Professional and Community Engagement program (PACE)
At Macquarie, PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) is our flagship work-integrated learning (WIL) program designed for undergraduate students like you.
PACE engages you in real-world learning activities with organisations across Australia and around the globe. You'll gain invaluable practical experience that employers value.
Discover PACE
About PACE
All Macquarie Bachelor degrees include at least one PACE unit. In this unit, you will engage in a practical learning activity where you will explore key economic, social and ethical challenges, and learn about how contemporary organisations address them.
You will also get the opportunity to contribute your knowledge, ideas and fresh perspective to support your host organisation’s mission and objectives.
Benefits of PACE
PACE will help you stand out from other graduates by giving you the opportunity to build your skills and ability to adapt in a rapidly changing world.
As a PACE student you can:
- Learn from sector-leading professionals
- Develop new knowledge and skills
- Explore future career options
- Build professional contacts and networks
- Become job-ready
- Be exposed to new and diverse perspectives
- Demonstrate your ability to adapt to new environments
- Develop cross-cultural competency
- Become a more informed global citizen
- Contribute to positive social change
The PACE difference
The scope, scale, and diversity of PACE are unmatched in the Australian Higher Education sector. We have a vast network of over 3,000 host organisations both within Australia and around the world.
We’ve embedded PACE units into all of our Bachelor degrees, so no matter what you're studying, you'll get the benefits of PACE.
Get set for your PACE opportunity and find more in the PACE site in Employability Connect.
Types of PACE activities
PACE offers a diverse range of practical activities within government, non-government, industry and not-for-profit organisations to give you the chance to put theory into practice in the real world.
Common PACE activities include:
- Internships: Elective, supervised workplace experiences offered by Macquarie Business School.
- Practicums: Compulsory, assessed workplace learning for accredited degrees in areas like education and health.
- Fieldwork: On-site data collection in natural or built environments, common in science degrees.
- Community Projects: Work with NGOs or non-profits to support community goals.
- Collaborative Research: Group projects aimed at generating new knowledge across disciplines.
- Industry Projects: Student teams tackle real business challenges with external partners, often on campus.
You can find out more in the PACE site in Employability Connect.
PACE Prizes
The Judyth Sachs PACE Prizes were established by Emeritus Professor Judyth Sachs to recognise and celebrate students who have completed a work integrated learning activity in the context of their PACE unit.
These prizes recognise the three main stakeholders involved with the provision of work integrated learning activities – students, staff and our industry partners. The prizes aim to promote the benefits and impact work integrated learning has on developing a students’ employability skills and confidence as they transition to work.
Congratulations to the 2024 PACE prize winners.
You can find out more in the PACE site in Employability Connect.