Work placements
Work placements can be undertaken during your course and offer you the opportunity to put theory into practice in a real work environment. You will gain valuable employability skills, as well as enhancing your academic achievement in preparation for your future career. Placements are a standard part of many courses and a possibility on several others, giving you the chance to undertake work directly related to your programme of study. Work experience placements are supported across the University by a network of dedicated placement officers.
"The Placements Office helped me secure a year-long placement which has been an incredible and invaluable experience, helping confirm what I want to do in the future". Melissa Bent, Psychology
Placement types
- A four-year sandwich degree: does include a placement of up to twelve months. This type of placement carries a reduced tuition fee for the year. It is also supervised and often pays a salary. As well as working you may be required to undertake research, while developing essential employability skills.
- An Internship/Short Term Placement: these can vary in length from days, weeks or hours of work experience built up over a period of time. While working you spend time analysing your placement organisation, developing your role and enhancing valuable transferable skills.
- A Postgraduate Placement: a number of our postgraduate courses include an accredited and/or compulsory work placement element. For example all students on the MSc Design Engineering course complete a three month placement as part of their degree.
Professional support
Our placement staff can advise you on options available and will offer you support and advice on how to find a suitable placement. The process of applying for a placement is very similar to looking for a permanent job, so you will also receive help with preparing a professional-standard CV and interview techniques.
Our students regularly do work placements with international organisations, local businesses, members of Parliament, campaigners, non-governmental and voluntary organisations, schools, the NHS and fashion houses.
Why we value placements
Placements are a good way to gain experience, develop your skills, better understand your chosen field and make contacts. Some organisations use placements as part of their graduate recruitment process. Many of our students have made such an impression they have been offered permanent jobs on graduation.
For more information please email our enquiries team, or call us on 0208 411 5888
Case studies
Robert Larkman studied BSc Computer Networks and took a one year work placement year with Microsoft.
"I applied for it through the campus placement office, which posted the application form on their website. They were very helpful throughout the whole application process, in particular helping me to improve my CV. I am hoping to return to Microsoft on their graduate recruitment scheme. I am hoping that my placement year will help to guide me in the right direction as to what i would like to specialise in. I am also proud of achieving my placement at Microsoft and also for being offered a position at IBM. "
Hannah Keugler studied BSc Politics and conducted her work placement at the Romanian Embassy
"I'm interested in Politics, particularly eastern European politics. I'm from Germany, Barvaria, near Nuremberg. Before univeristy I did a year of work in Romania, mostly social work with children and disabled people. Because of my interest in Eastern Europe, I did a placement at the Romanian embassy. I can speak five languages, and ultimately I'd like to work in European politics for the EU."
