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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)

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Once confirmation is received from the placement Host, your placement(s) will usually be approved, and you will be notified.
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. There will be University ‘monitoring points’ throughout the year, which include contact with the department’s Employability and Placement Lead and your Personal Tutor.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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)

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