How the Industry Partnership Program Works

The University of Melbourne's Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering enjoys a reputation as one of Australia's most innovative proponents of industry-based collaborations for learning. The university's software engineering degree is the first accredited degree of its kind in Australia.

Through its Industry Partnership Program (IPP), year three and year four students are required to undertake real life projects with selected organisations in commerce, industry, public administration and education.

Each year, it involves these students in a year-long project working in teams on live challenges with external organisations. The program offers these organisations the opportunity to test concepts and ideas for potential development into internal business or management solutions.

Alternately, some of the ideas can go on to become alpha projects - the test bed or launch platform of software products with the potential for commercialisation.

Third year students work in teams of four or five per project, supervised by senior CSSE staff and aided by selected fourth year students. The fourth year students work in larger groups of 14 or 15, (and sometimes up to 20), generally on more sophisticated problems.

Examples of projects

The range of software projects conducted since the program's formation in 1992 is wide. It includes the following:

• Animator/3D modelling/virtual reality
• Artificial intelligence and robotics
• Audio and sound design
• Business requirements analysis
• Business systems
• Computer system design and/or specification
• Computer-based training
• Custom-built and business office software
• Data communications
• Designer-graphics interface
• Digital imaging and video
• Document and catalogue systems
• Education and online learning
• Games production
• Information knowledge management
• Information management systems
• Intranet applications
• IT project management
• IT strategy, design or specification
• Mathematical and/or statistical modelling
• Mobile and wireless communications
• Multimedia
• Network system design
• Process and/or equipment control systems
• Security and encryption
• Software architecture design
• Systems integration and development.