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Life & Health Sciences Placement Year: Frequently Asked Questions


Your placement year gives you the opportunity to try out your chosen career path and provides you with the perfect opportunity to apply what you have learnt on your course to a professional work environment. To help you in the process of finding and securing the right placement, we have provided the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about placement year, specific to Engineering & Applied Sciences students.

A placement year is a good time to try out a role or career path you may like to consider in the future.  Our placements cover all roles types including general business roles, teaching, psychology, biomedical, research, clinical roles and lab based work.

You can also immerse yourself in a new culture by working or studying abroad. We have partner universities across the world offering English speaking and language programmes. Companies abroad also offer English speaking and language opportunities.

 As well as studying at a university overseas, the Placements Team promote, advertise and bring a wide range of organisations from different business sectors and countries on to campus each year.  The placement opportunities are matched to our programmes of study and include roles from large Blue Chips to small businesses, charities and public sector in the UK and internationally.

The UK business sector consists of a large proportion of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).  Taking an opportunity within SMEs can be an exceptional experience as undergraduates gain exposure to the day to day running of a business.

This year we have had students on placement at the NHS Trusts, Boots Opticians, Specsavers, ASDA and Morrison’s.

   

The Placements Team offer dedicated support to all students looking to do a placement year and provide support whilst on placement regardless if you are in the UK or abroad.

This includes: Placement e-bulletins with the latest roles and events, employer presentations, help with your placement search, advice on placement options available for your programme, CV and cover letter checking service, practice interviews and support with psychometric testing and assessment centres.

Many of our employers also come on campus to offer support throughout your placement search to assist with the application process.

 

The length of your placement year will depend on your programme. 

The minimum for The School of Life and Health Sciences is 30 weeks full time

No, your programme is set up for a 12 month placement year in a single role in your third year of study or your forth year for a pre-registration placement.
 

It is not compulsory, as an international student you are encouraged to take a placement year in the UK as it is an excellent opportunity to gain experience of working in the UK. However, OSPAP students are required to do a pre-registration placement in the UK. International students on other programmes are also able to do a placement year in your home country.

As a student you have access to the dedicated International Placements Team generating work and study opportunities throughout the world. We have students in a variety of countries including Korea, Hong Kong and Australia.
Some placement years for the School of Life and Health Sciences are unpaid opportunities as they are based in the public or charity sector. Many of these positions can work on a flexible basis so students can keep part-time jobs. (For example 30 hours per week).
 Yes, all placement years require course work.  The type of course work required will depend on your degree programme.  Pre-Registrations years have accredited work, exam and practical assessments depending on your programme.

For more information contact the LHS Admissions Office on 012 204 4101.