Students

MMCC8045 – Professional Practices

2023 – Session 1, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Rachael Gunn
rachael.gunn@mq.edu.au
10HA 165H
See iLearn for consultation times and zoom link
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Permission by special approval
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

In this unit, students apply their academic learning to employment contexts, gain a deeper understanding of the job market and industry, and develop a stronger career identity. Students must undertake a 30-hour (minimum) Professional Practice Activity where they have the option to partake in an internship or design their own professional project that will help them meet career objectives. This unit promotes learning through participation with community partners as well as the development of graduate capabilities, professional skills, and career management skills.

Visit Employability Connect for important information on this unit.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: develop professional, collaborative, and interpersonal skills to navigate the interconnected and fast-paced global workplace
  • ULO2: integrate reflective practice and self-management tactics to improve employability.
  • ULO3: connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts
  • ULO4: communicate media/creative industries discourse in appropriate styles and formats.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online Quizzes 30% No 23:55 on 17/03/2023, 28/04/2023, and 19/05/2023
Portfolio Part 1 35% No 23:55 on 07/04/2023
Portfolio Part 2 35% No 23:55 on 29/05/2023

Online Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 13 hours
Due: 23:55 on 17/03/2023, 28/04/2023, and 19/05/2023
Weighting: 30%

 

Students will complete online quizzes that will assess their knowledge and understanding of unit content. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • develop professional, collaborative, and interpersonal skills to navigate the interconnected and fast-paced global workplace
  • connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts

Portfolio Part 1

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: 23:55 on 07/04/2023
Weighting: 35%

 

Students will submit a portfolio of work that shows their progress of learning in the first half of semester, including key tasks related to professional development, career management, reflective practice and integrating disciplinary knowledge. To complete this task, students must have their Professional Practice Activity (PPA) approved by the unit staff. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • integrate reflective practice and self-management tactics to improve employability.
  • connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts
  • communicate media/creative industries discourse in appropriate styles and formats.

Portfolio Part 2

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: 23:55 on 29/05/2023
Weighting: 35%

 

Students will submit a portfolio of work that shows their progress of learning in the second half of this unit, including key tasks related to professional development, career management, reflective practice, and integrating disciplinary knowledge. As part of this task, students must show they have completed the minimum 30 hours in the approved Professional Practice Activity (PPA). To do this, students must log their hours and work completed in the unit log sheet, and have this signed off by their PPA supervisor. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • integrate reflective practice and self-management tactics to improve employability.
  • connect, synthesize, and apply theoretical knowledge to employment and project contexts
  • communicate media/creative industries discourse in appropriate styles and formats.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Classes

This unit will be delivered as two-hour weekly interactive seminars. Attendance is required at all seminars. Further details regarding schedule and topics are available on iLearn. For the latest information on timetabled classes, please consult the MQ Timetables website.

Classes start in Week One.

Professional Practice Activity

As part of the learning for this unit, you must complete a minimum 30-hour "Professional Practice Activity" ("PPA") that will develop and demonstrate graduate capabilities and professional skills acquired during your studies. PPAs may be either a professional internship or project completed under supervision, and must be aligned with your career goals, enhance your employability skills, and help you progress in your career development. All PPAs must be approved by the unit staff before commencement, and students must use the unit log sheet to record a breakdown of the hours and work completed. This log sheet must be submitted to your approved supervisor by the Portfolio Part 2 due date, and signed off by this supervisor by the end of semester to show you have met these unit requirements - see iLearn for more details.

To prepare for their PPA, students are encouraged to utilise the following resources:

- MQ Career and Employment Services

- WIL for international students

Consultations

The unit convenor will hold regularly weekly consultations on zoom where you can discuss your PPA progress, the course content, and any issues or concerns. You may attend these consultations individually or in groups. No appointment is necessary, but please arrive within the first 15 minutes of the scheduled time. See iLearn for consultation times and zoom link.

Emails

You are expected to regularly check your student email account throughout the semester and up until grades are released. You are also expected to respond to the unit staff (and their PPA supervisor) in a timely and professional manner. If you have a query, please email during business hours, and use your student email account. If you are not able to access your student email account, please provide an alternative account ASAP for staff and supervisors to contact you.

Website

The website for this unit is provided through the University's iLearn system, which can be found here. If you are enrolled in this unit you should have access to the material on iLearn (from one week before the start of semester). You are expected to regularly visit the unit’s iLearn site to engage with the unit materials and announcements, utilise the assessment and career resources, and interact with your peers. 

Readings 

The MMCC8045 unit readings are listed on iLearn and accessed via Leganto. The readings are essential preparation for your assignments and help you meet the learning outcomes. Students' understanding of, and engagement with, the readings are also assessed in the Online Quizzes and Portfolio assessments. You are expected to go beyond the set readings through independent research that is both specific to your area of study and also to your PPA.

Technology used and required

Computer and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g. internet browsing), skills in word processing and powerpoint, and emailing are also a requirement.

Unit Schedule

Week 1 - Career Pathways and opportunities

Week 2 - Reflecting on skills

Week 3 - Applying for jobs

Week 4 - Preparing for interviews

Week 5 - Optimising work experience

Week 6 - Bias of professionalism

Week 7 - Reflective practice

Mid-semester break

Week 8 - Industry knowledge

Week 9 - Personal brand

Week 10 - Networking

Week 11 - Reflection and goal-setting

Please note this is an approximate topic schedule - please refer to iLearn for more information.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2023.05 of the Handbook