Internships

Integrate your classroom study with practical experience.

The Faculty of Business Law and Arts suite of industry-relevant degrees in business management, tourism and information technology are enhanced by internship opportunities where you get to try out your new skills in the workplace.

Southern Cross places a high value on the workplace component of your education. In fact, the success of our courses is built on the strong internship partnerships the faculty has developed with industry over the past 20 years.

Top marks for our Work Integrated Learning program

Our Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program contributes significantly to the faculty’s very high graduate employability rate. The proof: 98 per cent of internship organisations express a willingness to offer our graduates ongoing employment.*

The WIL program is made up of a workplace preparation unit and an internship placement, completed in the final year of a degree. We put WIL at the end of your studies for two reasons:

  • You’ll have more than two years of university education to draw upon
  • You can remain with an employer on completion of your internship if an ongoing position is available.

While ultimate responsibility for finding an internship placement rests with the student, our dedicated and award-winning WIL team offers a variety of professional support services to students and industry.

*Faculty of Business Law and Arts Work Integrated Learning Office Supervisor Evaluation Analysis 2019

Tourism, hospitality and events internships

An industry internship is a capstone and compulsory component of our tourism, hospitality and event management degrees.

Why?

This ensures our graduates are well-prepared for the employment opportunities in their chosen industries and they’re able to meet the challenges facing today's professionals in a practical manner.

How?

Our Work Integrated Learning program will see you completing a workplace preparation unit and then an industry internship with an organisation of your choice. Tourism, hospitality and event management students generally complete 14 weeks of full-time internship, dependent on their course and industry requirements.

Where?

Internship placements are available in all aspects of the tourism industry, including conferences, events, sport management, finance and accounting, human resources, hotels and resorts, marketing, tourism planning and research.

Business and IT internships

For business and IT students, an internship is an elective component of your degree. We strongly encourage you to pursue this option because it can significantly enhance your employability.

Internship positions in business and IT vary depending on each student's discipline area, size of the firm and the industry.

Where?

Types of internship placements across business and IT include marketing assistant, HR officer, social media specialist, business analyst, accountant, financial planning, IT support officer, network support officer, and software development.

Want to know more?

Joanne Cooper is the professional Placement Coordinator. Students and employers are welcome to reach out with any queries.

Call Joanne on +61 2 6620 3154 or send an email to WIL.

Hear it directly from our students and graduates

Who better to tell you what our industry internships are like than our students and graduates? Here’s a selection.

Samuel Murphy

Match Commissioner, Football Federation Australia

Graduated with Bachelor of Business in International Tourism Management

Internship: Professional football club in England

Sam credits his internship for the practical skills and exposure he gained even before graduation.

“That strongly helped my understanding of industry trends and what to expect from the workplace.

“As part of the final component of my degree, I completed a four-month internship at a professional football club in England. This experience provided me with a first-hand insight into the busy nature of the football industry and allowed me to develop the skills that I had learnt at University. This opportunity provided me with all-important experience that stood me in good stead for obtaining my first paid full-time position. It also gave me the opportunity to experience life in a different country and culture.

“My most memorable experience at Southern Cross University was getting the opportunity to learn and engage with incredibly passionate, knowledgeable and supportive lecturers and staff. These people nurtured and understood the areas I was passionate about and shared in this with me during my time at University.”

Militsa Antonova 

Complex Marketing Specialist at Melbourne Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands

Graduated with Bachelor of Business in International Hospitality Management (now Bachelor of Business in Tourism and Hospitality Management)

Internship: Marriott Surfers Paradise Resort & Spa

Militsa is pursuing her dream to work in the global tourism industry. Speaking a few languages (she grew up in Bulgaria), Militsa was offered her choice of internships at two different Marriott Hotels. She chose the exclusive Surfers Paradise Resort & Spa: she already worked there as a food and beverage attendant and had built positive relationships with staff.

“Upon completion of my internship I was offered three different jobs: two in London and one on the Gold Coast. I was definitely very surprised at how I’d progressed.”

Militsa so impressed the Surfers Paradise Marriott staff during her internship that they created a new digital role for her, and was rapidly promoted to the role of Marketing Executive in 2017.

“To move from being an intern to my dream job as Marketing Executive at Marriott in just 18 months is amazing.

“Now I’m currently the Complex Marketing Specialist at two properties in Melbourne. I love my role, it’s never the same, it’s always different.

“If it wasn’t for my degree with Southern Cross University I wouldn’t be here today.”

Militsa Antonova reflects on her studies and career in this video.

Gabriella Lennon

Graduated with Bachelor of Business in Convention & Event Management

Internship: Events department at Somerset College, an independent primary and secondary school at Mudgeeraba, QLD

Gabriella’s internship experience was varied and colourful. Along with her involvement at the Somerset StoryFest pop-up library during the Gold Coast’s 2019 SWELL Sculpture Festival, Gabriella helped organise other school events including Festival of the Young Performers, a corporate golf day, and the Celebration of Entrepreneurship.

“I’ve done event ticketing, handled enquiries, staged an event and managed activities like our pop-up library at SWELL,” says Gabriella of the workplace experience that allowed her to establish connections and explore what her chosen study pathway could look like as a career.

“I’m meeting lots of people on the job and I’m finding out what I am capable of and where my passion really lies. Having Andrea as my mentor is such a bonus. She did the same degree as me.”

Andrea is Andrea Lewis, Somerset Storyfest CEO and Festival Director. She’s a Southern Cross alumnus who has mentored more than eight Southern Cross students on internship.

Discover more about Gabriella Lennon’s internship and Andrea Lewis’ involvement.

Nick Warner

Group Director - Sales, Marketing and Revenue, Pro-invest Hotels Group

Graduated with Bachelor of Business in Hotel and Resort Management

Internship: Longitude 131, Ayers Rock Resort, NT

“The internship enabled me to get a strong foothold in the industry with one of the best-known resorts in Australia. During my placement I was able to experience almost all areas of hospitality, from front office to housekeeping, food & beverage and tour guiding; giving me a grounded and well-rounded operation knowledge.

“Since graduation I have focused on the sales side of the hospitality industry, working for both Hyatt and IHG in both property and national sales positions, and assisting to open IHG’s new hotels, Holiday Inn Express Brisbane Central and Holiday Inn Express Adelaide.

“Now as Group Director, I am responsible for the overall strategy and optimisation of commercial activities for a portfolio of six operating hotels with over 1300 rooms across both IHG and Accor Brands.

“The internship was a vital component of my study and is why I recommend Southern Cross University.”

Ryan Traise

Senior Park Manager, TreeTop Challenge, Currumbin

Graduated with Bachelor of Business in International Tourism Management

Internship: TreeTop Challenge, Currumbin, QLD

“The internship gave me a deeper understanding of business fundamentals, an opportunity to see how a business fits into the tourism industry, what can influence its success, and how it can be improved.”

After graduating in 2016, Ryan secured a full-time position at TreeTop Challenge. He oversees up to 45 staff across three of the adventure park’s locations: Currumbin, Mt Tambourine and the Sunshine Coast.

“I have a variety of leadership, supervisory and practical responsibilities and I’m the head of training and human resources. I still manage to get up amongst the trees on the adventure park now and again, especially while training new staff.

“I really value the practical and applied learning experiences I had at Southern Cross. I am currently studying an education degree with SCU to align my career with my future plans and aspirations.”