Bridging the Gap: An Evaluation of Monash University’s Professional Practices pilot program

This paper examines the prevalent anxiety experienced by Bachelor of Fine Art students concerning the transition from academia to professional creative practice. This anxiety drives a demand for professional development education to be integrated alongside orthodox fine art curricula. However, students often overlook the informal educational potential within their academic environment. While developing awareness of the arts and cultural sector, students may fail to recognise their teachers as intrinsic participants to the sector who offer valuable and real-world insight into the practical application of the theoretical lessons from fine arts curricula.

Monash University’s Department of Fine Art addressed this demand through the initiation of the ‘Professional Practices’ pilot program in 2023. The program spans two years and comprises a structured series of 12 modules as guest lectures to second- and third-year fine art students. This pilot is grounded in two fundamental premises: Firstly, it responds to students’ anecdotally expressed desire for enhanced professional development opportunities. Secondly, it aligns with a national study indicating the varieties of professional development education across tertiary institutions offering fine art programs. Monash University’s department, part of the study, demonstrated limited formal professional development opportunities.

To assess the pilot program’s impact, a research project was devised after the first year. Anonymous digital surveys were distributed to both cohorts of students to evaluate the program’s effectiveness in satisfying student appetite for formal professional development education. This study contributes to the discourse on aligning fine art education with the contemporary demands of art practice, emphasising the potential of integrating professional development learning experiences within formal academic structures. The findings aspire to illuminate the efficacy of such initiatives in addressing students’ anxieties and bridging the gap between academic training and initiating professional practice.