Parliamentary Internship Program

Intern_reports

As the first state in Australia to host a Parliamentary internship program, the Victorian Parliament has forged an innovative partnership with leading universities in Melbourne. Following the inaugural intake in 1990 of 21 students from The University of Melbourne, the program was expanded to include students from Monash University in 1994, Victoria University in 2004 and La Trobe and Swinburne universities in 2016.

The Victorian Parliamentary internship program has proudly hosted over 1000 interns as an accredited semester unit of study from their university.

Students are tasked with compiling a research report on a topic established in consultation with their Member of Parliament. Mutually beneficial pairing is assured by taking into account research interests, areas of academic expertise, relevant political affiliation and geographical location. In testimony to the standard of research produced by interns, Members of Parliament have drawn upon internship reports during their Parliamentary debates and members statements.

An impressive array of internship alumni has emerged domestically and internationally, with graduates from the program establishing careers as Members of Parliament, committee staff, Clerks of the Parliament, newspaper editors, journalists, and Parliamentary officers.

News items