Deakin University

Pathway to a Career PhD Xtra includes placement opportunities. Placements give excellent learning opportunities and evidence of practical expertise while also assisting in the development of your professional network. The option of completing a career pathway placement will add another element to your tailored learning programme if you have a specific career path in mind, or even if you simply want to 'test the waters.' Placement inside a collaborative research group or laboratory may be negotiated if you are intending a research-intensive career. If you want to work in industry, government, the public sector, or the creative arts, you might be able to negotiate placement with a relevant organisation to meet your demands. Your placement must be relevant to your overall topic of study, but it is not required to be related to your research project in the vast majority of situations.

Placement possibilities are accessible to local and international higher degree research students, with the possibility to participate based on time and availability. In many circumstances, you and your supervisors will be required to play a key part in finding possible placement providers. A placement can be done at any point during your candidature, including while your thesis is being examined. 

Eligibility criteria

While there is a lot of leeway in terms of location, there are a few basic guidelines to follow. You must do the following as a student:

• Be currently enrolled in a PhD or Master by Research degree at Deakin
• Have successfully completed your confirmation of candidature
• Be making satisfactory progress in your candidature
• Remain an enrolled student for the full duration of your placement
• Have discussed the placement with your supervisor and acquired the required sign off
• Be aware that the placement must be completed within your normal candidature time limit
• Acknowledge that the maximum time you can spend on placement is six months (periods of three to four months are more likely)
• Record your placement, including the final project report, in your Individual Learning Plan examination