Placements

Work Placements
The History department can support you in undertaking a work placement during an intercalated year as part of your degree (occurring between the Second and Final Year of an Undergraduate degree). Placements are an opportunity to gain and/or to build on your existing experience of work or the voluntary sector. You will spend time in a professional environment, working with and learning from non-academic professionals in the commercial, industrial, not-for-profit, or voluntary sector. This is an opportunity to develop new skills, to enhance and consolidate the knowledge and skills you are developing through your studies, as well as to reinforce your employability and further prepare you for the next stage of your career after graduation.
This webpage has been developed to provide guidance and answer common questions that you might have in relation to work placements. There are also some links to other University webpages or external organisations that may be relevant to you and your placement.
You are also encouraged to discuss your plans with the department’s Employability and Placement Lead ( ), to ensure that you can receive some support and guidance specific to your requirements.
You can also find central University guidance for before a placement, during a placement, and after completing a placement.
Process for Approval of and Undertaking a Work Placement during an Intercalated Year (occurring between the Second and Final Year of an Undergraduate degree)
- Find a work placement that appeals to you, ensuring that it meets the requirements for placements. It is your responsibility to organise this in plenty of time, taking note of deadlines outlined below.
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If your proposed placement(s) is outside of the UK, there are additional stages and forms that you must complete for your placement to be approved by the University. This can take some time to organise, so should be completed as soon as possible.
- Once you have found a placement, and confirmed the opportunity with the placement Host, please complete the work placement form and email it to the department’s Employability and Placement Lead ( ). You are able to undertake a maximum of two placements, if you are doing the full-year Work Placement Year variant, and you must complete the form for BOTH proposed placements.
- The department’s Employability and Placement Lead will contact the placement Host to confirm your placement details. They will also advise the placement Host of their responsibilities in relation to Health and Safety requirements.
- Once confirmation is received from the placement Host, your placement(s) will usually be approved, and you will be notified.
- A request will be sent to the History Office team to amend your student records on eVision to reflect that you are undertaking an intercalated year. The changes will also show on your Tabula records.
- You will be enrolled onto one of the History department’s intercalated year modules that best reflects your circumstances:
- Work Placement Year
- Study Abroad and Work Placement Year
- There will be University ‘monitoring points’ throughout the year, which include contact with the department’s Employability and Placement Lead and your Personal Tutor.
- Once the placement has been completed, the department’s Employability and Placement Lead will contact the placement Host to confirm the placement duration and working hour requirements have been met.
- Your 3,000-word reflective assignment will need to be submitted via Tabula, with a deadline specified on Tabula in the usual way (this is typically in May). You will receive either a “pass” or “fail” for this assignment. Successfully passing this assignment concludes your placement(s), and you are eligible to be awarded the four-year degree with intercalated year, with the placement acknowledged on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). Failure to pass this assignment and/or to meet the placement duration and working hour requirements will result in you being reverted back to the three-year variant of your degree and the intercalated year will not appear on your HEAR.
- During your intercalated year, you should follow departmental processes for expressing preferences for your Final Year optional modules Failure to engage with this process in good time will result in a reduced choice of modules and/or modules being assigned to you for your Final Year. Once your intercalated year has finished, you can then then enrol onto your Final Year for the next academic year through the usual enrolment process.
Frequently Asked Questions (searchable by keyword here)
A work placement in an intercalated year of your degree is a type of work experience that forms part of your degree programme. The objective of a work placement is to enhance and consolidate the knowledge and skills that you are developing through your studies. It involves a collaborative partnership between you as the student, your placement Host and the History department. It is an assessed placement (although the mark is not included in the calculation of your overall degree classification), so placements require the prior approval of the History department.
The History department supports work placements that take place during an intercalated year as part of your degree (occurring between the Second and Final Year of an Undergraduate degree), and you will be transferred onto a different 4-year degree course that includes an intercalated year.
Placements can either be for the full academic year, or you can combine half a year on work placement with half a year of study abroad – although you should think carefully about taking this approach, because it will require additional organisation to manage both, and single-term placements are usually more limited.
