BSc Finance

This degree offers you the opportunity to spend a year working in a related industry or studying abroad.

If you choose one of these options your placement year will take place in your third year, before returning to complete your degree at Exeter in your fourth and final year of study.

You can apply directly to one of these options, or you can apply to the standard 3 year course and transfer onto one of these options at the end of your first year.

More about placement options

With Industrial Experience

With Year Abroad

Why choose a year in industry?

• Gain a proven work history that is excellent to discuss at job interviews and gives you a head start in the working world.
• Get paid! Typical salaries range from £19,000 to £23,000 but can extend from £15,000 to £52,000.
• Many students are offered graduate jobs from their placement employer.
• 97% of With Industrial Experience graduates were in graduate employment or postgraduate study within 6 months of graduating, compared to 93.5% of non-WIE graduates (DLHE 2017)
• Increase your confidence and resilience, and make friends for life

What does a year in industry mean for me?

The ‘With Industrial Experience’ (WIE) pathway is a four-year version of your degree, in which your third year is spent in a professional placement before returning to university for your fourth and final year. The Business School Careers Team supports you every step of the way, helping you identify placement providers, create a strong application, practice interview techniques, and support you while you are in placement.

The placement year assessment currently comprises:

• Progress reports provided by employers
• A reflective essay
• A business report

How do I secure a placement and where can I go?

You are responsible for sourcing and securing a work placement, but you will be supported throughout by the Business School Careers Team and assigned an academic tutor for the duration of your placement. Placements are available internationally. Previous placement providers include Adidas, Apple, ASOS, Bank of England, Deloitte, Disney, EY, GlaxoSmithKline, Goldman Sachs, PwC

Does it count towards my degree?

The placement year is assessed and contributes one-seventh of your final degree classification when you graduate.

Does it affect my tuition fee?

During your placement year you will pay a reduced tuition fee of approximately 20% of the maximum fee for that year. Find out more on our tuition fee webpages.

How do I apply?

‘With Industrial Experience’ (WIE) is available on all our undergraduate programmes. You can apply through UCAS using the code above, or ask to transfer onto WIE in the first term of your first year. Find out more on our careers pages.

Other work experience options

If you choose not to undertake the four-year WIE pathway, there are other ways to gain work experience, from the Business Internships and Placements Module, to summer internships. Find out more on our careers pages.

Why choose a year abroad?

• In a complex and hyper-connected world, it is more important than ever to demonstrate a global outlook to employers
• A report by Universities UK International shows that graduates who are mobile during their degree are more likely to earn more than non-mobile peers
• Broaden your perspective in a way that benefits you for life: accelerating your resilience and flexibility, developing your ability to communicate across cultures, and demonstrating that you take the initiative
• We find students return from their year abroad with heightened self-confidence and an impressive work ethic.

What does a year abroad mean for me?

The ‘With Year Abroad’ (WYA) pathway is a four-year version of your degree, in which your third year is spent studying at one of our 60 partner universities (spanning 26 countries), before returning to university for your fourth and final year. There is also the opportunity to combine study and work abroad, doing a semester of study at one of our partner universities followed by a semester of work in a placement that you secure anywhere in the world.

The Business School Study Abroad Team supports you every step of the way, helping you to decide where to go, create a strong application, and supporting you while you are abroad.

Where can I go?

We have partners in: Canada, USA, Mexico, Peru, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Italy, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

Does it count towards my degree?

The placement year is assessed and contributes one-seventh of your final degree classification when you graduate.

Does it affect my tuition fees?

If you spend a full academic year studying abroad you will pay a reduced fee of approximately 15% of the maximum fee for that year.

How do I apply?

Year abroad options are available on all our undergraduate programmes. You can apply for the four-year ‘With Year Abroad’ variant of your degree through UCAS using the code above, or ask to transfer onto the WYA programme in your first year. Acceptance is dependent on satisfactory academic performance and the level of research you have undertaken into your chosen institution. Find out more on our study abroad webpages.

Other study abroad options

If you choose not to undertake the full year studying abroad, there are other ways to gain a taste of the study abroad experience. You can spend two to six weeks at one of our international partner universities. Find out more on our study abroad webpages.