Supervised Professional Practice – Field Education

If you’re undertaking our Master of Social Work degree, you’ll complete 1000 hours of direct practice through our exceptional field education program. We guarantee students high-quality placements so they can practice their classroom learnings with real clients. Our team has an open door policy to assure we can support the best outcomes for our students during their placements.

Why our field education program is one of the best in the country

• We provide high quality placements within organisations that are considered industry leaders such as Family Violence (Safe Steps and Orange Door), Monash Health, Peninsula Health, Alfred Health, Eastern Health, Turning Point, Monash Law Clinics, Springvale Legal Services and more.
• We offer placements in a range of fields of practice. The field education team works closely with providers and students to outstanding field placements that meet or exceed ASWEAS standards. The areas of placement we offer includes family violence, community health, hospital, child mental health, disability, aged care, corrections, family support services, housing, youth justice, courts, community legal services, schools and more.
• We can guarantee that you’ll get a placement. During the recent COVID lockdowns, our social work team was one of the few Australian universities to successfully place all of our on-shore students, on time and with all required hours, due to our extensive partnerships and telehealth facilities.
• Our field education team is invested in preparing students for employment. We work closely with agency partners to establish graduate entry employment opportunities for students.
• Our students can take advantage of our pre-placement preparation workshops and resources to develop their knowledge and skills.
• Our team ensures that every placement is compliant with Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in the Master of Social Work

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process allows students with relevant work experience to apply for credit for some/all of their first placement (SWM5005).

The RPL will be granted on the following criteria:

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can be used only for part or all of the first placement .
• A student who is approved for RPL must undertake a final placement in an organisation that provides direct practice with onsite supervision by a qualified social worker.
• At the time of applying, the student must have worked for at least the equivalent of three full-time years in a setting such as welfare and human services organisation deemed appropriate or equivalent to a first placement setting.
• At least the final year of the student’s work experience will be within three years of applying for RPL .
• Assessment of applications for prior learning will be undertaken by the Field education team at Monash.

If you have any questions in relation to the RPL application process, please submit an enquiry via Ask.Monash.