Placements are the responsibility of students to arrange for themselves and require departmental approval.
As you probably know, the graduate job market is very competitive, and potential employers are looking at various things in deciding who they offer opportunities to. One of the factors that employers take into consideration is for students to have gained some experience in a working environment. For example, research carried out by High Fliers in 2019 on the graduate recruitment market found that leading employers reported that: ‘graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process for their graduate programmes’. While fewer placement opportunities were offered during the COVID pandemic, the situation is now returning to employers recruiting a large proportion of graduate through work experience or placement programmes.
As well as reinforcing your employability prospects for after you have graduated, a work placement can benefit you and support your development in a range of other ways. For example:
- Experience of different working environments.
- Explore different potential career paths and industries, to make a more informed decision about your future career plans.
- Apply your academic knowledge in the workplace.
- Develop technical and core skills that are sought by employers.
- Build on a network of professionals who you could potentially seek advice from or collaborate with in the future.
- Personal development – explore your strengths and identify areas for development.
- Gain additional experience with recruitment processes.
The History department supports work placements that take place during an intercalated year as part of your degree (occurring between the Second and Final Year of an Undergraduate degree), and you will be transferred onto a different 4-year degree course that includes an intercalated year. This will be done by the History Office team, once the placement has been confirmed by the department's Employability and Placement Lead.
Placements can either be for the full academic year, or you can combine half a year on work placement with half a year of study abroad – although you should think carefully about taking this approach, because it will require additional organisation to manage both and single-term placements are usually more limited.
You will not be required to attend lectures or seminars at Warwick as part of an intercalated year, as all learning takes place in the working environment (or at a partner university, if you are combining a work placement with half a year of study abroad).
You are entitled to reduced tuition fees for the intercalated year. You also retain your ‘Student Status’, which gives you continued access to University resources such as the Library, Wellbeing and Student Support, and other staff.
After your intercalated year finishes, you would then return to University (in your fourth year of your degree) to complete your Final Year.
No, placements do not need to directly relate to your degree (for instance, it does not have to be in a sector that is directly related to History, such as an archive or a museum). However, a placement should challenge you and give you the opportunity to develop and apply in a workplace environment the knowledge and skills that you have been developing during your degree studies.
If it is not clear from details you provide how the proposed placement will provide you with the opportunity to apply and develop professional skills and knowledge, it may involve a conversation with the department's Employability and Placement Lead (historyplacements@warwick.ac.uk) prior to approval - and you are advised to discuss any questions or concerns with them.
Yes - if you are undertaking the full-year variant of the work placement intercalated year (i.e., you are NOT combining a work placement with half a year of Study Abroad), you are able to undertake a MAXIMUM of two separate placements. These would BOTH need to meet the requirements for placements, and would BOTH need approval by the department's Employability and Placement Lead by the deadline of 1 July before the start of your third academic year.
Placements are the responsibility of students to arrange for themselves and require departmental approval.
For advice on looking for placement opportunities, please visit the University’s Careers pages and advertisements on the Warwick Jobs Portal (myAdvantage), which features employer listings specifically targeting Warwick students. There is also central University guidance about finding and securing a work placement.
The University offers plenty of resources to help support your applications and for securing a placement or internship. The careers and skills team offers one-on-one consultations, workshops, and expert advice on CV writing, cover letters, and interview preparation. You can find tailored CV examples for different industries on the Warwick Careers website, and you can book an appointment with a careers consultant to review your CV for personalised feedback.
Other useful platforms that you may wish to consider include Prospects.ac.uk, Bright Network, TargetJobs.co.uk, and global job boards like Indeed and Glassdoor, which host a variety of internships and placement options. These sites can also provide helpful insights into companies, including things like reviews and salary expectations, which can help you to make informed decisions.
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It is normal to find yourself busier than usual as you juggle placement applications alongside your studies and other commitments. This can be a stressful or overwhelming time, so we encourage you to seek help and support as and when you need it.
