FAQs

FAQs

  • Enrolment is by application. Visit the Enrolment information page to find out how to apply.

  • Yes. Enrolment into CIP has always been by application. CIE is open for self-enrolment. Prior to December 2020, Pathway students who had completed ESD 1 or 2 could not enrol in the other selective, Critical Communication for Engineers (ENGR90021). Now they can, so the choice is yours!

    As CIE/CIP is a quota-based subject, and the quota is dependent on the number of projects each semester, we sometimes have more interested students than places available. If you are a Master of Engineering student and are self-enrolling in CIE, we advise you enrol as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Enrolment by application for CIP is how we ensure a fair enrolment process for all students, and a balance of disciplines across the classes.

  • Yes! These are real innovation challenges that for one reason or another, organisations can't solve on their own. These are some of the industry partners we've worked with.

  • There are several components to assessment in CIP. Please refer to the Assessment page of the Handbook for a comprehensive breakdown of the assessment tasks and grades.

    To answer a common query, no, there are no exams!

    Essentially, you'll be assessed on the following:

    Individual assignments:

    • Reflections every Thursday (except weeks 4, 7, 9 and 12)
    • Peer responses every Saturday (except weeks 1, 4, 7, 9 and 12)
    • a Personal Innovation Plan in Week 12.

    Team assessments:

    • A project brief (week 2)
    • A mind map (week 4) and a concept diagram (week 9)
    • A project report (week 14) - you'll be submitting a draft in week 12, so you'll have plenty of feedback for your final report!

  • Refer to relevant Eligibility and requirements page of the Handbook.

    If you're still not sure whether you're eligible to apply, please email ipp-team@unimelb.edu.au or check with your School or Department.

  • We thought it was better to rely on some of our previous CIP students to answer this one, as they can speak from experience.

    Josh, former CIE/CIP student, on the differences between CIP and his capstone project:

    Josh says that his capstone was a very technical project: It was framed as “this is the problem, this is how you solve it, this is the end goal, let’s create a map, let’s get there”. In contrast, CIE began with an idea. His CIE team asked themselves: “Is this idea feasible at all? Then we go and figure that out. [Once it] is feasible, … how do we actually make it work?”

    Josh’s capstone project was in his words, “very regimented, very structured, and very backed up by science”; whereas his CIE project was “very fluid, very ‘this is a crazy idea, let’s see if it’ll work’” and was supported by follow-up research.

    Emily, another former CIE student, put it differently:

    The difference with CIE, she says, is that you basically start from zero. In her case, she began the project “barely even knowing” what the parameters and requirements were. Emily says that the “project mentor is there to kind of guide you through, but really you’re driving yourself”. The takeaway from CIE, in contrast to a capstone or internship, is that you learn to think in a different way. You develop a totally different skillset, as a capstone project is much more technically focused. CIE/CIP enables you to become an innovative professional.

  • In the first class, you will be able to interview several of the project mentors and ask questions.

    During the class, you'll be asked to submit your top preferences for projects. You will also be able to write to one of the project mentors, pitching yourself to them.

    Each mentor will select up to three of the team members, and the other 2-3 places will be selected according to student preferences.

    This ensures all students are in one of their top 5 projects, although most are in their top 3.

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