Business Practicum
Stand out to potential employers by completing a consulting project in a virtual team with an Australian-based organisation. Offered in both intensive and semester-long formats, you’ll demonstrate your ability to collaborate within a remote setting.
What's special about the Business Practicum in 2021?
The 2021 Winter and Semester 2 Business Practicums may be conducted remotely. This reflects current work practices and will better prepare you for the future of work. See what prospective employers are saying about the benefits of completing a remote project here.
| Expect the same benefits from the Business Practicum | Gain additional benefits from a remote project |
|---|---|
| Apply your classroom theory, and use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve a realistic business scenario | Enhance your teamwork and communication skills, and demonstrate your ability to collaborate with stakeholders from any location |
| Receive guidance from an academic mentor and a project organisation mentor | Gain confidence in managing yourself and feel ready to start employment remotely |
| Access industry networks in a challenging and intensive environment, which could lead to future employment | Stand out to employers with proven remote project management experience |
“The Business Practicum was the perfect opportunity for me to experiment and explore my employment options by gaining professional experience at a world-leading beverage company. This experience has helped me develop a more fine-tuned view of what I want in the future.”
- Tien Phan, Business Practicum with Carlton & United Breweries
Key dates
Students offered a place in the Business Practicum are required to participate in all listed activities. If you are unable to commit to one or more of these dates, please do not apply.
Activity | Winter 2021 | Semester 2 2021 |
| Applications open | Monday 15 March 2021 | Monday 15 March 2021 |
| Live Q&A session | Tuesday 30 March 2021, 5.30pm AEDT | Tuesday 30 March 2021, 5.30pm AEDT |
| Applications close | Sunday 11 April 2021 | Sunday 11 April 2021 |
| Selection outcomes | Monday 19 April 2021 | Monday 19 April 2021 |
| Online LMS modules due | Tuesday 29 June 2021 | Tuesday 27 July 2021 |
| Company project task | Monday 5 July - Friday 16 July 2021 | Monday 2 August - Friday 22 October 2021 |
Eligibility
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You are enrolled into an approved graduate degree
- Students enrolled in an approved MBS graduate degree are eligible to apply. Please check the University of Melbourne handbook or with Course Planners at Stop 1 if you are unsure whether the Business Practicum can be taken as part of your current degree.
- MBS students who have already completed one Graduate Practicum subject may apply to take another but will be placed on a waiting list and only offered a place based on availability.
- Students enrolled in the Master of Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, and Software streams), Master of Information Systems and Master of Information Technology are eligible to apply.
- Other non-FBE students are not eligible to apply for any FBE practicum subjects without the prior approval of the Subject Coordinator and the MBS Deputy Dean. Proof of approval must be emailed to mbs-practicums@unimelb.edu.au before the application close date. Late approval submissions will not be accepted and applications without the required approval will be withdrawn.
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Your Weighted Average Mark (WAM) is 70% or higher
Due to limited spaces, entry into the Business Practicum is competitive. Selection is based on a University of Melbourne equivalent weighted average mark for all undergraduate and postgraduate subjects successfully completed at the selection date, as well as performance in an interview process, and is contingent on permission from the Subject Coordinator.
The minimum average mark requirement for the subject is 70% and the Selection Committee considers the following when allocating places:
- academic performance
- an overall match of skills, experience and interests to the available projects.
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You have completed a minimum of 50 credit points
- 200-point degree and non-MBS students: completion of a minimum of 50 credit points at time of application; or
- 150-point degree students: completion of a minimum of 50 credit points at time of practicum commencement if you have a business background (e.g. studied business subjects in an undergraduate degree or relevant work experience).
Note: All students enrolled in a 200-point degree must first have completed 50 credit points before applying, regardless of educational background.
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You are only applying for one Practicum subject (Business or Global Business Practicum) for the intake
Students must only apply for one Graduate Practicum subject per intake. Students who apply for both the Global Business Practicum and the Business Practicum during the same intake (e.g. GPB June/ BP July) will not be considered for either subject.
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You have met with a Course Planner from STOP 1 and checked that there is capacity within your study plan for this elective subject worth 12.5 credit points
Students are required to seek guidance from a Stop 1 Course Planner prior to applying to ensure there is space in their study plan for this subject. Book a Course Advice appointment here.
Please note: students undertaking the Master of Commerce (Finance) are generally ineligible to apply, due to limited elective options available in the course.
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You have prepared your CV and had it reviewed
Students who receive an official offer for the Business Practicum must submit a CV with evidence that the CV has scored a 'green' rating on the University of Melbourne's Smart Resume platform. Find out more about preparing your CV.
EmployMe provides tools, resources and videos to build your skills in job seeking, resume building, interview performance and more.
Information sessions
Video recording of the recent Q&A session with the Subject Coordinator held on 13 October is now available for viewing below.
Applications
Applications for this subject have closed. Students who have previously completed BUSA90485 Global Business Practicum may express interest in the Business Practicum by emailing mbs-practicums@unimelb.edu.au. Expressions of interests will only be considered if places are not filled by applicants.
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Step 1
Login to Sonia Live using your University of Melbourne student credentials: https://unimelb.sonialive.com/.
Click into Faculty of Business and Economics.
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Step 2
Click on the Placements tab on the menu bar at the top of the page and search for the subject and offering you’re interested in applying for.
Please note that the Business Practicum will only appear in the Placements screen if applications are currently open for an upcoming intake. If the subject does not appear in the list, it is likely that applications have not yet opened or have already closed. Check the key dates section above to find out when applications are open for this intake.
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Step 3
Next, click the green + Join option. This will give you access to the subject application form which can be found on the Forms tab (you may need to refresh your browser for this to appear).
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Step 4
Complete all fields of the application form and, when ready, click submit. Please ensure you take note of the application due date as we do not accept late submissions.
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Step 5
After the subject application closing date, applications will then go through a shortlisting process and students will be emailed an outcome within 7 working days.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the Business Practicum please send an email to: mbs-practicums@unimelb.edu.au
Further information
View this subject in the Handbook.
Frequently asked questions
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Can I apply if I don’t have any consulting experience?
Yes, there is a full selection process to determine your eligibility and suitability for the program. Selection is not based on existing consulting experience.
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I want to take an online intensive subject over Summer/Winter while also completing a Summer intensive /July intensive BP. Is this okay?
No, Business Practicum participants enrolled in the Summer or July intake will not be permitted to enrol in any other subjects that run in the same period as the their Business Practicum intake. Both Summer and July intakes are intensive and will require 100% commitment from students.
Please note: This relates to the intensive stream (Summer or July) only, a normal subject load can be undertaken with the semester-long stream (Semester 1 or Semester 2).
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Can I choose the company or type of project?
No, students are allocated to teams and companies with specific projects. However, students are given the opportunity to advise their areas of interest which we endeavour to consider when allocating teams. Students would not be allocated to a project where they did not have the technical skills required. Most projects are multi-disciplinary.