Professional Experience - 2025 entry

This module will provide you with extensive practical work experience in a business or commercial setting that is of direct relevance to your development as an experienced professional, and give you the opportunity to develop a work-based project with academic and professional supervision following your placement. You will apply the knowledge and skills from taught modules to authentic problem solving in the workplace, thereby giving you important insights into your job role once you graduate from university. You will be encouraged to use imagination and creativity in problem solving and to develop communication skills, planning and time management and team-working skills. Placements will involve a substantial technical role in the host organisation, in line with your degree programme. Individual placements are subject to availability and approval by the Programme Coordinator. By continuing to work with your placement provider on a project following completion of the placement, you will be able to develop a strong professional relationship with a graduate employer.

The aim of this module is to provide practical work experience in a business or commercial setting that is of direct relevance to the subject-specific aims of the student’s degree programme. Individual placements are subject to availability and to approval by the relevant Programme Coordinator.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1 demonstrate the acquisition of new knowledge and practical skills, the specifics being dependent on the particular work placement undertaken

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

2 apply academic skills from the degree programme to analysis and solution of problems in a workplace setting;

3 write in a suitable academic and professional style.

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and Knowledge:

4 demonstrate the ability to reflect critically on your work and adapt in the light of feedback;

5 discuss the key features of the learning experience;

6 work constructively as part of a team;

7 work independently and creatively on a substantial piece of work, including library and web-based research;

8 show enhanced skills in problem formulation, data interpretation (if relevant, technical report writing, and oral presentation);

9 communicate your work to a non-specialist audience;

The work that you will carry out depends on the nature and type of placement you are undertaking. However, it is mandatory that your employer gives you the opportunity to work on a substantial piece of work which you will write about and extend in the project report.

Reassessment will be by resubmission of the extended project report and completion of the viva, to be combined with the employer evaluation only. For referred candidates, the mark will be capped at 40%. For deferred candidates, the mark will be uncapped.

Basic reading:

• Kate Williams, Mary Wooliams, Jane Spiro (2020) “Reflective Writing” Bloomsbury
• Gary Thomas (2022) How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students, Sage
• Bowden, J., Writing a Report: How to Prepare, Write and Present Effective Reports, 8^th, How To Books Ltd, 2008, ISBN 1845282936 [Library]
• Neugebaur, J, Making the Most of your Placement, Sage Publications, 2009, ISBN 978- 1847875686 [Library]

Web-based and electronic resources:

• ELE

Reading list for this module: