Social work students must complete 1000 hours of field education placement during their degree to be eligible for graduation and membership of Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
Placements are divided between 2 subjects, usually with 500 placement hours (approximately 72 days) in each placement.
One placement must have a primary focus on direct practice. The other placement may have an indirect focus, in areas such as community work, policy development, or a research project.
Field education subjects begin in session 1 each year, and most are year-long subjects. Placements start at various times throughout the year, depending on each student's individual circumstances and agency availability.
Please direct your Field Education and placement queries to the following contacts:
Course and other subjects:
Field Education subjects are year-long.
Session 1 only (Final year students and graduate mid-year)
Enrolment in Field Education 1 requires completion or co-enrolment in HCS200 (BSW) or HCS507 (MSWPQ).
Enrolment in Field Education 2 requires completion of Field Education 1, and completion of HCS202 (BSW) or HCS508 (MSWPQ).
Enrolment in HCS424 (BSW) and HCS524 (MSWPQ) is subject to Course Director approval. You can do this by contacting FOAE-Course@csu.edu.au.
HCS424 and HCS524 are single session 16-point subjects only available for students who are otherwise eligible to graduate in August. To be eligible for inclusion in the August graduation ceremonies, students need to complete their course and placement requirements by the end of June.
Planning is subject to agency availability/placement opportunities. Placements outside the official session dates are subject to Head of School approval.
Placements are divided between 2 subjects, usually with 500 placement hours (approximately 72 days) in each placement.
One placement must have a primary focus on direct practice. The other placement may have an indirect focus, in areas such as community work, policy development, or a research project.
Field education subjects begin in session 1 each year, and most are year-long subjects. Placements start at various times throughout the year, depending on each student's individual circumstances and agency availability.
If you would like to apply for Recognition of Prior learning (RPL) for Field Education 1, please visit the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)/Professional Practice Assessment (PPA) tab.
All students are required to submit a current resume and a current National Police Check
National Police Checks should be current for the duration of your placements - please check the expiry date.
Additional documents you need to be eligible for child related placements or health facilities are:
Start your NSW Health Compliance process early, as it can take up to 6 months to finalise. Students in VIC, TAS, WA, QLD, and SA will also need to provide additional documents.
Professional Practice Assessment (PPA) is the process for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in Social Work at CSU. PPA is an assessment for learning process within the Field Education 1 subject (HCS323 or HCS525).
Professional Practice Assessment (PPA) is a strand within the year-long Field Education 1 subject, which includes a series of developmental assessments. These assessments require critical reflection on prior experience, applied evidence of meeting the AASW Practice Standards and development of professional identity as social workers.
For further information see the PPA Process
Registration PPA Strand (PDF) (InPlace)
All students are required to submit a current resume and a current National Police Check
National Police Checks should be current for the duration of your Field Education subjects - please check the expiry date.
Resources to support your role as a Field Educator or Supervisor.