• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Work Placement Year

Module description

This third-year module forms part of the 4 Year ‘with work placement’ programmes offered by HaSS, Cornwall to include the Law and Business Programmes with Professional/Industrial Placement, the Politics Programmes with Employment Experience (EE) or Employment Experience Abroad (EEA) and the Humanities Programmes with EE/EEA.

On this module you will work in the UK or abroad for the whole academic year (a minimum of 28 weeks). You will use one or two placements to gain skills that equip you to work in the global jobs market and to improve your knowledge of the work environment. You are encouraged to deepen your understanding of the workplace and the employability skills that you acquire during the year.

Placement durations are as follows:

• for a single placement, a minimum of 28 weeks, excluding statutory and other holidays;
• for two placements, a minimum of 14 weeks per placement, excluding statutory and other holidays.

Prerequisites: to have studied HAP2906

This module cannot be combined with any study year abroad module.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aims of this module are to provide you with opportunities to:

• develop your employability skills in an increasingly competitive market through the following -
  • seeking and successfully gaining working experience in the UK or abroad
  • being in a workplace for a significant period and reflecting on that experience
• enhance your grasp of key transferable skills (such as working with others, problem-solving, communication) through the management of your learning in an independent context
• explore the links between the skills developed and the study and practice of your discipline in your placement’s setting
• prepare for the world of work beyond university through increased knowledge and first-hand understanding of a professional working environment
• develop your understanding of the importance of wellbeing in the workplace
• enhance your capacity for self-assessment through structured reflection on your experience

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the area(s) of practice, or sector(s), in which the placement took place.
• 2. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the workplace including relevant policies, working practices, commercial awareness, strategy and visions of the organisation(s).
• 3. Reflect critically on practical skills developed while on Placement.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Demonstrate an ability to use appropriate discipline-specific critical approaches to evaluate the social and cultural and political aspects of an employment setting.
• 5. Demonstrate an ability to communicate (in writing and in speech) in a manner appropriate to the particular workplace context.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Develop/enhance practical work-based skills and experience.
• 7. Negotiate the different types of working relationships with staff within the workplace, and others – directly or indirectly – relevant to the placement.
• 8. Identify and reflect on personal challenges and to learn from their resolution.

Syllabus plan

Work placement(s) for the full academic year (minimum of 28 weeks) in one or two placements approved by the University of Exeter.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Please note if students do not achieve a pass mark in the reassessment attempt, they will be placed on the three-year variant of their programme. This module will appear on their transcripts as a fail, and the degree title will no longer include ‘with Professional Placement’/’with Industrial Placement’/’with Employment Experience’/’with Employment Experience Abroad’. 

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Cottrel, S. (2021), Skills for Success: Personal Development and Employability. Macmillan Study Guides.
• Fanthorne, C. (2004), Work Placements – A survival Guide for Students. Palgave Study Guides, Macmillan, London.
• Kolb, D. (1984), Experiential Learning: Experience as a source of Learning and Development. PHI, New Jersey.
• Neugebauer, J. (2009), Making the Most of your Placement (Sage Study skills Series).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• My Career Zone Digital: Exeter (careercentre.me)

Key words search

Employment experience, employment experience abroad, professional placement, industrial placement, work placement, work experience, employability, careers, career planning.