Work-integrated learning is a compulsory, for-credit core activity in the Bachelor of Information Studies, Master of Information Studies, and Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship).
The School of Information and Communication Studies offers various opportunities for workplace learning throughout its courses. These compulsory subjects offer students face-to-face exposure to and hands-on experience in a breadth of information agencies, and ask them to reflect on their learning across the subjects.
You might know work-integrated learning (WIL) as workplace learning, practicums and professional practice, professional experience, fieldwork and/ or clinical placements.
WIL requires students to undertake learning activities in real-life, professional contexts. These cannot be replicated in the online learning environment because they provide:
Workplace learning activities include:
These activities also feature highly in our professional accreditation process – the courses are accredited by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) and the Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (RIMPA), and all three associations regard practice-based professional learning as core to their industry.
The following indicates compulsory Work Integrated Learning (WIL) components:
If you enrol (or are enrolled) in the Bachelor of Information Studies or Master of Information Studies, you'll be required to undertake a ten-day (ie, doing the same hours as a full-time employee or 70 hours equivalent) professional placement during your course.
If you enrol (or are enrolled) in the Master of Education (Teacher librarianship), you'll be required to complete 80 hours in an approved public or special library, or information agency.
You can arrange to do your placement in an information organisation of your choosing. However, that organisation must meet our requirements. Before you approach any potential hosts, you must:
If you enrol (or are enrolled) in the Bachelor of Information Studies or Master of Information Studies, you'll be required to undertake a four-day study visit during your course. You'll be in a group of 10-60 students visiting a range of libraries, archives and other information environments with School of Information and Communication Studies staff. These visits take place in major cities, regional and even international locations.
If you enrol (or are enrolled) in the Master of Education (Teacher librarianship), you'll be required to undertake 32 hours of study visit. Our study visits are designed to demonstrate the diversity of professional practice through visits to a range of libraries and information agencies.
To meet policy and accreditation requirements, we ask that placement hosts for our students meet a set of criteria. These are:
The University provides insurance for students doing a placement. Policies and relevant documents on the University’s insurance pages. Please refer to the Workplace Learning section on this page for a copy of the most up-to-date Charles Sturt Students Workplace Learning Insurance letter. If you require Certificates of Currency then please contact the WPL Admin team.
Please note that academic and WPL administration staff do not have the legal expertise to answer specific insurance questions a host may ask.
If your organisation needs evidence of a student’s enrolment and participation in one of our workplace learning programs, a Verification of WPL requirements form has been provided to students which a relevant staff member will sign off on for you.
If your organisation has specific forms, agreements or other required documentation in order for our students to undertake a placement with you, then please contact our WPL Admin team.
The subject coordinator will make announcements if – and when – opportunities for placements come up (and inform you of the process for applying for a placement with them).
Detailed information about study visits
Please note that while you do not have to be enrolled in the subject to view this information you do need to use a Charles Sturt login username and password to access it.
Previous programs
Please contact foae-wpl@csu.edu.au for enquiries.
The following services are available to assist with your work-integrated learning journey: