Deakin Business School
Faculty of Business and Law
The Deakin Business School is committed to extending the boundaries of business and legal education. We aim to achieve this through close relationships with professional associations, other education providers and universities, business, employers and government - across Australia and internationally.
To further enhance its range of MBA units, the Deakin Business School has the Business Practicum Program. This program offers innovative experiential learning and upon successful completion provides two credit points of study.
The learning experience in this unit takes place primarily outside the classroom with students having the opportunity to observe and participate in a range of real world business experiences related to their studies. Students who have completed the practicum unit will gain valuable Australian business experience which is likely to enhance their employability – and prospects for promotion.
While undertaking the practicum placement on average two days per week throughout the semester, students work with an academic supervisor to provide guidance and help them link their practical work with the academic requirements of the unit.
Deakin University aims to ensure that postgraduate courses provide educational experiences designed to develop an appropriate level of expert knowledge of a field of study and attributes, including skills and personal qualities that will serve MBA graduates in their professional lives beyond their academic studies.
The University is progressively accrediting its postgraduate courses to ensure that they explicitly develop and assess (to the extent possible) the attributes of a Deakin MBA graduate, consistent with the following Deakin philosophy:
Practicum students are a no cost resource for the host organisation. In return for hosting a student, a business host organisation will have access to the observations, research and contribution of a senior MBA student of the Faculty. Host organisations will also gain exposure to current knowledge, theory and practice through their interface with the student.
Projects of benefit or interest to the host organisation can be undertaken at no direct cost with all final project reports made available after assessment by the Faculty. Project requirements are negotiable (i.e., between student, host organisation and Deakin) and students will be required to prepare and submit a written report.
For StudentsBusiness Practicum will enable students to:
The Practicum Program also provides an opportunity for the Deakin Business School to foster and strengthen its contacts with business, government and community organisations. The program also provides an opportunity for the School to showcase the skills and attributes of its students.
The Practicum Unit Chair is responsible for all aspects of the management and operation of the program. He is available to assist and guide both students and host organisations to ensure each project is a success.
Students draw upon knowledge gained in their studies in a range of post-graduate discipline areas including:
| Accounting | International Trade and Business |
| Corporate Governance | Law |
| Economics | Leadership and Communication |
| Electronic Business | Marketing |
| Finance | Project-based Management |
| Human Resources Management | Public Management |
| Information Systems Management | Strategy and Planning |
| Innovation | Supply Chain Management |
Students would normally commence a Business Practicum in the final semester of their degree.
'For University students . . . a well arranged practicum is not only an important part of professional education but, at its best, also a means of personal development and growth.' Professor Maarit Valo, Higher Education, March 2000
Generally, the Unit Chair will be responsible for providing a list of host organisations to Business Practicum students. However, a student may wish to suggest a business host. In such cases the Unit Chair will assess the organisation and the suitability of the proposed practicum activities.
Publications such as the annual Graduate Opportunities (available from Student/Life on campus or good bookshops everywhere) are a good source of information and advice. There are also a number of web sites listing practicum opportunities in Australia and overseas. Many of these are fee paying arrangements and others may be restricted to students of particular countries or universities.
The following are just a few examples of the broad range of organisations where Deakin students have conducted practicum-style projects and the type of projects completed by the student:
| Company | Project Activity |
| Ford Motor Company (Melbourne) | Review of HRM practices |
| Hot Tuna Surfwear (Torquay) | Venture capital analysis |
| Korda Mentha (Melbourne) | Assisting with accounting practices |
| Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (Melbourne) | Development of staff manual |
| Coles Myer (Tooronga) | Development of staff awards program |
| Clemenger Harvey Edge | Development of advertising campaign |
| The Pulse 94.7 FM (Geelong) | Marketing survey |
| Kmart Australia (Melbourne) | Review of accounting procedures |
| Barwon Water (Geelong) | Assisting with EFTPOS implementation |
| Salvation Army (Melbourne) | Development of orientation manual |
| Adecco Personel (Ringwood) | Major project recruitment |
| Catholic Archdiocese (Melbourne) | Assisting with finance practices |
| Siemens Australia | Assisting with HRM practices |
| Shire of Melton (Melton) | Review of customer relations |
Before a student can enrol in the Business Practicum unit, it is necessary to apply and be selected for the program. Students meeting the relevant selection criteria will be selected for an initial interview and discussion with the Unit Chair before permission to enrol in the unit will be granted. Unlike other postgraduate units, students cannot enrol directly into MPI701 (i.e. via StudentConnect) until a completed Application Form [83Kb] is submitted and approved. Acrobat Reader required. Student may view on the selection criteria by viewing the Unit Content section.
This unit is available for students enroled in the following courses (including some combined degrees):
This unit is currently available to on-campus and off-campus students residing in Melbourne or Geelong. The unit cannot be taken in the company of the student's normal occupation.
