Work placements
It takes real world experience to transform knowledge into competence. We’ll help you build the skills you need – and employers demand – with work placements and industry opportunities.
Would you like experience to go with that?
Do you know how to do what you know? Our courses go beyond simply acquiring knowledge. They help our students become independent learners, confident explorers, and critical thinkers.
One of the ways we do this is through work placements, which give you CV-boosting experience to support everything you’ll study as part of your degree.
Some courses include mandatory placements – such as health and education – while others offer optional opportunities such as a Placement Year or the chance to spend either a trimester or a module on placement.
Molly Brook
BA Marketing with a Placement Year at Bentley Motors
Sam Fenton
BSc Supply Chain Management with a Placement Year at Siemens Gamesa
Kaan Uyduran
Computer Science with a Placement Year at Microsoft
Duration and salary
If you’re undertaking a three-year placement degree programme, the Placement Year occurs between your second and final year of study. If you’re undertaking a four-year placement degree programme, the Placement Year occurs between your third and final year.
The Placement Year must be for at least 40 weeks but placement providers will advertise between nine and 12 months. Start dates are agreed between the student and placement provider.
A typical salary for a Placement Year ranges from £22,000 to £28,000.
What's available on your course
Use our search tool to find out which courses in your subject area offer the option for a Placement Year. These can also be known as a Year in Industry in some cases. You’ll also find further information on the opportunities we offer within each of our course pages. Check the course overview and modules sections for details on options such as mandatory placements or possible internships.
Mandatory placements
Some subject areas such as health and education include mandatory placements as part of your degree.
This means that all students studying these courses will spend a significant amount of time on placement. It’s not possible to graduate from these courses – and gain the necessary professional qualifications and registration – without completing these placements.
Single trimester internships
Students on many of our Politics courses and some Economics programmes also have the option to spend a trimester doing an internship to further boost employability before graduation. These internships take place in the first trimester of your final year of study and are 12-14 weeks long.
It’s your responsibility to secure your own placement, but support will be provided by our Placement Team to finalise the details and ensure it meets the requirements of your course.
The UK’s biggest Westminster placement scheme
Our Politics students can spend the trimester working for a MP or Peer in Westminster, gaining a unique insight into the inner workings of the corridors of power.
During a Politics placement, you'll connect your experience with your degree by completing research tasks on a political topic of your choice and a reflective exercise at the end.
These internships involve a competitive application process which begins in October of your second year.
Placements for international students
As a student visa holder, you can complete a work placement as part of your study in the UK. The University remains responsible for your attendance throughout the work placement and our placement team will monitor your attendance whilst you are undertaking a placement in the UK or overseas.
Winning is everything
Get the recognition you deserve with the Hull Employability Awards. Open to all students at any level, the Awards recognise your skills and extracurricular activities, and help you articulate them in job applications.
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