ENGN3100

Here are the 7 steps to follow to obtain pre-approval for your ENGN3100 placement:

Step 1: Understand the process

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Software Engineering is required to undertake 12 weeks (420 hours) practical work experience. A minimum of 8 weeks (280 hours) must be in a software engineering environment, under the supervision of a software engineer. The remaining 4 weeks can be in any sort of employment.

Please note any work undertaken within the ANU or any other university cannot be counted towards ‘a minimum 8 weeks (280 hours) of work in an software engineering environment’.

Read the information about ENGN3100 available via this page to ensure that you understand the process and the types of suitable employment.

Step 2: Arrange the placement

Identify the type of experience you wish to undertake. Apply for advertised opportunities or make a direct approach to companies of interest to you. Discuss with your potential employer how your placement could meet Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies (Competencies 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, and 3.6 are mandatory to be met.)

Step 3: Apply for the placement pre-approval

Step 3.1: Submit the ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement

If you are planning to start a placement that counted towards ‘a minimum of 8 weeks in a software engineering environment of ENGN3100, you are required to complete the ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement with your Host and submit the signed agreement (by you and your host) here. Submission via email is not considered. It can take up to 20 business days for domestic placement and 30 business day for overseas placements form the day of your submission to resolve this step and receive the final outcome.

ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement

If you and your host has any concerns about the ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement, please contact studentemployability.css@anu.edu.au.

It is recommended that you seek independent legal advice before signing the agreement. ANUSA has a Legal Officer who can provide confidential free advice and review the agreement with you.

Step 3.2: Apply for ANU Insurance (if applicable)

If your placement is unpaid and not covered by the host organisation’s insurance, you can apply for ANU Insurance Coverage.

To apply, complete the ANU Student Activity Approval Form and submit it to the ENGN3100 Convenor at ENGN3100@anu.edu.au. concurrently with step 3.1. You will receive an email notification once the insurance is confirmed.

Do not commence your placement until you have received the insurance confirmation. For overseas placements, ANU insurance has limitations, and you may need to arrange private insurance to meet placement or visa requirements.

Step 3.3: Submit travel eForm (if applicable)

If your placement requires travel outside the ACT, excluding your home city/country, you are required to submit the Travel eForm concurrently with step 3.1.

Find a SAMPLE Travel eForm here and select the ENGN3100 Convenor (Dr Danlu Guo) as your supervisor. Once you receive the travel approval summary via your ANU email, forward the PDF to studentemployability.css@anu.edu.au to activate travel insurance.

For overseas placements, proof such as passport stamps or flight tickets must be submitted with your report. Do not book flights or make travel arrangements until your Travel eForm and placement are approved. ANU cannot provide Visa advice. Students are responsible for researching and meeting relevant visa conditions, including specific insurance or vaccination requirements.

Step 4: Start your placement

Make sure that you and your Employer/ Host record the hours you work. This can be done manually (for instance, recorded in a diary) or electronically through spreadsheets or by using an app such as the Record My Hours app. You will need a formal letter from your Host confirming your actual completed hours at the end of your placement.

Step 5: Book check-in appointment during the placement

If your placement is 12 weeks (420 hours), you must arrange a check-in appointment with the Convenor and the CSS Senior Student Employability Officer. The booking link is here.

If your placement is under 12 weeks or 420 hours, check-ins are not mandatory but are still recommended. You can find the suggested timeline for booking a check-in in the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Step 6: Finishing your placement

Obtain necessary documents from your host. Please refer to the ENGN3100 report template (attached in step 7) and Frequently Asked Questions section below for more information.

Step 7: Enrol and submit your report

To satisfy the ENGN3100 requirements, you must submit a written report via Wattle. Enrol in ENGN3100 in the semester you plan to complete and submit your report.

Download ENGN3100 Report Template

Here are the 7 steps to follow to obtain pre-approval for your ENGN3100 placement:

Step 1: Understand the process

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Engineering (Research and Development) (Honours) are required to undertake 12 weeks (420 hours) practical work experience. A minimum of 8 weeks (280 hours) must be in an engineering environment, under the supervision of a qualified engineer. The remaining 4 weeks can be in any sort of employment.

Please note any work undertaken within the ANU or any other university cannot be counted towards ‘a minimum 8 weeks (280 hours) of work in an engineering environment’.

Read the information about ENGN3100 available via this page to ensure that you understand the process and the types of suitable employment.

Step 2: Arrange the placement

Identify the type of experience you wish to undertake. Apply for advertised opportunities or make a direct approach to companies of interest to you. Discuss with your potential employer how your placement could meet Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies (Competencies 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5, and 3.6 are mandatory to be met.)

Step 3: Apply for the placement pre-approval

Step 3.1: Submit the ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement

If you are planning to start a placement that counted towards ‘a minimum of 8 weeks in an engineering environment of ENGN3100’, you are required to complete the ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement with your Host and submit the signed agreement (by you and your host) here. Submission via email is not considered. It can take up to 20 business days for domestic placement and 30 business day for overseas placements form the day of your submission to resolve this step and receive the final outcome.

ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement

If you or your host has any concerns about the ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement, please contact studentemployability.css@anu.edu.au.

It is recommended that you seek independent legal advice before signing the agreement. ANUSA has a Legal Officer who can provide confidential free advice and review the agreement with you.

Step 3.2: Apply for ANU Insurance (if applicable)

If your placement is unpaid and not covered by the host organisation’s insurance, you can apply for ANU Insurance Coverage.

