What is Professional Training?

Students on the Department of Politic's Degree Programmes have the opportunity to spend their third year gaining experience of working in a politics-related profession by undertaking a period of assessed professional training (the PT Year) lasting between 30 and 46 weeks. The field of politics encompasses a broad range of actors; hence employers can include providers from government, industry, commerce, NGOs or professional bodies, amongst others.

Current and previous providers include Chelgate Limited (a lobbying/PR Agency in London), the South West Surrey Conservative Party, the London Assembly, Harvey Grammar School, the South East England Development Agency (Brussels Office), Weber Shandwick, a PR/Lobbying Agency (Brussels), The Shadow Defense Secretary's Office, GlaxoSmithKline and Transport for London.

Whilst a University degree opens many doors to careers, the experience and skills enhanced during Professional Training provide an extra dimension to the qualification by giving students an insight into their subject and career potential that cannot be gained from study alone. The direct experience gained in a professional environment strongly influences the subsequent selection of dissertation work and study in the Final Year. The positive results of Professional Training include a fresh interest in  political/international studies, having seen its relevance in a working context. When seeking permanent employment, graduates with Professional Training experience display an unmistakable confidence and grasp of working life, as well as having a strengthened CV.

Satisfactory completion of Professional Training is recognised by an endorsement to the degree certificate and the award of the Associateship of the University of Surrey (AUS).

The 'Split Placement' and Erasmus Scheme

It is also possible for students to combine a period in Professional Training (one semester) with study abroad under the Erasmus Scheme (one semester) with one of our European partner universities. These include the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University in Denmark, the University of Cyprus (at which teaching is conducted in English), and the University Łódź in Poland.

You also have the option of spending a full academic year at one of these institutions as an Erasmus exchange student.