Voluntary Year Out
Voluntary Year Out
For BSc Economics and BA/BSc EPAIS students who would like to complete a work placement year, taking a Voluntary Year Out is the only pathway possible. The Department does not offer an intercalated placement year option for L100 students.
Support in finding a placement
Although students who plan to take a Voluntary Year Out (VYO) are expected to self-source their own placement opportunity, our Senior Careers Consultant offers:
Careers Guidance Appointments for discussions about VYO placement search strategy
Economics Careers Bulletin containing VYO opportunities (bi-weekly, during term time)
Careers Guidance Appointments for mock interview support for placement interviews
Students can also use the following Student Opportunity careers services:
Additional Information
Which firms can I apply to?
Organisations which typically offer Economics-related placement years include the UK Government Economic Service, Fathom Consulting and Oxford Economics.
VYO Scheme Guidelines
More details about the scheme’s objectives, eligibility criteria, application process and the completion report expected can be found at Voluntary Year Out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Student Visa holders take part in Warwick's Voluntary Year Out Scheme?
It is not usually possible for a Student Visa holder to take part in Warwick's Voluntary Year Out Scheme.
This may be an option in exceptional circumstances, where the placement will take place outside of the UK or if students are able to obtain a different kind of visa so that they can work in the UK, if supported by Warwick’s Student Visa Advice Service.
If approved, the University will stop sponsoring your Student Visa for the year and you will be asked to provide evidence of departure from the UK.
Where an application is approved the student will be granted a 12-month suspension from their studies and will retain their student status throughout this duration.
Where do Economics students go to for support with taking a Voluntary Year Out?
- For support with self-sourcing a VYO placement students can access services provided by Senior Careers Consultant for Economics and the Student Opportunity Careers team as described above.
- The Department of Economics needs to give permission for students to take a Voluntary Year Out.
You should ask your personal tutor to submit the online application form to the Director of Undergraduate Studies/ Head of Department to complete Section Four of the form. This online application form can be accessed via the University’s Voluntary Year Out webpage.
Economics will then forward the form to the Student Records Co-ordinator in Student Administrative Services who will seek the consideration of both the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Academic Registrar. The form asks for details of the employer, the length of employment, whether the work is paid/unpaid, how you will support yourself financially.
When is the deadline for applying to take a Voluntary Year Out?
The online application found at Voluntary Year Out needs to be completed by the deadline of 30 June.
You can submit the form before this date, but as the form asks for details of the employer and the length of the contract being offered, it could be best to wait until you have these.
Should I apply for the VYO before having an internship/placement offer or do I need to apply with the offer included?
The form asks for details of the employer and the length of the contract being offered, so it could be best to wait until you have these.
Can I do more than one placement during a Voluntary Year Out?
You could complete two placements, but both would need to be approved before you started the placements.
What is the minimum and maximum length of time students need to be on placement?
The minimum time would be 9 months. However, you could complete 12 months if you are able to return to Warwick for your final year of study.
Can I do a Voluntary Year Out outside of the UK?
If you are a Student Visa Holder it may be possible to do a work placement in your home country but you would need to be supported by Warwick’s Student Visa Advice Service in order to explore this option.
If you are a UK student wanting to do a placement abroad, you would need to make your own arrangements for applying for a relevant visa to work abroad.
Students who undertake their work placement in France are likely to require a Convention de Stage
Are tuition fees payable during a Voluntary Year Out?
No tuition fees are payable during a VYO. For this reason, students are not provided with on-placement support via the University. This is a different arrangement to Warwick students undertaking an intercalated year as part of their degree who pay a reduced fee for the administrative support offered via Warwick for their placement year.
When can students take a Voluntary Year Out?
In most cases the voluntary year out would occur between the penultimate and final years of study. Students must return to the same course as the one they left.
Is it possible to take more than one Voluntary Year Out?
Only one such year out may be taken by any student.