Alongside practical support outlined above,
All single-honours and joint-honours History students on a three-year course are eligible to apply, during their Second Year of study, to add an intercalated year to their degree (usually occurring between the Second and Final Year of an Undergraduate degree). Students applying to combine half a year on work placement with half a year of study abroad must follow the Study Abroad application process and deadline during the first term of their Second year of study. Otherwise, the deadline for having a placement confirmed by the department is 1 July before the start of your third academic year (e.g., for an intercalated year during the 2025-26 academic year, this must be confirmed by the department by 1 July 2025).
All students must maintain a good attendance and performance record in the first and second year. This includes an average grade of 60 (a 2.1) or above in their Second Year of study. Mitigating circumstances will be taken into consideration.
Placements are the responsibility of students to arrange for themselves and require departmental approval.
For students undertaking one or two placement(s) for the duration of their intercalated year, the placement(s) must:
- Be for a minimum of seven months, but can be up to twelve months. This must take place within the third year of your academic degree.
- Account to approximately 1200 hours (this includes time spent on your reflective assignment and contact with tutors). Please note, a placement with a shorter duration will require more hours of work each day/week to fulfil this requirement. Once the placement has been completed, the department’s Employability and Placement Lead will contact the placement Host to confirm the placement duration and working hour requirements have been met.
- Provide you with the opportunity to apply and develop professional skills and knowledge. If this is not clear from details you provide to the department, it may involve a conversation with the department's Employability and Placement Lead prior to approval.
- Be approved by the department's Employability and Placement Lead by 1 July before the start of your third academic year.
- Consist of either one or two (MAXIMUM) placements, which must jointly meet the minimum requirement of seven months and approximately 1200 hours in total. BOTH placements would need to be approved by the department’s Employability and Placement Lead by 1 July before the start of your third academic year.
For students undertaking a placement in combination with a study abroad component, the placement must:
- Be a single placement for a minimum of three months. This must take place within the third year of your academic degree.
- Account to approximately 600 hours (this includes time spent on your reflective assignment and contact with tutors). Please note, a placement with a shorter duration will require more hours of work each day/week to fulfil this requirement. Once the placement has been completed, the department’s Employability and Placement Lead will contact the placement Host to confirm the placement duration and working hour requirements have been met.
- Provide you with the opportunity to apply and develop professional skills and knowledge. If this is not clear from details you provide to the department, it may involve a conversation with the department's Employability and Placement Lead prior to approval.
- Be approved by the department's Employability and Placement Lead by 1 July before the start of your third academic year.
- If your proposed placement is outside of the UK, it must also be approved by Student Records and Student Mobility
For placements within the UK:
While you are on a placement, you are still a student within the University, and we have a duty of care to ensure your health and safety. Current UK legislation places primary responsibility for your health and safety onto the employer and, by offering a work placement, the placement Host is legally confirming that they are aware of their responsibilities.
The department’s Employability and Placement Lead will request a signed document from the placement Host to confirm that they have adequate Health and Safety provisions, including the relevant insurance. Failure to provide this document does not relinquish their responsibilities towards you. Please note, if the placement Host reports any issues with their Health and Safety Policy that may be detrimental to your wellbeing, we will notify you as soon as possible and the department’s Employability and Placement Lead will discuss this further with you.
In addition to the placement Host, we will also provide advice and guidance in relation to your responsibilities related to Health and Safety. This will include:
- Preparing you for the placement and ensuring that you are aware of general health and safety aspects. This will be of a general nature and does not include the specific information needed for any particular job or workplace.
- Making you aware of your responsibilities to follow instructions and act sensibly to protect your own health and safety and that of others (as set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974).
- Encouraging you to feedback to the department on any issues experienced with regard to health and safety while on placement.
- Responding appropriately to any health and safety concerns that arise during your placement.
For placements outside of the UK:
The health and safety at work legislation covers organisations within the UK. If you have found a work placement outside of the UK, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the adequate visas and health insurance to protect yourself while on placement. Some key points to note are:
- The University’s Business Travel Insurance only provides emergency cover, and therefore it is strongly recommended that students research and purchase appropriate cover for the duration of your placement.
- It is also advised that you visit the National Travel Health Centre Network, which has detailed information on any necessary vaccinations that may be required for your destination.
