Master of Social Work Enquiry

Field education placements

As a Social Work student, you will benefit from two intensive, full-time, fourteen-week field education placements during your degree, enabling you to integrate theory and practice in real community situations.

Placement opportunities

Placements may be undertaken in Melbourne, Shepparton, Alice Springs or overseas*, and take place from May to August.

Students are placed in a range of settings where learning experiences are with individuals and families, groups and communities. The placement can include 'hands on' work and may also introduce you to project work, research work and social policy formulation.

Our strong links with a range of community service agencies mean we can offer students placements across a variety of fields, including:

- Health, eg. hospital or community health - Mental health
- Local government - Ageing
- Department of Human Services, eg. child protection, disability, youth justice
- Child and family services, eg. family support, intercountry adoptions and family records, family counselling

Metropolitan placements

In addition, our partnership arrangements offer students the opportunity to undertake placements in the following organisations:

 

Regional placements

With support from the University's School of Rural Health, social work students are able to complete a placement in Shepparton, and can access University accommodation whilst on placement. Refer to the Shepparton placements poster for further details.

Overseas placements

Placements may be identified and arranged in overseas countries where a supervisor with comparable AASW qualifications can be found, and all safety, compliance and duty of care requirements can be met.

Early planning for overseas placement is vital, and we encourage you to discuss any opportunities with us, and contact us for more information.

* Overseas placements may be arranged for the final placement only

Scholarships

Please also refer to the Scholarships and bursaries page to check your eligibilty for any scholarships, particularly if you are considering a rural, interstate or overseas placement.

Field placement guidlines

The provision of field education placements is guided by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Practice Standards and the AASW Accreditation Standards (refer to 4.3 Learning for Practice in Field Education).


Frequently asked questions

  • Can I complete my placement part time?

    Yes. Although most placements are taken as a 14-week (70-day), full-time block to ensure continuity for agencies, clients and students, it is possible to complete a part-time (minimum 3 days a week) placement.

    A full-time placement is timetabled to start directly after Semester 1 in late May, and finish late August, before Semester 2 coursework starts in early September. Completing the placement part-time will mean the placement runs over a longer period, extending it well into semester 2.

    Please contact the field education office for more information, as we are happy to discuss this further.

  • Can I organise my placement myself?

    Students are not able to organise placements directly themselves as there are protocols between social work schools and agencies about offering social work placements. In addition, field education staff need to ensure any suggested placement meets the ASSW standards and subject requirements.

    Field education staff work closely with students on placement planning and welcome ideas and suggestions.

  • Can I do my placement at a specific agency?

    Placements are offered by agencies directly to social work schools, and field education staff then match offers to students based on where they live, background experiences and their fields of interest. You may indicate details of your interest areas or suggest specific agencies on your placement planning form.

  • Do I need to have a driver's licence for placement?

    Most placement agencies require students to have a driver's licence to attend meetings, take clients to appointments, etc. during placement. Students who do not have their licence will have limited placement options.

  • Do I get paid whilst on placement?

    Whilst on placement you are a student engaged in learning activities, and are therefore considered a ‘social worker in training' in the organisation, rather than an employee.

    The only exception is if the field education office and your employer consent to a work-based placement arrangement. See below.

  • Can I complete a placement at my own workplace?

    Yes. You can complete one, usually final, placement in your place of employment as long as the activities you will be engaged in are different from your pre-existing work, and are consistent with social work tasks. Please refer to the field education handbook for more information regarding eligibility and application for a work-based placement.

  • I have a welfare qualification and have worked in the human services sector for the last 10 years. Am I able to apply for credit for one of the field education placements?

    Students who apply for admission to the University of Melbourne Master of Social Work (MSW) degree are able to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the first field education placement. RPL seeks to recognize that students may enter the MSW course with prior learning from the completion of field education placements in related human services courses and/or prior work experience.

    These guidelines are based on the AASW Accreditation Standards.

    Applicants are required to produce a Practice Portfolio which demonstrates how the applicant's prior field education or work experiences meet the learning goals. Applications for RPL need to be made when students are enrolling in the MSW degree. For an application form please contact the Student and Academic Programs Officer for social work, or the Field Education team.