Our programs

Professional Year

Your pathway into the engineering profession in Australia

Apply

Our programs

Professional Year

Your pathway into the engineering profession in Australia

Apply

On this page

Overview

The only Professional Year in Engineering recognised by the Australian Government, this program bridges the gap between full-time study and employment in Australia.

As an international graduate, completing the Professional Year will prepare you for an engineering job. The Professional Year is more than a course—it's a pathway into the engineering profession. Develop your professional network. Show employers that you understand engineering work in Australia.

How the program works

Over 44 weeks, and through a mix of classroom training and an industry placement, you'll:

  • increase your understanding of the Australian workplace and culture
  • earn valuable work experience through an internship in an Australian company
  • develop a network of peers and other industry professionals
  • attend Engineers Australia events at no extra cost
  • significantly strengthen your chance of having a career as an engineer in Australia.

The Professional Year in Engineering has two parts:

  • 32 weeks of practical, face-to-face training in a classroom
  • a 12-week full-time, unpaid internship with an Australian engineering company in a role that matches your engineering discipline or area of practice.

The practical training component teaches you the skills you need to succeed professionally in Australia

After successfully completing the program, you can apply for five migration points under an eligible skilled occupation.

Places are limited

We want to maintain the quality of the experience for everyone who takes part in the Professional Year, so places are strictly limited. Apply as soon as possible to increase your chances of being selected.

Apply

Please be aware of possible fraudulent fee “payment” scams targeting students at many universities and education providers. To avoid falling victim, students are reminded to have their financial affairs in order before applying to enrol in the program. We do not offer discounted fees, and any fees owing are to be paid directly to Engineering Education Australia.

  1. Have your credit card ready to pay the non-refundable $350 administration fee.
  2. Gather all the required supporting documents, check that they are complete and certified where required.
  3. Submit your application online -  select the “Apply now” button and follow the prompts. This involves a 2-step e-signature verification process.
  4. If successfully submitted, your application will be placed in a queue and assessed in due course.
  5. Once we’ve processed your application, if successful, you will receive an application acknowledgement letter.
  6. Your chosen provider will contact you to arrange an interview time, they will also confirm class location and start time.

Supporting Documentation

You must include copies of the following supporting documentation with your Professional Year application.

485 - Skilled Graduate Applicants

  • Skills Assessment outcome letter or receipt from Engineers Australia
  • Academic transcripts (certified copy required)
  • Proof of English language proficiency* (certified copy required)
  • Visa IMMI Grant Notification**
  • Passport (photo and signature pages) (certified copy required)

476 - Skilled Graduate Applicants

  • Skills Assessment outcome letter or receipt from Engineers Australia
  • Academic transcripts (certified copy required)
  • Proof of English language proficiency* (certified copy required)
  • Visa IMMI Grant Notification***
  • Passport (photo and signature pages) (certified copy required)

*International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 

**You must have a minimum of 12 months validity on your Visa to be eligible for this program. Please ensure your preferred start date allows sufficient time in accordance with your Visa details.

***Please note that 476 Visa holders may be asked to provide evidence of their arrival date in Australia.

Proper certification should appear on each page to be certified. The certification must be handwritten or stamped in person, and show:

  • The signature of the person certifying the document
  • The date of certification, and
  • The name of the person certifying the document – printed clearly or evident in an official stamp with the contact details of the person or
  • An official stamp indicating the status of the person certifying the document, ie Justice of the Peace, or Commissioner for Oaths or
  • If a lawyer certifies documents, then the lawyers name must be indicated not just the law firm.

Copies of passports, academic transcripts, and IELTS report, must be certified within the last 3 months by an authorised person if within Australia, or by Australian Embassy if overseas.

We do not accept certification by migration agents.

You can submit your application at any time.

Note that the high demand and limited places in the program may mean a waiting period applies. If you’re successful, we’ll add you to the next available intake.

Program details

Price

Option 1

Full payment on application - $15,200

Option 2

Three instalments over 4 months - $15,500

Duration
12 Months
Location & dates

1 January - 31 December

Additional Information

Notice of fraud
Please be aware of possible fraudulent fee “payment” scams targeting students at many universities and education providers. We do not offer discounted fees, and any fees owing are to be paid directly to Engineering Education Australia via our website or on receipt of invoice.