- It is suggested that you should have an open discussion with your placement Host about the responsibilities and insurance they already have in place that covers you while you are on placement.
- As placements outside of the UK are subject to monitoring by the University’s Student Mobility Team, before you travel for your work placement, please ensure that you have completed the Risk Assessment for each of your placements (available via this webpage), and upload this form to the documents section of your E:vision portal. For more information on this, please visit the Student Mobility Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
The deadline for having your work placement(s) confirmed by the department is 1 July before the start of your third academic year (e.g., for an intercalated year during the 2025-26 academic year, this must be confirmed by the department by 1 July 2025).
Please note that students wanting to combine half a year on work placement with half a year of study abroad must follow the Study Abroad application process and deadline during the first term of their Second year of study.
There is not set time for starting to think about a placement – but we would advise actively starting to look for placement opportunities after you have finished your First Year and in plenty of time for the placement(s) to be approved.
The deadline for confirmation of your placement(s) is 1 July before the start of your third academic year. Therefore, following the outlined placement process, you need to ensure that all relevant details relating to your proposed placement(s) have been submitted to the department’s Employability and Placement Lead (historyplacements@warwick.ac.uk) in plenty of time to be approved by 1 July before the start of your third academic year.
If your proposed placement is outside of the UK, it must also be approved by Student Records and Student Mobility. This can take some time, so should be completed as soon as possible.
Placements can either be for the full academic year, or you can combine half a year on work placement with half a year of study abroad (although single-term placements are usually more limited). However, it can be challenging to organise and manage both a work placement and Study Abroad, so this approach should be carefully considered.
Please note that students wanting to combine half a year on work placement with half a year of study abroad must follow the Study Abroad application process and deadline during the first term of their Second year of study.
The process, deadline and guidance for the work placement in combination with Study Abroad is very similar to the full year variation. The key difference in the work placement component is that it must:
- Be a single placement for a minimum of three months. This must take place within the third year of your academic degree.
- Account to approximately 600 hours (this includes time spent on your reflective assignment and contact with tutors). Please note, a placement with a shorter duration will require more hours of work each day/week to fulfil this requirement.
- Be approved by the department's Employability and Placement Lead, as well as the Study Abroad component be organised with the Study Abroad team in the department. Both a work placement and Study Abroad placement must be approved for the department to transfer you to the intercalated four-year degree.
A placement as part of your degree can either be paid or unpaid. While some organisations, particularly within the private sector, will be able to finance your placement, other organisations will simply be unable to factor this into their budgets. This is particularly the case for many third sector organisations, such as voluntary and community organisations (both registered charities and other organisations such as associations, self-help groups and community groups), and social enterprises.
As a work placement for an intercalated year forms a part of your degree programme, the placement Host is exempt from paying you the National Minimum Wage for a maximum of 12 months. However, the department acknowledges that unpaid placements are not feasible for all students, and we do not want a placement to place you into any financial hardship. Therefore, where the National Minimum Wage is not an option, the department's Employability and Placement Lead will encourage placement Hosts to provide some financial incentive, such as a weekly or monthly allowance and/or support with lunch and travel expenses.
If you have found a placement that is unpaid, we encourage you to have an open dialogue about this with your placement Host. The department’s Employability and Placement Lead (historyplacements@warwick.ac.uk) can help to advise you on how to approach this topic diplomatically. Even if the placement is unpaid, it will still support your professional development, which is one of the main objectives of the intercalated year. Furthermore, you may still be eligible for some financial support through your student maintenance loan.
You are entitled to reduced tuition fees for the intercalated year (usually 15% of the standard full-time fee for your course).
If you are a UK student, you will be entitled to a reduced maintenance loan. This may vary, depending on the location of your placement and whether the placement is paid or unpaid.
For all enquiries and the most up-to-date information, please contact the University’s Student Finance team or have a look through their Frequently Asked Questions webpage.
The intercalated year is not credit-bearing, which means that it does not count towards your final degree classification. However, you must pass the intercalated year in order to be eligible for award of the four-year intercalated degree, and for it to be acknowledge on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). Failure to pass the intercalated year will result in you being reverted back to the three-year variant of your degree and the intercalated year will not appear on your HEAR.
