Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Project

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
HWSS2212	City Campus	Postgraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2017, Sem 1 2018, Sem 2 2018, Sem 1 2019, Sem 2 2019, Sem 1 2020, Sem 2 2020, Sem 1 2022, Sem 2 2022, Sem 1 2023, Sem 2 2023, Sem 1 2024, Sem 2 2024, Sem 1 2025
HWSS2212	City Campus	Postgraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face or Internet	Sem 1 2021, Sem 2 2021

Course Coordinator: Angelika Papadopoulos

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 99253338

Course Coordinator Email: angelika.papadopoulos@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 8. Floor 10

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Required Prior Study 

You should have satisfactorily completed all courses in the Master of Social Work program (or are undertaking Field Education 2 concurrent with this course). before you commence this course. 

AND

Enforced Pre-Requisite Courses 

Successful completion of HWSS2210 Contemporary Themes in Professional Practice and HWSS2208 Rights, Recognition and Social Justice   

Note: it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite/s and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course. 

For your information go to RMIT Course Requisites webpage. 

Course Description

Alongside your final Field Education placement, the professional project course forms the capstone experience for the Master of Social Work program, through which your capabilities will be assessed with reference to the program learning outcomes, the AASW practice standards and AASW graduate attributes.  

You will conduct a professional inquiry that demonstrates your achievement of the capabilities of a social work practitioner. Through your research activities you will participate in the development of communities of practice in key fields of contemporary social work. You will select a topic from key themes or debates in contemporary social work practice and produce a literature review and presentation, the aim of which is to make a contribution to social work knowledge that will be useful for consumers and providers of social work services. Through this work, and through completing two peer review assessments, you will contribute to the evidence base shaping your professional community and your future practice.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes  

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:   

• Apply specialist social work knowledge and skills to understanding and responding to contemporary social disadvantage, oppression and marginalisation, recognising the fundamentally political nature of social suffering 
• Use appropriate research strategies to inform ethical professional social work practice and to broaden the scope of contemporary social work theory and practice 
• Critically analyse theories informing social work practice and the contemporary policy context to develop an evidence base for ethical professional practice 
• Apply advanced problem solving skills and techniques of intervention that bring together complex information transferable across different institutional and cultural contexts of practice incorporating innovative interventions to effectively meet the needs of individuals, families, groups and communities 
• Theorise and develop interventions that address the social structural and political levels through which poverty and inequality are generated and critically assess policies and programs developed to address disadvantage 
• Apply research knowledge and skills to develop practice research based interventions and conduct independent research to contribute to the generation of specialist social work knowledge and skills 
• Apply sophisticated oral and written communication skills to present complex information to individuals, organisations and professional and non-professional communities in accessible and culturally appropriate ways 
• Apply critical analytic problem solving skills to develop innovative and creative policy and practice responses to contemporary social problems and to promote the fundamental social, economic and cultural rights of individuals, families, groups and communities 
• Practice as an autonomous ethical and critical social work practitioner with a commitment to lifelong learning 
• Engage in practice which acknowledges the fundamentally multicultural nature of contemporary societies and acknowledges the unique position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, seeking to promote the rights of these groups 

Course Learning Outcomes  

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:   

1. Analyse and synthesise key themes and debates in contemporary social work practice
2. Critically analyse published data and literature to inform independent research
3. Synthesise and professionally communicate research findings and recommendations to consumers and providers of social work services
4. Apply research methods and expert judgement to contribute to the rigorous evidence base for social work practice
5. Produce assessment submissions which synthesise and communicate theoretical and professional practice knowledge 

Overview of Learning Activities

Through peer collaborative processes you will conduct an individual literature review and develop a presentation that responds to contemporary issues identified through your Field Education placement experiences and completed coursework.  
You will be engaged in learning involving a range of activities that are face to face and online including group and class discussion, group activities and individual research.  

Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. 

A semi-intensive seminar series will facilitate peer collaboration in the development and design of individual projects. 
A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of our own learning. 

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal. 

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes.  

    Assessment Task 1: Research integrity modules (hurdle requirement) CLO2 and CLO4  

    Assessment Task 2: Literature review 50%, CLO1, CLO 2 and CLO4  

    Assessment Task 3 Peer review of proposals, 10% CLO3 and CLO4  

    Assessment Task 4: Presentation, 30% CLO3, CLO4, CLO5  

    Assessment Task 5: Peer review of presentations, 10% CLO3 and CLO4  

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.  

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.