Bachelor of Business
Bachelor of Communication
Bachelor of Banking, Finance and Technology
- FNTECH397 FinTech Industry Experience
Watch the video to learn how students at Waikato Management School can gain real-world business experiences through our Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) papers, which bridge academic learning with professional skills to foster your future success in the workplace.
A Work Integrated Learning (WIL) paper is embedded in each of our undergraduate degrees and provides students with hands-on experience that further develops their skills in business, critical thinking, innovation and communication.
WIL Workshop
Please log in to your MyWIL account to view the upcoming WIL Workshop sessions as well as upcoming dates and deadlines.
Your chosen WIL paper will depend on which degree you are pursuing and what you hope to get out of your WIL paper. The subject area of your WIL paper must relate to either your major or minor.
WSAFE Choose this paper code if you have a major or minor in: Accounting, Agribusiness, Finance or Economics.
WSOMM Choose this paper code if you have a major or minor in: Business Analytics, Digital Business, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Leadership Communication, Marketing, Project Management, Public Relations, Strategic Management, Supply Chain Management or Tourism and Hospitality Management.
Note: If you have a major and/or minor(s) in both WSAFE and WSOMM subjects, you must enrol in the WIL paper that matches the subject area of your internship/research. E.g. If you are studying a major in Accounting with a minor in Marketing, and your internship relates to Marketing, you would enrol in WSOMM396.
Preparing for your WIL paper
Unlike other papers, there are several steps you must complete before the start date of your WIL paper. Your enrolment is contingent on completing the preparatory steps outlined on this page.
Internship or industry experience
The internship paper provides students with an opportunity to gain supervised practical experience within an organisation. This paper enables students to identify their strengths and weaknesses through a variety of reflective evaluations of their work.
Requirements for your internship:
- It must directly relate to your WMS major(s) or minor(s) subject area
- You must have a designated mentor at your organisation to oversee your work
- You must complete a minimum of 110 working hours in your internship
- Before the start of the trimester, you must complete steps 1 – 3
Please apply to enrol in your WIL paper at least 3 months before the start of your WIL internship (Drop Down)
- Once your application to enrol in your WIL has been approved, please accept your enrolment agreement in MyWaikato.
- Enrolling 3 months in advance ensures that WMS can offer you support in finding an internship, should you need it.
- Once you are fully enrolled in MyWaikato, you will start to receive the WIL preparation emails, including important information such as deadlines and due dates.
Notes
- WIL preparation emails are sent up to four months before the start of your WIL paper.
- If you have arranged an internship or industry experience independently (not through MyWIL opportunities), you can skip Step 2: CV and proceed directly to Step 4: Proposal.
As part of professional development within your degree, you must have an approved CV and cover letter that is representative of your capabilities. This will enable organisations to determine your suitability for their position.
Note - If you have arranged an internship or industry experience independently (not through MyWIL opportunities), you can skip Step 2: CV and proceed directly to Step 4: Proposal.
Do you need assistance building your CV?
There are a number of resources available to help you in your MyCareer portal.
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From the MyCareer Homepage, click on the "Develop your CV" button. Complete the "Need CV Help Workflow' (in order):
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- Step 1: Workshop - If you are unable to attend an upcoming workshop, you can access the pre-recorded workshops from this tab.
- Step 2: CV Tips - View all information for help with constructing your CV.
- Step 3: Feedback - Submit your CV for review and feedback from a Career Development Consultant.
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Once you have received CV feedback and notes from a Careers Development Consultant and have made any necessary changes you can choose to attend an online drop-in session or career chat. The drop-in session schedule can be found at MyCareer->Appointments ->Drop-Ins
Once you have your CV, log into your MyWIL account, go to the 'Forms' tab, click 'Edit’, and submit the 'CV Review Form'.
- You will be emailed when a decision is made on your CV. Once you have an accepted CV on file you will be able to access available internships through MyWIL. See the next steps for further information.
- Your cover letter does not need to be submitted for review in MyWIL. Your cover letter will be sent to your internship selections when you follow the instructions in the ‘Step 3: Internships’ tab. Any review of your cover letter can be done through your MyCareer portal.
If you would like to apply for an internship with an organisation that is partnered with WMS, you can view these opportunities two months before the start of your WIL paper. To view these:
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Logging into your MyWIL account
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Going to the ‘WIL Activities’ tab
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Click ‘Opportunities’ (top right corner).
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‘Select’ up to three preferred internship choices
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Click ‘Save’.
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You will need to attach your personalised CV and Cover Letter to each of your selected internships by clicking ‘Documents’ below each one, then click ‘Save’.
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- Note: Once you have saved your CV and cover letter, this will be submitted and then considered for the internship you have applied for. We are not able to guarantee acceptance from an organisation.
Important: Keep an eye out for incoming emails/calls from organisations. Take care to respond promptly and in a professional manner.
Finding an internship yourself?
Resources to help find an internship can be found:
Regardless of whether you have preferenced in MyWIL or have found your own internship, please see the next steps to complete your 'Proposal Form'.
You will need to submit your ‘Proposal Form’ for approval as soon as possible before the start of your WIL paper. This form can be found by:
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Logging into your MyWIL account
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Going to the ‘Forms’ tab
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Once there, click 'edit' on the ‘ Proposal Form’, fill in all required fields, and then click 'submit'.
Once you have submitted your Proposal form, this will be reviewed for suitability.
Please note, we are not able to guarantee that your proposal will be approved. You will receive an email once a decision has been made.
