Placement overview

Guiding principles

All placements are guided by the learning outcomes established for the Psychological Science in Practice unit. Placements are undertaken in partnership with a wide range of placement providers located throughout metropolitan Melbourne, regional and rural areas of Victoria.

As this new unit grows, we hope to offer both interstate and international placements in the future. Placements can take place in psychology-related sectors, community health services, private entities and a variety of other locations such as non- government organisations, schools and local councils. This means the management of placements is informed by regulatory requirements, health and education policies, client rights, the values of our partners and the standards promulgated by the professions, registration boards and course accreditation bodies.

Hosting a Monash University psychology student will provide multiple benefits to your organisation, including:

Access to top talent. Our students have specialised training with diverse psychological expertise and skills sought by a variety of professional settings.
Opportunity to inspire the next generation. Providing students with real-world work experience within your organisation will provide important insight into novel professional settings and support discovery of alternate career pathways.
Partnership with a well-recognised University. Monash University is a top 50 university. Hosting a student will showcase your commitment to the community, enhancing your brand's image.
Workforce. Hosting a student provides a cost-effective opportunity to test interprofessional teams/projects and recruit potential future employees for your organisation.
Leadership experience. Supervising a placement student provides your team with the opportunity to expand their mentoring and leadership skills.

Why host a psychology student?

A degree in Psychology from Monash University provides students with specialised training to allow them to:

Apply psychological principles to personal, social, organisational, technological and global issues
Appreciate the need for continued personal and professional development in a highly skilled psychology workforce
Utilise communication and IT skills to disseminate findings in a professional manner, to a variety of audiences
Demonstrate knowledge of legislation relating to research, and professional responsibilities in the practice of psychology and understand the role of ethics in maintaining the integrity, accountability and cohesiveness of the profession
Apply knowledge and understanding of the core Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) topic areas, their conceptualisation, elucidation and prediction of patterns in behaviour, psychological functioning and mental health
Contribute to the development and execution of research utilising statistical skills and methodology, providing solutions to problems
Understand the scientific study of psychology through research that include critical analysis of current literature, along with evaluation of research problems
Understand the theoretical background to, construction, administration, and interpretation of psychological tests and assessment procedures

Placement matching process

Student training

The information below references the Monash Unit Handbook and our 2026 Placement Information Pack.

In this work-integrated learning unit, students will apply psychological knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios encountered over the course of a capstone project.
Students will complete a unique project that will be embedded within host settings and jointly defined by the host organisation and unit coordinator(s). From gaining practical experience in host settings students will recognise the broad range of career opportunities in psychology, and the diverse settings in which psychological knowledge may be applied. They will also develop professional and transferable skills to improve preparedness for entry into the workforce.
Their project may be derived from industry, clinical, community and research streams. Subject to the nature of the project, the main component of the unit may involve the student completing a placement. This will be in addition to the time spent on reflection, self-directed learning and completion of assessment tasks.
All of our psychology courses are accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). All students have training in the foundational core competencies.
Principles, theories and concepts
- The science of psychology and the social, cultural, historical and professional influences on the practice of psychology
- Individual differences in capacity, behaviour and personality
- Psychological health and wellbeing, psychological disorders and evidence-based interventions
- Neuroscience and the biological bases of behaviour - learning, memory, cognition, motivation, emotion, language and perception
- Social psychology and lifespan developmental psychology
- Culturally appropriate psychological assessment and measurement, research methods and statistics
Apply knowledge & skill
- Apply psychology in a manner that is reflexive, culturally appropriate and sensitive to the diversity of individuals.
Analyse & communicate
- Analyse and critique theory and research in the discipline of psychology and communicate these in written and oral formats.
Values & teamwork
- Understand values and ethics in psychology, interpersonal skills, teamwork, and self-directed pursuit of scholarly inquiry in psychology.
Evaluate how core concepts and theories of Psychology relate to a variety of project settings.
Critically evaluate your own actions, leadership skills, and professional development.
Explore how to effectively apply interpersonal skills to collaborate with others in a project setting.
Communicate clearly and effectively professional expectations, and the benefits and challenges of working in an interdisciplinary environment.
Engage in peer discussion regarding appropriate conduct when dealing with core professional issues.
Apply critical thinking and decision making in real-world scenarios encountered during capstone projects.

Our graduates develop a wide range of skills including a deep understanding of human behaviour, ability to communicate and present ideas effectively, and advanced research and critical thinking skills. All of these skills are directly transferable to a wide variety of workplaces."

Professor Shantha Rajaratnam, Head of School of Psychological Sciences