To pass the intercalated year, you need to:
- Complete the minimum duration and hours of your work placement(s) (and any Study Abroad requirements, if applicable). Once the placement has been completed, the department’s Employability and Placement Lead will contact the placement Host to confirm the placement duration and working hour requirements have been met
- Submit a 3000-word critical reflective assignment through Tabula. You will receive a mark and feedback on this from the department's Employability and Placement Lead.
3000-word critical reflective assignment guidance
The deadline for this reflective assignment is typically in May. If this is before the end of your placement(s), you should critically reflect on your experiences up until that point and anything you wish to focus on before the end of your placement(s).
This 3,000-word reflective piece on your experience of the placement should contain consideration of:
- contextual information on the host organisation(s);
- a description of and reflection on the process undertaken to secure the placement(s);
- the development of the placement(s);
- any reports submitted by the placement provider(s) (if applicable);
- the skills you have developed and how they relate to personal, academic and career development.
This assignment is designed to enable you to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes of the work placement, which are that on completion of this placement students should be able to:
- Understand the work environment and their contribution to it;
- Demonstrate high level transferable skills such as confidence, communication, flexibility, time management, and team working;
- Where appropriate, demonstrate the development of social and cultural sensitivity and ethical awareness;
- Reflect on personal and professional progress, cogently and judiciously;
- To make decisions, plan and thrive in the world of work;
- Understand how to apply work-based learning to other areas of personal development.
Assignments will be marked pass/fail according to the university’s 20 point marking criteria. Students who fail will have the opportunity to remedy failure through a resit assignment.
We will be in touch with you during your placement using the contact details you have provided to check in and see how things are going. Remember to respond to these communications, even if it is just to say everything is going well so your progress can be recorded. These contact points are also an opportunity to raise any questions or concerns you may have and to seek support when you need it. We may not always be able to resolve the issue but we are here to listen and support you as best we can, which may involve signposting you to support services and relevant resources provided by the University.
Equally, you don’t have to wait to hear from us; you can get in touch if you need someone to talk to outside of these communications. We will always respond to communications in a timely manner, but please bear in mind that there will be a delay responding to messages received outside of normal office hours.
If you should need urgent assistance, please see the section about other sources of support for relevant contact information.
During your intercalated year, you will be required to maintain monthly contact with the department. The University uses a system of Monitoring Points, which are a number of check points throughout the year to help us to gauge how successfully you are engaging with your course, identify any problems which you may be experiencing and offer support to help you. It is extremely important that you meet the requirements of each point, as failure to do so could result in a letter being sent to you from Student Records reminding you of your obligations as a student.
International students should be particularly aware of the consequences of missing contact points: the Academic Office is obliged to report to the Home Office UK Visas and Immigration (formerly the UK Border Agency) if any student visa holders have been found not to be engaging with and attending their degree course. This will normally lead to the curtailment of their visas.
Monthly contact with the department during your placement will take various forms, such as virtual meetings (i.e., via Microsoft Teams), telephone conversations, or email correspondence with the department’s Employability and Placement Lead and your Personal Tutor. The exact details of these will be confirmed with the department’s Employability and Placement Lead as part of the approval process.
You are not limited to this monthly contact, and are encouraged to arrange further meetings with either the department’s Employability and Placement Lead or your Personal Tutor to receive advice and guidance in relation to any questions or concerns you might have about your placement.
You also retain your 'Student Status', which gives you continued access to University resources such as the Library, Wellbeing and Student Support, and other staff.
On returning to your Final Year, you will be supported in the transition from an intercalated year back to study at Warwick by the department’s Employability and Placement Lead, your Personal Tutor, and a dedicated ‘Welcome Back’ event at the start of your Final Year. This event will include all students returning after a year away from study at Warwick, and will be an opportunity to share your experiences with others who are in a similar position.
It is helpful to address any concerns early to prevent problems from occurring later down the line, so knowing where to turn is important if circumstances change or don’t turn out as you expected.
