SWM5171 Advanced research and policy practice capstone project
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
SWM5171 Advanced research and policy practice capstone project is a level 5, 12-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2025 in Semester 2 at Caulfield. It needs SWM5100, SWM5115, SWM5116, SWM5133 and SWM5112.
- Credit points
- 12
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before SWM5171
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
After SWM5171
No unit lists SWM5171 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Overview
Under the guidance of a supervisor, you will develop and implement an independent study on a topic of relevance to social work policy, practice or the profession. This study could involve primary, secondary or tertiary research, and may focus specifically on policy analysis.
You will gain skills in formulating a topic, gathering data, interrogating it using acceptable analytical processes, and developing informed and defensible conclusions.
Through an iterative and collaborative intellectual process with your supervisor, you will create either a written research report, or a ready-for-submission journal article.
Through the research process you will construct a beginning professional identity as a social worker-researcher able to apply social work knowledge, skills and values in a research study.
Successful completion of the unit SWM5112 Research for social work practice and SWM5171 Advanced research and policy practice capstone project at a minimum of Distinction, may permit you to apply for a graduate research program including the PhD at Monash University
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester to First semester | Caulfield | Flexible |
Assessment
- Oral presentation of research (20 minutes, individual presentation)Presentation20%
- Research report (8000-10000 words) or as a ready-for-submission articleWritten80%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Critique the framing of a chosen social issue in public discourse, with attention to cultural constructs, social norms and values, as a foundation for your study.
- 2
Design and implement a study within accepted professional, research and ethical standards, integrating and applying relevant social work knowledge, skills and values.
- 3
Demonstrate skills in the organisation, analysis and interpretation of data according to accepted research standards.
- 4
Synthesise critical arguments in relation to the existing literature about the topic.
- 5
Generate defensible conclusions in respect to the significance of any research findings.
- 6
Effectively manage time and resources in a collaborative manner with a supervisor to achieve pre-determined goals.
- 7
Communicate and defend the study findings, meeting the academic standards associated with a research-informed investigation.
- 8
Appraise and articulate your developing professional identity as a critical and evidence informed practitioner.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars12 hours
4 hours of teacher directed study per week, including a 2 hour seminar, each week over Semester 1 and in the final weeks of Semester 2. The remaining hours during semester involve directed readings and class preparation.
Over the full year, there is an expected minimum of 12 hours per week of self-directed study.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Susan Baidawi
- Professor Philip Mendes
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Catherine Flynn