Placements Current students

Placement essentials for students

JCU is committed to developing students who have academic knowledge combined with the transferable skills required to succeed within the complex career landscapes of the future. Some of the ways we do this are through embedding authentic learning in the curriculum and by offering a wide range of student placements, fieldwork and projects that are designed to give you valuable, practical hands-on experience.

These opportunities vary, depending on your area of study and the professional requirements of your degree. Because we have so many different student placements and professionally accredited degrees you will come across different terminology. Student placements may also be called: clinical placements, clinical education, professional placements, legal placements, professional experience, Prof.Ex, work-integrated-learning (WIL), fieldwork, field trips, experiential learning, service learning, internships, professional industry experience, professional internships, and practicums.

We also have subjects where you can gain hands-on experience by taking part in capstone experiences, simulations, virtual experiences and project work.

Find examples and more information by study area/division:

  • Preparing for placements

  • Policy and Legislation

  • Maximise your placement

Placements and project-work based in business, industry, field and clinical settings require preparation

Medicine, health, dentistry and veterinary students

Preparation checklists and forms by profession:

Expectations

A placement is like a job - you should present yourself in accordance with the organisation's dress standards and view the placement appropriately regarding punctuality, conduct and responsibilities. Also see the policy and legislation section.

Expenses

Not all placements are local and you may need to plan and budget for travel and accommodation costs, as you will need to organise these. If you are experiencing financial hardship, please speak to your placement coordinator or visit JCU Scholarships to find if any scholarships or grants may be available.

Insurance

Insurance cover is automatic for approved placements that are a course requirement. This means your enrolment must be correct before you start your placement. For further information please visit: student insurance.

Safety and Wellbeing

All members of our university community have a right to feel welcome, respected and safe. At James Cook University, we are committed to ensuring that our working and learning environment is free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment and sexual assault. Visit our Safety and Wellbeing page to find contact details, support and advice.

On a placement you must adhere to all legislative requirements, occupational health and safety requirements, security requirements, confidentiality and privacy requirements, and any other rules, bylaws, policies, and procedures that are a requirement of your placement site. The following JCU policies apply to all students:

For some placements it is a legal requirement to have a Blue Card (or inter-state equivalent):

Blue Card

The Working with Children Check (known in Queensland as the Blue Card check) is a screening process that assesses your suitability to work with children based on known disciplinary and police information.

It can take eight weeks to receive your Blue Card, so please apply as soon as possible. Most JCU departments have pre-filled Blue Card application forms, so please check with your college/discipline student placement unit. There is no fee for students, and the Blue Card is valid for three years. It should be renewed one month before its expiry date.

Make the most of your opportunity by completing these short modules:

Work Placement Preparation

Workplace resilience

Visit: Big Interview - this resource combines training and practice to help improve your interview technique and build your confidence.

Find a discipline-specific resume example.

Also visit our networking resources and find out how to connect with professionals.

  • Forms and links

  • Capstone subjects

  • Equal opportunities

Capstone experiences are designed with final year curriculum principles in mind, and with work-ready skills as the primary consideration.

All students who are enrolled in JCU's Bachelor of Arts have the opportunity to take part in a capstone experience in the final semester of study. BA3000 is the code for our core capstone subject ‘Arts Edge’. Arts Edge offers you the chance to consolidate your skills and reflect on your knowledge in a career development or research capacity.

Business students start placement and project preparation in their first year, leading up to the capstone subject, which is offered in the final year of study. You need to have completed business subjects worth 36 credit points and be in your final year to enrol in the capstone subject. You should contact business.wil@jcu.edu.au for further information, and log into LearnJCU, click on the 'Organisations' tab and go to 'WIL in BBus'.

JCU values the diversity of its students and its community. We are able to adapt placements and project work to enable all students to have equal opportunities to succeed. We offer wide ranging student support services with friendly staff to assist you, including:

An AccessAbility service which provides information and practical advice about the support available at JCU to ensure access to appropriate adjustments and services.
Dedicated Equity and Inclusion services and initiatives.
JCU also has wellbeing services including a free, confidential counselling service for all enrolled students, provided in a safe and supportive environment.

  • Using InPlace

  • Contacts for placements

  • Resources for Staff

InPlace is JCU’s student placement platform where you record your details. You should consult with your College or discipline about using InPlace.

InPlace is where you upload the forms and documents that are needed before you start a placement. For example, you may need to apply for a Blue Card (working with children check), a criminal history check, or a First Aid/CPR certificate as part of your student placement requirements. Our medical, veterinary and healthcare students also require immunisation certificates.

DTHM students

All Discipline Areas:

DTHMPlacements@jcu.edu.au

College of Arts, Society and Education students

All Discipline Areas:

DTESPlacements@jcu.edu.au

Law

legal.wil@jcu.edu.au

Business

business.wil@jcu.edu.au

Information Technology

cse.wil@jcu.edu.au

Science

Engineering

Planning

cse.wil@jcu.edu.au

Our resources for staff include:

  • Recent research
  • Industry best-practice
  • Forms and procedures
  • Host employer information
  • Risk assessment