Science Work Placement Unit

Students will have the opportunity to:

• Develop first-hand knowledge and ask questions about their field of interest
• Gain valuable and transferable skills, discovering the importance of each
• Be confident in their ability to master new skills
• Make connections and create a professional network
• Explore their options and taste the opportunities that exist upon graduation
• Strengthen their CV and job interview with examples of work experience and industry referees
• Build awareness of the expectations at work and the culture of their industry

Unit information

• 6 points – elective credit at Level 2
• Ungraded Pass/Fail
• Work placement paired with learning content and assessment
• Offered in Semester 1, 2 and Summer. Note that Summer intake is for self-sourced placements only. 
• Please note: At this level, clinical placements are not available
• More information from UWA Handbook

Eligibility criteria

• Enrolled in Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Biomedical Science or Bachelor of Philosophy with a Science major
• At least 60 points achieved (or on track to be achieved by the end of your current semester)
• Sufficient space remaining in course to receive 6 points credit
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good written and spoken communication skills

Programs and Scholarships

Barry Marshall MicroBlitz Internship Program

Barry Marshall MicroBlitz Internship provides multidisciplinary training and community outreach experiences to science students at the University of Western Australia.

Specifically, the Internship offers second and third year science students the opportunity to be trained in cutting edge science and public outreach across two UWA research centres:

• the Marshall Centre Helicobacter Research Laboratory, and
• MicroBlitz Soil Science Laboratory.

Interns wills also be engaged in science outreach within the wider community, by delivering experiments to school children in a metropolitan and regional school.

Eight students will be awarded the chance to participate in the program each semester. Students receive academic credit for the Internship Program through the Science Work Placement unit (SCIE2205). Interested students must apply to the Science Work Placement unit to be considered.

Info sessions

Updates about information sessions events will be via WIL Facebook page, follow us to be alerted once there are information sessions. Information session slides are available upon request via email to [email protected].

How to apply

The Science WIL Placement program uses a placement management portal called SoniaOnline to assist students on their placement journey.

To apply, submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) via SoniaOnline. If you are a current UWA student, you will be able to log into SoniaOnline via this link using your UWA Pheme username and password. Once you have logged in, click on the 'Placements' tab at the top and you will see the "Expression of Interest for WIL Science Placement' group, click the green button "+Join" and you will be able to join the Placement Group. There will be detailed instructions on how to navigate SoniaOnline after you have logged in.

As part of the Expression of Interest stage, you will be required to submit the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Expression of Interest/Application form

Applications for Semester 2, 2023 are open now and will close on 5 June. If you have any difficulty logging in or navigating SoniaOnline, please email the Science WIL Placement Team - [email protected] 

FAQs

What is involved in the Science Placement and Practicum units?

The placement and practicum units involve 80 to 100 hours of time spent completing your work placement, plus academic content. Most students complete their placement hours over the course of semester, by attending their workplace one day a week or two half days a week. These arrangements can be discussed in more detail with your placement supervisor. Each unit also includes some contact hours (workshops, lectures, seminars) and several assessment items that are designed for you to reflect on your placement experience. More information about the assignment requirements can be found UWA Handbook.

What do I include in my cover letter?

Your cover letter should be addressed to the Science Placement Coordinator and should explain your reasons for applying to the unit, rather than any specific placement. It is important to include your intentions, key skills and why you believe you are a good candidate. If you wish to include information about your placement preferences or a specific placement you have in mind, please do so.

Do I need to find my own placement?

The WIL Team will help to source placements for students via our network. It is highly recommended that students are also actively sourcing for placements through their own networks so it will help increase chances of securing an opportunity. If you have managed to self-source your own placement, through your own network, you will still need to apply for the Science Work Placement unit and submit your EOI.

How does the placement matching process work?

Upon successful completion of Expression of Interest and Pre-Placement Preparation stages in the SoniaOnline portal, students will be invited to join a “Placement Board” where there they will view a list of placement opportunities sourced by the WIL Team. Once the Placement Board is open, students will have approximately 5-7 days to select their preferred opportunities and submit tailored applications (Resumes and Cover Letters) for them. After the Placement Board closes, applications will be sent to the Host Organisations for consideration and shortlisted students will be invited for an interview / offered a placement. NOTE: Students who have a self-sourced placement or have a confirmed placement already, will not need access to the Placement Board.

What happens if a placement cannot be found for me?

It's important to realise that securing a placement in this unit involves some uncertainty. This reflects the degree of uncertainty that exists when applying for a real job. Your application might be excellent but not suitable for the opportunities available at the time. Therefore, we encourage our students to have alternative unit selective in case a placement cannot be found. This way, should you not be placed or should you decide against the placement you are offered, you are not put at a disadvantage.  

Are clinical placements available?

As this is an undergraduate unit, clinical placements (i.e. for medicine, psychology, pathology) are not available but related experiences are sought to complement your studies. For example, a medical science student may complete their placement in a hospital, under the supervision of a Doctor conducting research into a particular area of medicine.

I will be travelling when applications close. Will this affect my chances of being accepted?

If you are travelling during the semester break, kindly indicate in your EOI form and we will get in touch if there are any issues regarding key application milestones.

I am interested in the Barry Marshall MicroBlitz Internship program. How do I apply?

To apply for the MicroBlitz Internship program, students must submit an application to the Science Work Placement unit, for their preferred semester. Successful applicants will need to be available for a two week (10 days) Laboratory Intensive during University holidays in February for Semester 1 or June/July for Semester 2.

How will an Ungraded Pass affect my GPA?

If you successfully pass the unit, an ungraded pass will have no effect on your GPA and the grades for the remaining 23 units in your degree will be weighted more heavily.

I have advanced standing from my previous course/university study, will that count towards the credit point eligibility?

Yes, if you have gained credits from your previous course or study, those credit points can be counted towards the credit point eligibility. However, you will still need to have your study plan checked by your Student Office to ensure you have space to fit this elective in your course.