By working together with the University of Melbourne, we can help build a future pipeline of teachers for your own school, and help create great teachers. The Master of Teaching Secondary Internship (MTSI) is a program that allows your school to embed our best and brightest job-ready teaching talent. The program allows you to strengthen your staff base and identify future talent that already understands your culture and community.
Why become a partner?
We are the only university in Australia that applies a clinical model of education, bringing together theory and practice to prepare our teaching graduates to support learners of all abilities.
Secure high-quality teaching talent
Connect with high-achieving graduates, career changers and aspiring teachers who are ready to contribute to your school while completing their qualifications. Hosting an intern helps you identify and retain future staff who already know your school’s culture and community.
Access a clinical model of teacher education
Our Clinical Teaching Model brings together theory and practice to prepare graduates to support learners of all abilities. Mentor teachers receive professional development, while clinical educators provide coaching, school visits and academic support throughout the internship.
Strengthen your staffing pipeline
Establish a steady pipeline of qualified teachers in priority subject areas while increasing support across your school. Interns gain deep experience in your setting, creating a stronger pathway from placement to employment.
Build capability across your school
Mentoring an intern develops leadership capability, encourages reflective practice and strengthens professional learning. Interns also bring contemporary research, fresh ideas and innovative teaching approaches into your classrooms.
How the process works
Government and non-government schools are both eligible to participate. Employment arrangements differ slightly between sectors. Review our FAQs for more information or our team will guide you through the requirements relevant to your school.
- Step 1
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Register your interest to become a partner school
Tell us you'd like to become a partner school and we'll discuss your staffing needs, teaching areas and whether the Internship is the right fit.
- Step 2
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Match with an outstanding Intern
- Non-government schools: The University works with schools and candidates to support the matching process through UniConnected.
- Government schools: Matching and recruitment are facilitated by the Department of Education.
- Step 3
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Confirm your partnership
Finalise the partnership agreement, appoint a Mentor Teacher, and we'll guide you through employment requirements, including Permission to Teach (PTT).
- Step 4
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Welcome your Intern
Complete your school induction, introduce your intern to your staff and students, and prepare them for a successful start in the classroom with ongoing University support. We'll provide onboarding guidance, mentor support and ongoing engagement throughout the internship.
- Step 5
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Grow great teachers together
Your Intern begins teaching while studying, supported by your Mentor Teacher and a University Clinical Educator. Clinical Educators maintain regular contact with your school to ensure a successful experience for both mentors and Interns.
Want to know more?
For more information about our programs and how to partner with us, get in touch with the partnership team.
St. Mary MacKillop College, Swan Hill
“St. Mary MacKillop College has partnered with the MTSI program to host three teacher interns over the past two years. This initiative has provided our small rural school in Victoria with valuable opportunities to recruit new educators from diverse backgrounds and to fill teaching vacancies. We have successfully employed interns in areas such as Mathematics, Science, Visual Arts, Languages, and EAL. The process is straightforward and highly efficient. The effectiveness of the new teachers at our school depends on strong mentorship, and the MTSI staff at Melbourne University have offered excellent guidance and support to both the interns and their mentors.”
— Michelle Haeusler, Principal
Frequently asked questions
About the Master of Teaching Secondary Internship for partner schools?
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Interns are employed as paraprofessionals for the duration of their course (either 12 or 24 months).
- The 24-month stream is designed for graduates who are commencing their initial teacher education.
- The 12-month stream is designed for teacher candidates who have already completed their first year of study.
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The Faculty of Education employs a Clinical Teaching model to partner with your school, combining school‑based induction and professional learning with academic support. Central to this approach is the Mentor Teacher, a school‑based staff member appointed to support the intern throughout the Internship. Faculty Clinical Educators will visit your school regularly to support your intern(s), bridging theory, research and practice and working closely with the Mentor Teacher to strengthen candidate development and your future teaching team.
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Mentor Teachers undertake a key supervisory and coaching role and receive complimentary professional development from the Faculty to prepare them for this responsibility, beginning in Term 1. Under the University–School Partnership Agreement for the UniMelb Internship, Mentor Teachers are allocated 1.5 hours per week (90 minutes) of timetabled non‑teaching time to fulfil mentoring duties. Mentor Teachers do not receive additional payment for this role.
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The university allocates four days at the end of the recruitment period for interns who have secured employment to complete a school induction. This allows interns to meet staff, familiarise themselves with the school grounds, and undertake any activities the school considers beneficial before commencing employment.
Key points:
Duration: up to four days, but schools may use fewer
Flexibility: on-site requirements vary by school and can be scheduled at different times if preferred and agreed to by both parties
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Interns are employed at 0.8 FTE with a 0.6 FTE teaching load, irrespective of which sector they work in (government or non-government). Interns must be given a 0.2 full-time equivalent FTE paid release time on Fridays to complete their university study.
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Interns are employed and paid according to their time fraction. Payment of the Interns salary is no less than the reference rate of paraprofessional scale 1-3 in the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022. The employment contract will include employment entitlements including superannuation, leave benefits and worker’s compensation.
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Once an intern accepts an employment offer, they must remain with the employing school for the duration of the internship. Changes of employment will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the faculty.
Government Schools
Government schools are required to meet the Department of Education's Learning Area (LA) and Local Government Area (LGA) criteria to be eligible to participate.
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Following the Department of Education’s introduction of priority Learning Areas and priority Local Government Areas (LGAs), only government schools that meet both of the following conditions will be eligible to appoint candidates under the Master of Teaching Secondary Internship (MTSI) commencing 2027:
- Be located within a priority LGA.
- In at least one priority Learning Area: English, Mathematics or Science (including Biology, Chemistry and Physics).
If your school does not meet both conditions, it will not be eligible for employment in the government‑sector.
If your school is a government school and you have any queries, please refer to the DE website or contact the Department of Education.
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Schools can register their interest in the MTSI program through the Department of Education's Teach Today, Teach Tomorrow program. The Department matches eligible schools with suitable candidates.
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Eligible students are referred to participating government schools within the relevant local government areas. Schools may then select candidates to interview and, at their discretion, extend employment offers. Candidate matching is coordinated by the Department of Education.
Non-government schools
Non-government schools in Melbourne and across regional Victoria are not restricted by LGA and LA requirements.
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Non‑government schools in Melbourne and regional Victoria are not subject to priority LGA or Learning Area restrictions and are therefore eligible to participate in the MTSI program.
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To support the matching process, all non‑government partners will be invited to UniConnected, which provides direct access to available candidates.
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Partners with an existing UniConnected account can log in once recruitment opens in August to view MTSI candidates; partners without an account will receive an invitation and can create one in a few minutes. Access to UniConnected is free for the MTSI opportunity.
More information about UniConnected and the other Opportunities on the platform can be found on the UniConnected website.