About Spark (CIE/CIP)

In the Spark program, students create innovation concepts and learn to approach their career as an innovation project. Spark comprises the subjects Creating Innovative Engineers (CIE)/Creating Innovative Professionals (CIP), aimed at University of Melbourne Masters students who are seeking an interdisciplinary learning experience.

What CIE/CIP offers Masters students

A unique opportunity

This subject was created to give you a unique opportunity: to learn about innovation, to develop a variety of innovation skills, and to directly apply your learnings to a real-life industry challenge.

Apply your skills to real projects

You'll be exposed to theories of human-centred innovation, and you'll apply them in your project. You’ll experience working in diverse teams, and using your newly-minted skills to deliver the project.

Think differently about your career

By the end of the semester, you’ll be armed with the theories and skills to approach your career like an innovation project.

Challenge yourself

This subject is challenging, experiential and requires significant self-direction. At the very minimum, you'll have some great stories to pull out in a job interview. And if you're up for the challenge, it could just have a life-changing impact on your career, mindset and skills.

How do I enrol?

Who is CIE/CIP for?

CIE/CIP is open to Masters level students from relevant programs in the Faculties of Engineering, Business & Economics, Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences and Architecture, Building & Planning.

It doesn’t matter how much innovation experience you have or don’t have – there’s always something to learn. However, we do recommend taking this subject towards the beginning of your Masters degree, to maximise the benefits you'll reap.

We also offer programs for professionals – explore our page for industry participants to learn more.

Why take CIE/CIP?

  • You’ve got the technical skills, but want to enhance other skills, such as communication, innovation, interviewing and ideation
  • You’re interested in gaining an edge over other early-career graduates
  • You need some real-world experience in an environment where it’s safe to experiment and test ideas
  • You want to form networks and professional connections that could last throughout your entire career.
IPP Student experience - Yarra Valley Water | 1:01 min

Is this all really true?

Yes! We've been running the program since 2017, and innovate and make changes based on student feedback every semester.

But, don’t take our word for it. Watch the video above for a glimpse into the student experience, or discover what some of our past students say about the subject.

What will I do in CIE/CIP?

There are multiple elements to the CIE/CIP experience. Below is an overview of what you'll be doing as a student.

  • The innovation project
    • You'll work in a team of 4 – 6 students with the support of a project mentor
    • Each team will work on a different industry-sponsored innovation challenge
    • Over 12 weeks, you will:
      • Create a project brief
      • Gather data through interviews
      • Generate data-driven insights
      • Come up with creative ideas
      • Develop a proposal to address the innovation challenge
      • Pitch your idea (as a team) to sponsors, mentors and other affiliates of the program in the Week 12 Project Showcase.
  • The personal project

    You’ll also focus on a second, equally important project: you and your career.

    To achieve this, over the semester you will:

    • Think deeply on where you are now, where - and more importantly who - you might want to be, and how you can get there. To help you with this, you will complete regular written reflections with the aim of crafting and innovating your personal and career paths.
    • Learn how to give effective and useful feedback through weekly written feedback assessments.
    • Applying the innovation and reflection skills you’ve developed over the semester with your team project, you will build your personal and professional future plan. This will involve designing practical steps to enable you to move into the next phase of your life.
  • In class you will:
      • Spend time with your team and project mentor
      • Have contact with industry sponsors (Weeks 2 and 12)
      • Hear from a variety of guest speakers
      • Learn theoretical and applied concepts for innovation and personal growth
      • Apply innovation tools to your project.
  • Outside of class you will:
      • Watch pre-recorded lectures (so we can keep classroom time as interactive as possible)
      • Engage with weekly pre-class readings and videos
      • Meet with your team, project mentor and industry project sponsor
      • Interview users.
  • Topics covered

    In this subject, you will learn about the following topics. You will then have the opportunity to directly apply your learning to your project.

    Innovation and design

    • Human-centred design
    • Designing for difference
    • Designing for value

    Personal insight

    • Perception, difference and diversity
    • Growth mindset
    • Career pivots

    Tools and techniques

    • Double diamond approach for innovation
    • Business model and value proposition canvas
    • Ideation techniques such as orthodoxy analysis, temporal sequencing, lead users
    • Iteration and pivoting.

Go to Enrolment information

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