Report of an Investigation
The 399 is a research project undertaken by a student with academic supervision. This project aims to solve a 'problem' and should involve a company or industry that this will impact.
It provides students with the opportunity to complete a significant body of work with academic merit. Before undertaking a 399, students must discuss a topic that interests them with their supervisor or subject convenor and complete the following steps.
Requirements for your 399 project:
- It must directly relate to your WMS major(s) or minor(s) subject area
- You must have a company sponsor for your project
- Before the start of the trimester, you must complete steps 1 - 3 in the tabs below.
An ideal sponsoring organisation is:
- Established and reputable and is of a reasonable size
- Willing to share the information you need that ensures successful project completion
- Has a problem needing to be solved or is contemplating significant improvements
- Established, reputable, and of a reasonable size
- A representative of the company has approved your research subject and has agreed to provide the information you need to ensure successful project completion.
There is no minimum organisation size as it is more critical that the problem/opportunity is amenable to academic investigation. Smaller organisations often strive to improve some operational aspects significantly or marketplace impact. It is also acceptable that your organisation is owned or managed by a family member or friend; however, you must declare this to your supervisor in the Initial Proposal, who will help you avoid possible conflicts of interest.
The 399 Student Guide will be available on your 399 Moodle page two weeks before the start of the trimester, or alternatively, reach out to the paper convenor directly if you have any questions.
Once an organisation has approved your research subject, please apply to enrol in your 399 paper at least two weeks before the start of the 399 paper.
- Once your application to enrol in your 399 has been approved, please accept your enrolment agreement in MyWaikato
Initial Proposal
- Submit a '99 Initial Proposal Form' as soon as possible once you have access to the paper’s Moodle page (available two weeks before the start of the trimester) to ensure you are ready to begin your research as soon as the trimester starts.
- The outcome of your proposal will be emailed within ten working days.
- If approved, you will be allocated a supervisor to guide you in your research and report preparation.
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- If it is not approved, you will receive improvement suggestions and be invited to resubmit.
Formal Proposal
- Once the Initial Proposal is approved, schedule an appointment with your allocated supervisor to discuss and finalise your research topic.
- Prepare and submit a '99 Formal Proposal Form' (ideally soon after the meeting).
Refer to the Student Guide on your 399 Moodle page for guidance and a checklist.
Submit an 'Acknowledgement of External Relationship' Form
This form must be submitted within the first two weeks of trimester. This form can be found by:
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- Logging into your MyWIL account
- Going to the ‘Forms’ tab
- Once there, click edit on the ‘Acknowledgement of External Relationship Form’, fill in the required fields, and then click submit. It will then be considered for approval.
Frequently asked questions
Internship or industry experience
Students must complete a minimum of 110 hours at a host organisation. Most internships are completed between 10 and 17 weeks. This paper is designed for you to complete your 110 hours in a way that suits you and your organisation.
If you have found an internship that does not offer 110 hours within one trimester and some of the hours significantly overlap with another trimester, please reach out to MSC for help with selecting which trimester to enrol in.
Report of an Investigation
The enrolment period is a normal trimester. Revisions of the topic with your supervisor's help are included in the 17 weeks you have to complete the full report. Please note that your draft report should be submitted to your supervisor, and a second assessor, one month prior to this end date.
If you've found your own internship before the start of the trimester, you'll need to follow the steps above under the 'Internship or industry experience' section as soon as possible. Please note, we are not able to guarantee that your proposal will be approved. You will receive an email once a decision has been made.
If you have found an internship after the start of the trimester, please contact msc@waikato.ac.nz or book an appointment to speak with an advisor.
WMS is partnered with organisations both locally and throughout the North Island. Students will be able to find a list of these opportunities in MyWIL which will be advertised two months before the start of the trimester.
To apply for these internships, students will need to follow the steps outlined in the ‘396 Step 3: Internships’ tab above.
Yes, you can!
If you've found your own internship, you'll need to submit your ‘Internship Proposal Form’ in MyWIL. Please submit this as soon as possible for review. Please note, we are not able to guarantee that your proposal will be approved. You will receive an email once a decision has been made.
If you have any questions in regards to finding your own internship please contact msc@waikato.ac.nz or book an appointment book an appointment to speak with an advisor.
If the organisation that you have in mind would like additional information including requirements and expectations, you can refer them to this Work Integrated Learning brochure.
If your organisation has any questions, please refer them to email internships@waikato.ac.nz to speak with our WMS Engagement and Alumni Advisor.
An internship or industry experience involves immersion in the workplace, so you need to be able to meet the time commitments required for the paper. You must work on a supervised project or series of work tasks that directly relate to your chosen subject.
An internship does not necessarily require you to be located at the organisation. Depending on what options are available in your degree, it may also be undertaken as an individual project, group project or class project.
To see the requirements of an internship, please see the steps outlined in the ‘396 Requirements’ tab above.
Still unsure what counts?
Please contact msc@waikato.ac.nz or book an appointment to speak with an advisor.
Alternatively, you can submit your proposal form by following the instructions outlined within the “Step 4: Proposal” tab above. The Paper Convenor will get back to you with a decision or feedback once they have reviewed your form.
Yes you can!
You will need to include the location of your WIL opportunity on your proposal form. Please follow the instructions outlined under the "Step 4: Proposal" tab above. The paper convenor will back to you with a decision or feedback once they have reviewed your form.
Questions?
For questions, expressions of interest, or further information please contact msc@waikato.ac.nz.