Professional placement year

Many of our postgraduate programmes include opportunities for work experience and professional placements, helping you gain real-world knowledge of your industry.

What to expect from a postgraduate placement

Depending on the course, we have different options and durations available. Below are your options in the Faculty of Business and Law, the Faculty of Science and Technology, and the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries.

Business, law, science and tech

Business and Law and Science and Technology placement programmes

When you choose the postgraduate placement or professional experience programme, the placement is a compulsory part of the programme and takes place in the second year of your Master's. There are two options for all students, with the first and priority choice being a paid external opportunity typically 9-12 months in length. The University partners with a specialist award-winning provider to provide a bespoke package of support for all students on a placement/ professional experience year, providing you with the best possible opportunity to secure industrial experience. Whilst exclusive support is available to you throughout your studies, it is ultimately your responsibility to secure an appropriate placement in a relevant sector. This will require you to engage fully in your programme and with our specialist partner to maximise your chances of securing a role.

If an external placement is not secured or you fail to meet the academic requirements* for the placement year, the University will provide an alternative professional experience for you. This may include consultancy projects on behalf of the University’s employer partners or a research project within one of our Faculties. All alternative professional experiences will provide you with real-world, career enhancing work experience for future applications for graduate employment in both the UK and wider.

*Academic requirements include passing all taught modules, your dissertation and suitable attendance.

Placement and professional experience options

Option 1

Yearlong industry placement

Option 2

Alternative professional experience
Working for an employer on-site / hybrid Working for an employer remotely / working at Middlesex University
Dedicated job description / role Consultancy challenge / research project
Full-time hours 16-20 hours a week**
Individual Group or individual
UK-wide London
Paid role Unpaid

**hours are reduced for all alternative professional experiences, so that students can work in a part-time role alongside any consultancy work or research project.

The placement / professional experience year at Middlesex University lets you apply academic knowledge in real-world settings. It includes a mandatory 9 - 12 month paid placement or an alternative professional experience. This helps develop key graduate competencies for your future career.

To be eligible for the placement year, you must have passed all modules, including the dissertation. If you have any deferrals or resits, you will be transferred onto the alternative professional experience option.

Placements are not guaranteed. However, if you are unable to secure a paid yearlong opportunity, the University will arrange for an alternative professional experience on behalf of a UK employer. This may be an internal research project or consultancy challenge.

Placements will have to be approved by the University and your Module Leader. This will be via our dedicated Handshake experiences platform. You are free to look for your own placement; however, you must inform the University of your progress and complete the required paperwork.

You must enrol on to the placement programme to be eligible for the year in industry; you cannot switch from a different programme.

We would expect all yearlong industrial placements to be paid. If you secure an unpaid placement with an external employer, you will require special approval to undertake this placement. All alternative professional experiences are unpaid.

Placements will commence in the second year of your programme and finish 9-12 months later. For January starts, they usually begin in the following March to May, and for September starts, they usually begin between November and January.

Postgraduate Placements video thumbnail

At Middlesex University, we believe in learning by doing.

That's why our postgraduate placement year is the perfect course for you to practically apply your skills in a professional setting.

My name's Teddy and I am studying a MSC in digital marketing with professional experience.

I chose digital marketing because

we're living in a world where where it's changing, the digital world is changing.

The reason why I chose it with professional experience is because I feel it's a good opportunity to use the skills that I've learned, you know, over the course of a year.

Beyond tailored one-to-one CV and interview support, we help you build a strong understanding of the UK job market and the skills employers are seeking.

We prepare you to succeed in interviews by building your confidence through personalized mock interviews, uh, and most importantly, we advocate for you with employers.

to help them understand your work permission and the benefits that a master's level student can bring to a company.

So to be eligible for the placement year,

students must meet key academic requirements that includes passing all taught modules and the dissertation, as well as maintaining suitable attendance throughout the program.

And engagement is absolutely essential.

We encourage students to take full advantage of the support available, attend workshops and actively participate in the placement preparation process.We're really excited about supporting the employability outcomes of our postgraduate program students here at Middlesex University.

Postgraduate Placements
Arts and creative industries

Arts and Creative Industries placement programmes

All our Arts and Creative postgraduate programmes include opportunities for work experience and professional placements, helping you gain real-world knowledge of the creative industries. All of the Arts and Creative placement programmes are part of the MDX Studios suite.

Our programmes are available in 1-year and 2-year full-time modes.

1-year mode option

2-year mode option
All taught modules and your major project take place over three consecutive semesters. Year 1: Taught modules in Semesters 1 and 2.
Includes credit-bearing work experience modules, which can replace a taught module. Year 2: Major Project in Semester 3.
Duration: a few days to six weeks, part-time or full-time depending on context. Between taught semesters: extended, non-credit-bearing work experience for deeper industry engagement.
Placements are unpaid because they form part of your formal learning. These placements may be paid and add “with professional experience” to your award.
Structure:
  • Semester 1: Four 15-credit modules (may include work experience)
  • Semester 2: Four 15-credit modules (may include work experience)
  • Semester 3: Major Project (60 credits)
 Structure:
  • Year 1: Two semesters of taught modules + “Preparing for Professional Placement” (0 credits)
  • Year 2: Extended work experience modules (0 credits) + Major Project (60 credits)

Work experience modules

Year 1 options:

  • Work Experience 1 (15 credits):  Short placement during a teaching block.
  • Work Experience 2 (30 credits):  Longer placement, part-time or full-time.
  • Work Experience 3 (15 credits):  Multiple short experiences across the year.

Year 2 options:

  • Preparing for Professional Placement (0 credits): Compulsory skills module.
  • Work Experience 4 (0 credits):  Up to 12 weeks.
  • Work Experience 5 (0 credits): Up to 24 weeks.

Placement opportunities

  • Commercial film productions hosted in MDX Studios
  • Partners in Screen London
  • Alumni and industry networks
  • Third-party agents specialising in creative industries
  • University and student-led projects.
Career support

Careers and employability support

As part of our Placement or Professional Experience Programme, you'll receive tailored, industry-specific employability skills training from our award-winning placement partner. With their expert support, you'll enhance your chances of securing a placement and future job opportunities post-graduation.

Our partner guarantees comprehensive assistance, including:

  • Timetabled employability skills and training workshops integrated into the curriculum
  • Unlimited personalised one-on-one support, including CV coaching and mock interviews
  • Employer engagement, vacancy sourcing, and advocacy to connect you with potential employers.

In addition, our Careers and Employability Service, MDXworks provide a wide range of additional support, including dedicated resources and platforms to support you with your placement search. 

Courses

Courses with a placement option

Business and law courses

MA Global Governance and Sustainable Development
MSc Digital Marketing
MSc Global Supply Chain Management
MSc International Financial Management
MSc Management

Science and technology courses

MSc Computer Science
MSc Cyber Security and Emerging Threats
MSc Data Science
MSc Electronic Engineering
MSc Engineering Management
MSc Information Systems and Data Management for Business
MSc Mechatronic Systems Engineering
MSc Network Management and Cloud Computing
MSc Psychological Therapies and Interventions
MSc Robotics

Arts and creative courses

MA Animation
MA Audio and Podcasting
MA Audio Production
MA Digital Fashion, Innovation and AI
MA Digital Media and Content Creation
MA Film Production
MA Games Design
MA Graphic Design and Creative AI
MA Interactive Experience Design
MA Music and Sound for Screen
MA Production Design
MA User Interface and User Experience (UI / UX) Design
MA Virtual Production

Contact us

Contact us

For further support you can contact the Careers and Futures team.

Email Call 0208 411 6161