Placements

You may be able to undertake a placement abroad as part of your degree.

What is a placement?

A placement is an opportunity for relevant work or research experience. It might include being based in a private company in any sector or studying in a language school. The placement should be relevant to your studies and build on your academic knowledge. Placements are also useful for developing your skills as a professional and beginning to network and prepare for the world of work after graduation.

Placements abroad may or may not be paid and are a credit-bearing component of your degree programme.  They must be approved by your school and normally take place during the academic year. 

Who can apply for a placement?

You can do a placement if you are on certain courses within one of the schools listed below. Each school sets their own rules around eligibility to do a placement, so it may be possible that some degree programmes offer placements, but not others.

Why should I do a placement?

Whether you plan to work for a private company, study at a language school, or do research abroad, your placement should help you learn new skills to develop your academic and professional prospects.  Placements are also useful for developing your skills as a professional and beginning to network and prepare for the world of work after graduation.

What kind of work/study/research can I do on a placement?

Students have undertaken various placements, encompassing everything from working as assistants in art galleries to studying in language schools. Each school has a placements/exchange coordinator who will assess the suitability of each placement. Casual forms of work such as bartending or nannying are not considered to be appropriate placement activities. You must ensure that you check your proposed host country's visa requirements and/or your right to work in the host country in advance of committing to a placement.

How many placements can I do?

Some students, particularly joint honours students, may choose or be required to do more than one placement. Your school can advise you about the minimum duration you are required to spend in each country. If you decide to do two placements, you will need to register each placement separately on Mobility Online and complete a separate set of paperwork for each. You may need to obtain two different visas and arrange two lots of accommodation.

Code of Student Conduct

Students should be aware that the University Student Code of Conduct applies when studying or working overseas.

Code of Student Conduct

Other opportunities

Go Abroad Fund

You can apply for a non-credit-bearing or extracurricular placement opportunity via the Go Abroad Fund.

Go Abroad Fund 

The Careers Service

You can also find internships and other opportunities through the Careers Service, both in the UK and abroad. 

Find out more about internships through the Careers Service