at Curtin Law School’s city location, where you’ll gain practical courtroom experience in the Jeanette Hacket Moot Court facility and enjoy state-of-the-art facilities to hone your advocacy skills.
In the John Curtin Law Clinic, you can apply your legal knowledge and skills to real-world cases, presenting you with opportunities to work with eligible individuals, small businesses, start-ups, social enterprises, and not-for-profits, under the guidance of experienced legal practitioners. And you can enhance your law degree by participating in the Ghent Summer Law Program in Belgium. This intensive one-month program provides valuable international experience, enriching your professional credentials and offering a memorable cultural immersion.
In the final year of your Bachelor of Commerce, you’ll have the opportunity to complete a practical capstone experience – enabling you to apply your skills in an industry environment.
Internships and placements
Internships and placements bridge the gap between what you learn in the classroom and what you will do professionally – all while gearing you up for a thriving career. With access to internships and placements offered throughout many of our degrees, you’ll find opportunities to dive headfirst into hands-on practice in your chosen field. Imagine working with top industry partners, dynamic businesses, innovative government agencies, inspiring non-profits, and other amazing organisations. It’s not just about learning – it’s about experiencing and enjoying every step of your journey to success!
Our innovation students have opportunities to engage with industry from the very beginning of their studies; experiences that help prepare them for their future careers.
“From day one I started to engage in industry and in my final year I received a scholarship to intern for the NZ Taxpayers’ Union in Wellington, New Zealand.”
Ryan Soares, Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance)
Meanwhile, for pre-service teachers over in our education courses, placement opportunities give exposure to real classroom settings, helping them to apply theory in practical situations and develop their teaching skills in a real classroom.
Internships are also important in preparing our information technology students for the world of work. Opportunities include:
- Internships with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA) provide practical, hands-on experience and engagement with real-world projects within the technology sector (note: CCIWA experiences are also available to engineering students).
- Cyber security internships: specialised internships for developing critical skills in protecting digital information and combating cyber threats.
“My internship showed me the real world of marketing. It was rewarding to arrange promotions using techniques I had learned in university. The best part was being offered a job at the end of my placement.”
Dean Bussanich, Bachelor of Commerce (Management and Marketing)
Initiatives
In addition to fieldwork, internships, and placements, Curtin offers extracurricular and elective activities that enrich your educational experience. Take, for example, the annual Sustainability Challenge – an industry-partnered, challenge-based program that aims to enhance learning through an immersive experience.
The Sustainability Challenge is held over the break between semesters 1 and 2. As well as a fantastic opportunity to build your professional network and get hands-on industry experience … you’ll also gain 25 credit points towards your degree!
“The Sustainability Challenge was quite the intensive week yet an eye-opening and exploratory learning experience. I was able to design a solution and learn more about how sustainability in practice, such as designing a framework in which architects could communicate sustainability features in designing a client’s home.
“Working with the academic mentors and industry mentors enabled our group’s ideas to be further redefined. By working with a multitude of different discipline students it ensured my future design ideas have been more well-rounded and experimental concepts.”
Zoe Thomas, Bachelor of Applied Science (Interior Architecture)
All Curtin students can participate in the challenge – see how our Humanities students tackled it in 2023 here.
Showcases
Showcases are curated presentations or exhibitions where you can display your creative works and projects to diverse audiences, including peers, faculty members, industry professionals, potential employers, and the public.
These exhibitions and presentations serve as a platform to demonstrate the skills, creativity, and technical abilities you’ve developed throughout your studies; they’re a way to celebrate your achievements while establishing your network within your chosen industry.
In the realms of creative arts and design, examples include the Art Degree Show, an exhibition for Fine Arts students attended by gallery directors, curators, arts professionals, collectors and the public; the Razor screen arts film screening; and the photography gallery show held at the Perth Centre of Photography.
At Curtin’s Hayman Theatre, performing arts students hold productions open to the public as part of their assessments. There’s also the annual Fashion Show and The Festival of Design – huge opportunities to share work and prove your readiness for industry roles.
Advanced science students exhibit at an industry showcase in their final year – pitching their projects to industry partners and receiving feedback from academic leaders, while architecture students can present their work to industry and peers at the popular annual Architecture Graduate Show.
Create your Universe
“I feel ready to enter the workforce, and my placements have shown me that I have skills to start working.”
Georgia Williams, Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
As a Curtin student, you’ll benefit from our global reputation for strong industry connections and our commitment to producing career-ready graduates. With work-integrated learning opportunities spread across so many of our degrees, you’ll feel empowered to take those important next steps confidently. We can’t wait to see where you go next!
Find your course to learn more about specific programs and experiences.