To apply, complete the ANU Student Activity Approval Form and submit it to the ENGN3100 Convenor at ENGN3100@anu.edu.au concurrently with step 3.1. You will receive an email notification once the insurance is confirmed.

Do not commence your placement until you have received the insurance confirmation. For overseas placements, ANU insurance has limitations, and you may need to arrange private insurance to meet placement or visa requirements.

Step 3.3: Submit travel eForm (if applicable)

If your placement requires travel outside the ACT, excluding your home city/country, you must submit the Travel eForm concurrently with step 3.1.

Find a SAMPLE Travel eForm here and select the ENGN3100 Convenor (Dr. Danlu Guo) as your supervisor. Once you receive the travel approval summary via your ANU email, forward the PDF to studentemployability.css@anu.edu.au to activate travel insurance.

For overseas placements, proof such as passport stamps or flight tickets must be submitted with your report. Do not book flights or make travel arrangements until your Travel eForm and placement are approved. ANU cannot provide Visa advice. Students are responsible for researching and meeting relevant visa conditions, including specific insurance or vaccination requirements.

Step 4: Start your placement

Make sure that you and your Employer/ Host record the hours you work. This can be done manually (for instance, recorded in a diary) or electronically through spreadsheets or by using an app such as the Record My Hours app. You will need a formal letter from your Host confirming your actual completed hours at the end of your placement.

Step 5: Book check-in appointment during the placement

If your placement is 12 weeks (420 hours), you must arrange a check-in appointment with the Convenor and the CSS Senior Student Employability Officer. The booking link is here.

If your placement is under 12 weeks or 420 hours, check-ins are not mandatory but are still recommended. You can find the suggested timeline for booking a check-in in the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Step 6: Finishing your placement

Obtain necessary documents from your host. Please refer to the ENGN3100 report template (attached in step 7) and Frequently Asked Questions section below for more information.

Step 7: Enrol and submit your report

To satisfy the ENGN3100 requirements, you must submit a written report via Wattle. Enrol in ENGN3100 in the semester you plan to complete and submit your report.

Download ENGN3100 Report Template

Explore the resources and services offered by the ANU Careers Centre, which can help with job searching, networking, resume and cover letter writing, and interview preparation. You can also make an appointment with the ANU Careers Consultants and they will support you in your search for a job and guide you to successfully navigate application, interview and selection processes.

The Information Letter to Work Experience Employers in the ENGN3100 report template can be provided to potential employers to explain the requirements for Practical Work Experience.

This is an engineer either:

1. registered for practicing engineering in specific fields in Australia or overseas; or
2. obtained a tertiary degree in an engineering discipline; or
3. a professional engineer with either a tertiary degree in a related discipline (e.g., IT, physics, science) and is currently working in an engineering role, or have substantial (>10 years) experience working as an engineer.

Yes, your host will be cc’ed while we sending out the outcome to you and will have access to the executed agreement.

No, you can complete the hours in segments and in a number of ways. For example, you can complete a 12-week block over the Summer Holiday period, or weekly shifts with an organisation over the course of your degree, or multiple shorter blocks of full-time work. Just a note: if you are working in different segments (i.e., with different hosts) to fulfill the minimum 8 weeks of work in an engineering environment, you will need to go through the pre-approval process for each segment. You don’t need pre-approval for the remaining 4 weeks in a non-engineering environment.

Yes, remote/hybrid placements are accepted as long as they meet the ENGN3100 Practical Experience requirements. Please indicate “remote” as the placement location when filling out the ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement.

If you have undertaken ENGN3200 Engineering Internship and wish to claim the same work experience completed towards ENGN3100, see the guide on How to claim work experience completed in ENGN3200 towards ENGN3100.

Yes, it can still be counted towards “the remaining 4 weeks in any type of employment”.

No, You CANNOT commence in your placement until your ENGN3100 Practical Experience Placement Agreement is fully executed, and you have received the outcome via email.

No, any engineering work experience placement commencing after 31 March 2024 cannot be approved retrospectively.

• One check-in, if the placement is up to 4 weeks.
• Two check-ins, if the placement is up to 8 weeks.
• Three check-ins, if the placement is up to 12 weeks.

Obtain a formal letter of employment from your employer detailing the duration of the placement (including total hours), the nature of work undertaken and your supervisor’s name and position details. This is required for each placement you are counting towards the 12-week (420 hour) total.

Get the Feedback form filled by your employer.

Also inform your employer that a “Signed Letter confirming claims made within Report” will be needed from them, once the report is written.

If you need to update your ENGN3100 agreements, you must ask your host to send the corresponding updates to studentemployability.css@anu.edu.au for approval and record-keeping.

When submitting your ENGN3100 report, please make sure you inform ENGN3100 Course Convenor, if your Host Organisation has arranged any Confidentiality Agreement around the work you had undertaken with them. It is your responsibility to discuss this with the Convenor, if there is any Confidentiality Agreement. ANU’s preference will be not to go into a Confidentiality Agreement. Instead, we wish your Host Supervisor to work with you to ensure that no confidential information is included in your report and assessment.

Obtain a formal letter of employment from your employer detailing the duration of the placement (including total hours), the nature of work undertaken and your supervisor’s name and position details. This is required for each placement you are counting towards the 12-week (420 hour) total.

Get the Feedback form filled by your employer.

Also inform your employer that a “Signed Letter confirming claims made within Report” will be needed from them, once the report is written.

No. For example, if you completed all the required 420 hours in Winter 2025, you do not need to complete the report immediately in Winter 2025.

Yes! Student Employability team offers weekly appointments, and a team member will meet with you. You can book an appointment via Career Central.