Professional Experience

UQ’s placement management system InPlace is where all information regarding your placement is stored.

You must successfully enter your information on InPlace in order to receive a placement. This includes critical information such as your semester address, mode of transport and conflict of interests.

You must complete InPlace registration as soon as you enrol into the professional experience course.  Without this information, it is very difficult for the Placements Team to organise your placement, and your placement may be delayed.  

Guide to Completing InPlace

You must complete all required questions in InPlace that are marked with a *. Otherwise, your InPlace dashboard will continue to display 'To Do' items.

To complete questions in each section as per below, expand the section using the and  buttons.

1. Log in to the InPlace portal under 'Staff and Students' using your usual student username and password. Then click on the 'My Details' drop down item under your student username at the top right of your InPlace dashboard.

2. Complete your UQ - Emergency Contact Details.

3. Complete all questions in the Education Student Information.

4. Do not attempt to change/upload any data under UQ - Working with Children Check - QLD. Even though this is a required field, only UQ School of Education staff should change this data based on the blue card appications you have submitted. However you must check the details to ensure your blue card is valid. If you need to apply/renew/link your blue card please follow online instructions from the School of Education.

5. Review your EDUC - Confirmed Teaching Areas. This will only display for Masters of Teaching (Secondary) or Bachelor of Education (Secondary) students in their third/fourth year. Students cannot update this information. If details are incorrect please email education@uq.edu.au.

6. Complete your EDUC - Music Students questions. This option will only display if you are enrolled in an eligible Secondary education music program.

7. If you wish to complete professional experience in a rural/regional/remote area you must complete the EDUC - Rural/Remote Preferences accordingly. This option will only display if you are enrolled in a course that permits a rural placement (ie any placement with full week placement blocks).

Please Note: Your InPlace registration will continue to display the item below in your ‘To Do’ list until the School of Education receives notification that your blue card application/link is completed and successful.  Once the School of Education receives this notification, your Blue Card information will be updated accordingly.

The 2023 Professional Year Orientation Program (PYOP) (previously called Professional Foundations Program) features important program and career information designed to support final year students with enrolment, professional experience, teacher registration, and professional standards and employment.

In 2023 PYOP will be delivered on the following date:

Thursday 16th Februrary

Abel Smith Lecture Theatre 23 - 101

Further information regarding the time of the session and the program, will be available shortly.

You can request to complete a rural/remote placement for any course that does not include single day observations.

To request a rural/remote placement simply complete the EDUC - Rural/Remote Preferences when you enter your information in InPlace.

Please visit the Beyond the Range for information about financial support for rural/remote placements. Please note that the grant is only available to students completing placement in Queensland State Schools.

Where possible students are encouraged to request placements in towns/regions where they have support networks (ie family/friends) or attend along with fellow students to support them while completing the placement.

If this is not possible or you are unsure of a rural/remote location you wish to attend for placement we recommend speaking to fellow students or academic staff about appropriate locations along with doing your own research.

The following courses include professional experience/field experience that must be successfully completed in order to meet course requirements.  For information on what placement course you should enrol in please refer to your year of admission on Programs and Courses.

When will I receive confirmation of my Placement?

You will be advised at least 2 weeks prior to the commencement of placement.  

If you have requested a regional/remote placement you will likely be advised well in advance of the commencement of your placement, to allow you sufficient time to prepare for the placement.

How will I receive confirmation of my Placement?

You will receive a notification via your student email regarding your placement and you then need to log on to InPlace to view your placement information.

Once you receive this confirmation you need to make immediate contact with the placement school coordinator to introduce yourself and organise your arrival.

What are the dates of my placement?

Please refer to the Professional Experience Calendar for placement dates in each course.

If you are attending single day placements your timetable in Allocate + will display the day of the week your placement is scheduled. This day for placement should also be noted on your course Blackboard site.

Can I request which school I want to attend placement?

No, you must not organise your own placements.  The exception to this is if you are attending a rural or remote placement or you have been contacted about returning to a previous school. 

If an instance arises where a school approaches you directly to request to complete a placement with them, please advise the school to contact the School of Education.

How will my placement be organised?

The School of Education Placements Officers will organise your placement. Students should not contact schools themselves to organise placements.

Approximately 2 weeks* prior to the commencement of placement you will receive a notification via your student email regarding your placement. You are then required to log on to InPlace to view your placement information and you need to make immediate contact with the placement school coordinator to introduce yourself and organise your arrival.

*This timeframe is approximate and can change. Students who have requested a regional/remote placement are likely to be advised of their placement in advance of this date to allow them sufficient time to prepare for the placement.

My single day placement causes a timetable clash, what should I do?

1.  Check if there are any other offerings of the classes that clash with your placement day.  If so, enrol into these. 

2.  If there are no other class offerings apart from the day of your placement, and you:

HAVE NOT received your placement confirmation please contact the School of Education to arrange a different day for your placement.  Please do this as soon as possible.   

HAVE received your placement confirmation please immediately contact your placement school coordinator/supervising teacher to request to attend on an alternate day.  You must ensure any alternate day organised is communicated in writing to the School of Education and does not conflict with classes or other ‘on campus’ tasks.

I am unwell or unable to attend my placement, what should I do?

Follow all relevant procedures at your placement school in regards to immediately reporting your absence and providing any necessary documentation or lesson plans if required.

If your absence is greater than 3 consecutive days you are required to provide the School of Education with a medical certificate. However, your placement school may request a certificate for less than 3 days as part of their absentee procedures.

You must advise the School of Education in writing of any ‘make-up’ days you negotiate with your placement school due to illness. Please ensure you contact your course coordinator if your ‘make-up’ days are after the scheduled completion date for the placement.

There is a public holiday during my placement, what should I do?

For single day placements you will need to organise a make up day with your suypervising teacher.  From 2019 onwards the majority of single day placements will be on a Tuesday, so this will limit the number of public holidays during student placements. 

For block placements, you do not need to make this day up.