Three outcomes are possible for each application:
If the application is approved, the Unit Chair will match the student's skills and background with the host organisation's offer and preferences. An interview with one or more host organisations should be expected. Every effort will be made to ensure that the preferences of an accepted student are accommodated, but students should be aware that this may not be possible in every case. Students should always have an alternative plan to enrol in other units if a practicum placement cannot be arranged.
Once a student's application is approved by the Unit Chair, he will email the student notifying them of the outcome and advising that they will be contacted by the Faculty office with instructions to enrol online.
Students for whom this unit is part of a normal load can then proceed to add the unit via StudentConnect. Students for whom this unit is an overload in the semester or are subject to other special approval requirements may need to have an Enrolment Variation form completed and submitted on their behalf by the Unit Chair.
Applicants should note that the Faculty reserves the right not to approve applications from students that are currently subject to Faculty Academic Progress and Discipline Committee restrictions or deliberations.
A number of practical considerations:International students considering the Business Practicum unit may require a Work Permit depending on their visa status. This may apply even though the practicum is unpaid. Hours of work for the Business Practicum will count within your allowed maximum. Students should contact the Deakin International office on their home campus for further advice on visa policies and procedures.
Other forms of clearance for all participating students may be required such as a Police Check. This should be done in time for the practicum placement to proceed smoothly.
The content of the unit is primarily the Practicum itself. Students draw heavily on the core competencies that are developed in the compulsory core units of their studies as well as the specialist units undertaken as electives.
Before seeking permission to enrol in a business practicum unit, students should be aware of the following selection criteria for the Business Practicum unit.
Students must have:
In addition to negotiating a relevant project and documenting the practicum arrangements, a major component of the assessment will be the completion by the student of:
While there are no prescribed texts for this unit, the following references are considered useful for this unit:
Bovee, C.; Thill, J. & Schatzman, B. (2003), Business Communication Today, 7th edn, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Brown, A. D. (1995), Organisational Culture, Pitman, London.
Patterson, M. G., West, M. A., Lawthom, R., Nickel, S. (1997), Impact of People Management Practices on Business Performance, The Institute of Personnel and Development
Lynch, R. L. (2003), Corporate Strategy, 3rd edition, Harlow: Financial Times, Prentice Hall.
Other textsOther relevant texts are specific to the nature of the practicum the student is undertaking and will be drawn from those already prescribed in the student's major areas of study.
This is an experiential learning unit and requires no class contacts. Students will attend the host organisation for equivalent of two days a week to perform the negotiated project assigned to them. Students will be progressively in contact with the Unit Chair and the academic supervisor appointed for them.
The unit is available to students registered as on or off campus.
Supervision:Important Note: All communication will be via the student's Deakin University email account. This can be set up to be automatically forwarded to any external email account, such as yahoo or hotmail, if preferred (see https://www.deakin.edu.au/webmail/imp/login.php for details on how to do this).
Progressive assessment 100%
The assessment tasks in this unit include the submission of the following assignments for evaluation by the assessment panel:
| Task | Value |
Deadline |
Project Proposal and work plan |
Hurdle |
Prior to the commencement of the program |
Progress Report |
Hurdle |
After first 6 weeks of project work |
Final Report |
70% |
First day of exam period unless otherwise approved |
| Final Report oral presentation | 30% |
To be determined |
The methodologies that will be utilised are dependent on the type of practicum and the agreed form of assessment. Students will be guided in their use of methodologies by a Faculty mentor and will have access to academic staff from relevant disciplines as required.
Students are advised to keep a private journal (diary) during their practicum.
Notes on presentation standard for Final ReportWhilst no presentation format is prescribed for Internship Reports this is a professional unit and consequently students are expected to present their work in a style commensurate with the professional standards that apply in their relevant discipline area.
Consequently original thought, content, structure, citation and quality of presentation will be taken into account during marking.
Submission requirements for ReportsStudents are reminded that the program outline, Reflective summary, and the Program Report are required to be submitted in both hard copy (for marking) and electronically copy (as back-up).
CopyrightAll material submitted as part of the assessment in the unit remains the property of the Faculty and may be used by the Faculty for teaching or research purposes. Subject to the written agreement of the Host organisation, Reports may be published by the Faculty as a resource for prospective Postgraduate Internship students and as a general resource for other students in the Faculty.
The Deakin Business School is pleased to provide a referee service for students that have completed a business practicum to enhance their employment prospects. To achieve this, the Unit Chair will retain the Final Report and the Host organisation Evaluations for 3 years from the date of completion of the practicum or for a longer period if requested.
During this time students are welcome to nominate the Unit Chair as a referee in support of an application for employment or other relevant event. It would be appropriate to advise the Unit Chair if an employer indicates they will be contacting referees.
MPI701 Business Practicum unit guide [249KB]
| Dr Mehdi Taghian |
| Unit Chair, Business Practicum Program |
| Email dbs-practicum@deakin.edu.au |
|
| Tel +613 9244 5053 |
Fax +613 9244 5533
|
Faculty of Business and Law |
| Tel +613 9244 5043 |
| Fax +613 9244 5040 |
