What is a placement year?
A university placement is an accredited period of work completed with an organisation, either as part of a module or in the form of a placement year, which usually becomes the third year of a four-year undergraduate degree. This is sometimes known as a sandwich year.
- In-year placements typically last between 30 and 200 hours and are aligned with a specific module within a course. They're usually optional, but are mandatory for some courses. Most involve working on a flexible basis for a placement provider over a number of weeks.
- Placement years are a longer experience and involve working with a provider for a minimum of 40 weeks. They're usually full-time and taken during your penultimate year of study, effectively becoming a third year of a four-year degree.
Placements offer an exciting opportunity to immerse yourself in a professional environment, allowing you to gain valuable experience, apply your academic knowledge and skills in real-world settings, and enhance your career prospects.
From September 2024, all undergraduate students will be offered a placement year, supported by our Graduate Prospects team.
"The best aspect of the course is the 48-week paid industrial placement. I learnt more than I could ever have imagined and it set me up for the rest of my career as I was offered a graduate role as Recruitment Specialist back at Caterpillar. Without my placement year, this may not have been possible and hopefully, I'll have a very long and successful future here."
What are the benefits of a placement year?
There are many benefits of completing a university placement year including:
- Boosting your confidence
- Better understanding your career interests and goals
- Preparing for the transition from student to professional life
- Developing practical, hands-on experience in a real-world setting
- Growing your professional network with colleagues and industry professionals
- Developing essential transferable skills highly valued by employers such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management
- Enhancing your employability, giving you a competitive edge in graduate interviews or when working for yourself
"I undertook my placement with Northumbria Police within the Digital Forensics Unit. This led to me landing a role with them as Digital Forensics Investigator after I graduated. I then moved into a new role as a Cyber Prevent Officer, and I now work in the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit within the cybercrime department. The modules I studied have helped me in my various cyber security roles as the world of technology is so interchangeable."
Essential placement information
Considering a placement year can be a big decision, so here's some essential information about our placements. For further information, contact placementyears@sunderland.ac.uk.