Whilst you are on placement, you will have a line manager or supervisor who will be your immediate point of contact. You can approach your line manager or supervisor with questions or to raise any issues, personal or professional, that might affect your experience of the placement.
Understandably, you may not always feel comfortable speaking to your direct line report about personal issues and/or your wellbeing. Whilst on placement, you remain a member of the University and can seek support from the department and University support services, where preferred, as
outlined below.
Wellbeing & Student Support
Wellbeing & Student Support can help you to develop the personal resources and skills you need to navigate the challenges and opportunities of your placement. If you are not in the local area, services are available via Microsoft Teams, phone and email, and include:
- Self-help resources
- Wellbeing peer support groups
- Online brief consultation appointments to discuss your needs and plan next steps
- Wellbeing and counselling consultation sessions are available later in the day and evening, by request, for placement students. You can request a consultation via the Wellbeing Portal
- Support for disabled students and students with long-term conditions from Disability Services
- A range of therapeutic interventions if you experience emotional or psychological issues, from the Counselling and Psychological Interventions Team (CAPIT).
Please refer to the wellbeing FAQs for more information about accessing Wellbeing & Student Support Services.
Students’ Union Advice Centre
The Students' Union Advice Centre provides free, confidential, impartial and non-judgemental advice to students at the University of Warwick. The Advice Centre is independent of the University and you will be greeted by a team of friendly, professional and experienced advisors’ who will offer you
practical advice on a range of enquiries which include:
- housing,
- academic,
- complaints and disciplinaries,
- financial,
- employment and
- general wellbeing.
In addition to this, the Advice Centre offers information, advocacy, and representation whereby advisors, with your consent, can act on your behalf and in your best interest, to resolve problems you encounter. Advisors can accompany you to University meetings to support you through processes and procedures you find unfamiliar. The Advice Centre will act in your best interest at all times and will inform you of the options available to you when faced with a difficult problem.
You can contact the Advice Centre by completing an online Enquiry Form
If the Advice Centre is unable to advise you on your subject matter, you will be signposted to a service that can provide you with the advice and guidance you need.
Other support services
There are a range of other support services available to you whilst you are on placement, which can be found via this link. These include Warwick's safe and confidential Report and Support service, which you can use to report and seek advice if you experience unacceptable or inappropriate behaviour whilst on placement.
Remember to keep your support network going, including friends and family, whilst on placement so you always have someone to turn to outside of your workplace and talk about how things are going.
Emergencies
In an emergency, the University’s Community Safety team are the University’s first-responders and are trained both in physical and mental health first aid. They work 24/7, 365 days a year and can be contacted whether you are on or off campus, on +44247 652 2222.
If there is an immediate risk to life, please contact emergency services first.
Other emergency contact information you can access online and by telephone is available here: Emergency contacts (warwick.ac.uk)
Yes! It is a legal obligation for the University to update the Home Office about a change in your study location, which is the case whilst you are on placement. Once you have received confirmation that your placement(s) has been approved, at that point you must speak with the Immigration and Compliance team so that they can update your immigration records. It is essential that, during your placement, you keep the department updated of any changes in your location so that it can be reported to the Home Office.
If you have added an intercalated year to your course after enrolment, you may need to apply for an extension of your Student Visa.
Any placements that fall outside of the UK are still subject to the usual approval process. Additionally, it will also require the involvement of others within the University, which can take some time to organise - and we therefore strongly encourage that these requirements are addressed as soon as possible.
It will firstly require the involvement of the Student Mobility Team, who are a part of the Student Opportunity services. The Student Mobility team are responsible for monitoring the University’s work and study abroad placements. Therefore, if your placement is outside of the UK, you will need to complete and submit to the Student Mobility team forms relevant to the location of your placement, which includes Risk Assessment forms and accurate details about your placement. The forms can be accessed via the ‘Forms to complete’ link on this page.
For the most up to date information or to discuss your eligibility, please contact the Student Mobility team or visit the webpage for Frequently Asked Questions.
