Professional Placement
| Module title | Professional Placement |
|---|---|
| Module code | ESS3108 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 120 |
| Module staff | Dr Lynsey Melhuish (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | minimum of 9 months full time work over the entire year | minimum of 9 months full time work over the entire year | minimum of 9 months full time work over the entire year |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
Increasingly, graduate positions request that applicants have work experience applicable to the role. This year-long module will enable you to immerse yourself in a professional environment; you will learn to apply existing skills and subject-specific knowledge, improve personal and transferable skills, make new contacts, and enhance your employability. You will apply for a placement position with a relevant organisation (with the module convenor's support) and spend a minimum of nine months full-time in the workplace. Feedback and support will be provided by the module convenor and the placement host.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to better prepare you for the graduate job market by developing your overall employability and career prospects. You will research suitable organisations, consider the potential benefits of opportunities, and create a professional personal brand by crafting high-quality covering letters and CVs. Immersing yourself in a workplace will enable you to apply and develop skills and knowledge, understand your degree's full value, expand your professional network, and help guide your future career decisions. You will be encouraged to reflect on your experience, with the help of feedback from the module convenor and placement host, to enhance your learning and future career planning.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Research suitable employers, identify an employer which suits your own skills and interests, and produce CVs and covering letters.
- 2. Interact effectively in a professional environment.
- 3. Work in a team and deal proficiently with the issues that teamwork requires (i.e. communication, motivation, decision-making, awareness, responsibility, and management skills, including setting and working to deadlines).
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Apply skills learnt during Stages 1 and 2 in a professional environment.
- 5. Learn practical and transferable skills for use in a professional environment.
- 6. Illustrate the transferable skills gained during your degree and how these can enhance future employability.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Evaluate your own performance in a role and identify skills that you would like to develop further.
- 8. Demonstrate how skills learnt during the placement are transferable to other contexts.
- 9. Evaluate own strengths and weaknesses in relation to graduate-level professional and practical skills, and act autonomously to develop new areas of skills as necessary.
- 10. Reflect effectively and independently on learning experiences, evaluate personal achievements, and articulate the importance of continued professional development.
Syllabus plan
On placement, you will gain valuable experience by spending a year working within an organisation appropriate to your degree. Research of, and submission of applications to, suitable placements will begin at the beginning of the second year. Throughout this process, support will be provided by the module convenor and by way of attendance at prearranged career development sessions.
Placements should be a minimum of nine months full-time and can begin after the release of your penultimate year grades. Annual leave can be taken when on placement according to the host organisation’s procedure. When on placement, you will be required to provide monthly progress updates via email and engage in at least one video call progress meeting attended by the module convenor and your employer. Upon completion of your placement, you will produce a report to reflect on your professional development. This should include information on skills learnt, identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and how your placement has influenced your career aims. The module will culminate in you providing an oral poster presentation on your placement experience. This will be in the form of a recorded online presentation with the opportunity to share in future career conferences and associated employability events with students, staff and employers.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 60 | 1120 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 13 | Introduction lecture in which you are told what you will gain from the module, and what is expected of you, followed by lectures/seminars on finding a placement, writing a CV and cover letter, critical reflection and employability skill development. |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 2 | At least one meeting to discuss the placement choice and a further meeting during the placement (usually by phone or video conference). |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 5 | Attendance during student conference and involvement in student careers event. |
| Guided independent study | 60 | Search and apply for suitable work placements, and conducting additional reading in preparation for module assessments. |
| Placement | 1120 | Practical experience working with an independent organisation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussion regarding placement choice | At least one meeting | 1 | Oral |
| Monthly email updates | Ongoing | 2-6, 9-10 | Written |
| Meeting during placement | 1 hour | 2-6, 9-10 | Oral |
| Host evaluation | Performance during work placement | 2-6, 9-10 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 0 | 50 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poster presentation | 50 | A0 Poster and 5 minute oral delivery | 1, 3-10 | Written |
| E-work book | 50 | 1800 words | 1-10 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster presentation | Poster presentation (50%) | 1, 3-10 | To be agreed with the module convenor |
| E-work book | E-work book (50%) | 1-10 | To be agreed with the module convenor |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to redo the original assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Cottrell, S. (2021), Skills for Success: The Personal Development Handbook. Bloomsbury Academic.
- Fanthome, C. (2017) Work Placements: A survival guide for students. Bloomsbury Publishing
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE page:
- www.ex.ac.uk/employability
| Credit value | 120 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 60 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 02/02/2021 |
| Last revision date | 11/08/23 |
