Finding a Placement

You should start you search for a placement job early. At the beginning of the second year all students will receive details of how to apply for a placement job. This includes the placement application form to help us understand what type of job you want, plus details of the lectures and tutorials that you can attend to get support in writing your CV and application forms, practicing for interviews and assistance with applying.  During these early stages you will be interviewed by a member of staff to help match your capabilities, interests and ambitions to a placement.  Further details will be sent to you at the start of the second year.

As well as having an extensive list of industrial contacts, we maintain a list of all the jobs available within a database. This allows you to search for jobs by subject and then to see the details of the position, including job description, link to company web site and location. To give you an idea of the type of job, generic job descriptions can be found here. You might also try advertising your CV on appropriate web sites (for example).

During Your Placement

A placement lasts a minimum of 46 weeks and you normally receive a salary which averages at about £14,000.  During your placement you will be allocated a visiting tutor.  Your tutor will visit your three times during your placement to ensure that you are gaining the experience you need in an appropriate environment.  The tutor will also conduct your placement assessments in conjunction with your industrial supervisor.  Part of this assessment includes completing the BCS UPDS scheme, the username and password for this will be supplied when you go on placement.  Full details of the assessments can be found in the placement handbook.

If you or your family need to contact the University in an emergency, then please call the main switchboard on +44 (0)1483 300800.  The security office is manned for 24 hours a day when calling out of normal office hours.

Student Experiences

Click here to watch some videos in which our students talked about their placement experiences.