Intake dates

Start End Days and times City Provider
04 January 2025 05 December 2025 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Brisbane Indus Institute
04 January 2025 05 December 2025 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Toowoomba Indus Institute
18 January 2025 16 January 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5:00pm Darwin NIT Australia
18 January 2025 16 January 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Perth NIT Australia
18 January 2025 19 December 2025 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Brisbane Indus Institute
18 January 2025 19 December 2025 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Toowoomba Indus Institute
25 January 2025 23 January 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Melbourne NIT Australia
25 January 2025 23 January 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Perth NIT Australia
25 January 2025 25 January 2026 Saturday: 9.00am - 5.30pm Sydney Albright Institute
25 January 2025 25 January 2026 Saturday: 9.00am - 5.30pm Melbourne Albright Institute
Start End Days and times City Provider
01 February 2025 02 January 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Brisbane Indus Institute
01 February 2025 02 January 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Toowoomba Indus Institute
08 February 2025 06 February 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Perth NIT Australia
15 February 2025 12 February 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Perth NIT Australia
22 February 2025 20 February 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Melbourne NIT Australia
22 February 2025 20 February 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5:00pm Darwin NIT Australia
22 February 2025 22 February 2026 Saturday: 9.00am - 5.30pm Sydney Albright Institute
22 February 2025 22 February 2026 Saturday: 9.00am - 5.30pm Melbourne Albright Institute
22 February 2025 06 February 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Brisbane Indus Institute
22 February 2025 06 February 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Toowoomba Indus Institute
Start End Days and times City Provider
08 March 2025 06 March 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Perth NIT Australia
15 March 2025 13 March 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Perth NIT Australia
15 March 2025 27 February 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Brisbane Indus Institute
15 March 2025 27 February 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5.00pm Toowoomba Indus Institute
22 March 2025 22 March 2026 Saturday: 8.00am - 4.30pm Melbourne NIT Australia
22 March 2025 20 March 2026 Saturday: 8.30am - 5:00pm Darwin NIT Australia
22 March 2025 22 March 2026 Saturday: 9.00am - 5.30pm Sydney Albright Institute
22 March 2025 22 March 2026 Saturday: 9.00am - 5.30pm Melbourne Albright Institute

Check your eligibility

To enter the Professional Year Program, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Educational requirements

You must have an engineering degree at the level of Technologist or Professional Engineer completed within 4 years of the date of application, with a minimum of two years (94 weeks) study duration.

The degree must qualify as an Engineering course (Broad and Narrow Fields) under the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

The Academic transcripts you must provide are your bachelor’s degree or higher from an Australian university. If your Australian degree is not in engineering, you must also submit your overseas engineering degree transcripts.

2. Visa requirements

You must have applied for or been issued one of the following visas:

  • Skilled Graduate (Temporary) 485 visa
  • Bridging Visa A or C for an eligible visa type
  • Skilled Recognised Graduate 476 visa

Visa conditions must grant full work and study rights.

You must also have at least 12 months remaining on your visa from the date the program starts.

If you’ve applied for a Skilled Graduate (Temporary) 485 visa, then you must have nominated an engineering ANZSCO code for migration purposes.

If you don’t hold the right visa, or have questions about visa eligibility, contact the Department of Home Affairs.

We do not accept Student 500 visas.

3. Proof of English language proficiency

We accept valid test results from International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Other requirements

You must also have completed a successful Migration Skills Assessment through Engineers Australia, or provide your MSA tax receipt from Engineers Australia if the outcome is still pending. Students cannot graduate without proof of a successful MSA outcome.

Migration points

After completing the program, you’ll be eligible to apply for five migration points. You can use these for all points-test visas.

Completion of the Professional Year doesn’t guarantee permanent residency.

For all migration and visa questions, including if you can work while completing the program, contact the Department of Home Affairs.

Australian citizens and permanent residents who are also recent graduates can also apply for the program. The Professional Year Program is full-fee paying and HECS doesn’t apply.

Who can certify your documents

You must have your supporting documents certified in Australia, within the three months prior to submitting your application.

We do not accept certification by migration agents.