You may be asked by your placement provider to obtain a three-way agreement between you as the student, the University, and your placement Host. Depending on the location of your placement, this would be one of three forms (a 'Convention de Stage' for placements in France, 'Convenio de Colaboración' for Spain, or 'Tripartite Agreement' for other countries) and will require you and the placement Host to complete and sign the form. The University will not sign agreements unless they have been completed and signed by the employer and student first. It will also require the completion of a Risk Assessment Form, which can be accessed via the same webpage. Once the agreement and Risk Assessment Forms have been completed and signed, they will need to be submitted for review and approval at convention@warwick.ac.uk.
If your placement is outside of the UK, it will also be your responsibility to ensure that you have the relevant insurance, have obtained the correct immigration permission (i.e., a work visa) for your placement in good time to start, and that the employer has the adequate Health and Safety provisions in place while you are undertaking your placement with them.
Short answer, no! While you are on an intercalated year, it will still be your responsibility to engage with relevant emails that you will receive relating to your course and other information from the department and University. Various messages are circulated about the department’s module selection process, and as with all students you will be required to express your preferences for optional modules in your Final Year (the same way that you will have done for previous years). Failure to engage with this process in good time will result in a reduced choice of modules and/or modules being assigned to you for your Final Year. If you have any questions about this aspect, please contact your Personal Tutor or the Director of Final Year Studies.
A work placement is an exciting new experience, which can benefit your development in many ways. However, much of this will depend on you and how you approach your placement. Below are some tips on how you can get the most of your placement:
- Follow the placement Host’s processes and procedures, which will demonstrate your professionalism.
- Other than the immediate duties of your placement, try and get involved in different projects if you have time because this will enhance your knowledge and skills.
- Challenge yourself and perhaps take on some tasks that might at first seem daunting! This is a learning process, and pushing yourself a bit out of your comfort zone can help you to develop skills and resilience.
- Remember, (for better or worse) it is not always what you know, but also who you know! So, try to start building your network of contacts. Perhaps create a LinkedIn profile and start connecting with people, such as your colleagues, clients, or contacts you meet at events.
- Always act professionally and try to build a rapport with people you encounter. They will remember you favourably and this can be beneficial in the future.
- Participate in team meetings, work events, and always give your opinion/views in a constructive way. Your contribution will be valued, and it will demonstrate that you are actively invested in the organisation and will leave a good impression - you never know, you may have the opportunity to go back there after you have graduated!
There are many things to consider and many factors with whether to undertake or to continue a work placement. At all points, before you make any final decision, we advise that you speak with the department’s Employability and Placement Lead (historyplacements@warwick.ac.uk) for further support.
Once you have started your placement, there is a small chance that it might be terminated early either by you or by the placement Host. This may be because the placement is not what you expected, or that the placement Host’s circumstances have changed. In the unlikely event that this arises, please contact the department’s Employability and Placement Lead who can support you, and you are also advised to speak with your Personal Tutor. It may be that there are concerns between you and the placement Host, which the department’s Employability and Placement Lead can help to resolve by acting as a mediator.
However, if it is agreed that the placement cannot continue, you will have two options:
- Revert to the three-year degree – There is a short period of time going into Term 1 where you are still able to enrol in your Final Year. In this situation, the process would be:
- You or the History Office team request a course transfer back onto the three-year degree through student records via eVision.
- Once approved, you will be required to select modules for your Final Year. Please note, due to the late enrolment and availability, you may have very limited choice of modules for your Final Year. You should discuss this with your Personal Tutor and Director of Final Year Studies.
- Locate another placement to continue your intercalated year – The department’s Employability and Placement Lead can help support you with this, but please note that we cannot locate or guarantee that an alternative placement will be found for you. Due to the limited time and availability of placements, it is important that you are proactive and flexible in your approach.
In the unlikely event that both above options are not feasible, you may still be able to use a year out for different purposes (such as to pursue other interests, travel, or volunteer or fundraise for a cause you wish to support). After this, you would need to enrol onto your Final Year for the following academic year and you will revert back to three-year variant of your degree with no details of the intercalated year appearing on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR). This will be the default option if a placement ends midway through the year and no suitable alternative is located to complete your intercalated year - if you find yourself in this situation, please speak with the department's Employability and Placement Lead for further support as soon as possible.