The following people can certify documents:

  • Chiropractor
  • Dentist
  • Medical practitioner
  • Nurse
  • Optometrist
  • Pharmacist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Psychologist
  • Legal practitioner
  • Patent attorney
  • Trademarks attorney
  • Bailiff
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Judge
  • Magistrate Registrar, or Deputy Registrar
  • Clerk
  • Master of a court
  • CEO of a Commonwealth court
  • Commissioner for Affidavits
  • Commissioner for Declarations (dependent on jurisdictions)
  • Elected federal, state or territory, or local members
  • Federal, state or territory or local public servants who have been employed for five or more years
  • Chartered Secretaries Australia
  • Engineers Australia, other than at the grade of student (must include member number)
  • Australian Defence Force (an officer, or a non-commissioned officer with 5+ years of continuous service, or a warrant officer)
  • Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
  • Permanent employees of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
  • Bank officer, building society officer, credit union officer, finance company officer who has been employed for five or more years
  • Veterinary surgeon
  • Accountant (member of ICA, ASA, NIA or CPA, ATMA, NTAA)
  • Minister of religion, or marriage celebrant
  • Notary public
  • Holder of a statutory office not specified in another item in this Part
  • Police officer
  • Sheriff or Sheriff’s officer
  • Teacher (full-time) at a school or tertiary education institution

How to certify your documents

The person certifying the copy must see the original document. They’ll check that the copy is the same as the original.

One-page documents

If your document is one page, they must write on or stamp the copy:

  • ‘This is a certified true copy of the original as sighted by me’

Two or more page documents

If your document is two or more pages, they must write on or stamp the copy:

  • ‘I certify this and the following [number of pages] pages to be a true copy of the original as sighted by me’ on the first page

They must then:

  • sign and date the first page
  • initial all other pages
  • add their full name, occupation and phone number
  • add their address (optional).

Learning outcomes

  • Communication: Communicating effectively in the workplace, resume writing and interview techniques
  • Teamwork: Taking part successfully within a team
  • Career development: Strategies you can use to create the successful career you want
  • Client relations: Providing effective service to internal and external clients
  • Workplace law: Australian legal requirements for workplaces and operations
  • Health and safety: Work Health and Safety (WHS) legislation and processes
  • Organisational needs: Working effectively within an organisation to meet their requirements, including equal opportunity and diversity
  • Professionalism: Strategies for applying occupation-specific knowledge and skills to complex professional situations

Program structure

Practical training – 32 weeks

You can choose to complete the practical training over one full day or two nights per week. You must complete the program within 12 months. Each provider will structure the program to suit the majority of participants. Some will offer after-hours classes. Speak to your provider if you have specific attendance requirements.

Topics covered include:

  • effective resume writing and interview techniques
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Occupational Health, Safety and Environment (OHSE) processes
  • legislative requirements for working in Australia.

Internship – 12-weeks, full-time and unpaid

The internship is an unpaid ‘job-ready’ program.

With a mentor to support you along the way, you'll build a network of colleagues and professionals and apply your practical training in the workplace. We'll seek to place you in a firm within your engineering discipline or area of practice, but we can’t always guarantee this.

Networking and professional development

As part of the program, you’ll also:

  • have ongoing networking opportunities
  • become a Graduate Member of Engineers Australia
  • submit a Work Placement Report.

Completing the program doesn’t guarantee you employment. However, it does make you ‘job-ready’ for the Australian workforce and it provides valuable networking opportunities through Engineers Australia events.

Our partners

We partner with a small number of exclusive education providers to deliver this program across Australia. They are all recognised learning institutions, authorised by Engineering Education Australia to deliver the program.

Our partners include:

Assessment

  • Your assessment is based on reports from course facilitators.
  • There are no exams.
  • You must complete all tasks to a satisfactory standard in English (minimum IELTS Level 6).
  • Your work placement (internship) assessment is based on a report signed by your supervisor within the company.

When you enter the program, you’ll get Participant Guidelines and a Participant Handbook, both of which include more detail about assessments.

If you fail a component

If you fail a component, speak to your program provider.

Each provider has its own policy about whether you can repeat program components if you fail them.

Got a question?

If you have a question about this program, contact our Professional Year Program Coordinators.

Already enrolled

For information for current students including attendance requirements, resources and forms visit the Professional Year in Engineering Orientation page.

Got a question for our accounts team?

Please be aware of possible fraudulent fee “payment” scams targeting students at many universities and education providers. To avoid falling victim, students are reminded to have their financial affairs in order before applying to enrol in the program. We do not offer discounted fees, and any fees owing are to be paid directly to Engineering Education Australia.

Contact our accounts team if you're already enrolled in the Professional Year Program and have a question about payment.

 

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