Placements

We offer as many students as possible the opportunity to gain relevant work experience as part of their course. Any work experience is beneficial to your employment prospects. Many NTU courses offer a placement, lasting anything from two weeks to a whole academic year and they are usually salaried. Often students who take a placement as part of their degree are offered a chance to work for the company after they graduate.

Why do a placement?

Doing a sandwich placement will give you the opportunity to gain real life work experience in a professional environment and put knowledge gained during your studies into practice. It also helps you to:

Learn more about organisations, large or small, their cultures and values in your chosen industry.
Improve your employability and prepare for professional life; enhance existing skills and develop new skills and knowledge that employers look for including team work, communication, problem solving and confidence.
Increase your chances of securing a graduate job as employers often use placement experience as an extended interview for a graduate position.
Test out your career options - you may find you don't want to work in that area after all and identify other routes you want to take.
Make contacts and network and obtain a relevant work related reference for future employment.
Get a head start in gaining a professional qualification and build professional recognition within your field.
Build on what you have learnt in your first two years at NTU and improve your final year performance by drawing on your placement experience.
Get your work experience recognised by a Diploma or a Certificate in Professional Practice.

Who can I undertake a placement with?

Many placements are with organisations or companies with whom we have a long-standing relationship, however you can also arrange your own placement if you have the contacts. Either way, you will need to get in touch with your Academic School’s placement office which can offer advice and help you with the process.

When do I need to apply?

If you are studying for an undergraduate degree you will need to start thinking about your placement during toward the end of your first year. Start by using our CV builder tool and then have your CV reviewed by your school’s Placement Office. Placements are secured by competitive selection, with many places taken before Christmas. You will need to be well prepared for interviews and the selection process to give yourself the best possible chance of securing the placement you want.

It is your responsibility to secure a placement, but your Placement Office will support you throughout the process. You should contact them with any questions that you have. You may only opt out of your placement year in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of your School placement office. If you are unable to secure a placement, you may be required to take a year out from studying rather than going straight into your final year.

Want to go abroad?

If you fancy going further afield for a period of time, then why not consider an international exchange or funded study or work placement in Europe? Many courses allow you to spend a semester (half an academic year) or a whole year studying in the sunshine at our partner universities in Australia, the USA or Europe.

NTU also participates in the European Commission's mobility programme Erasmus, which offers funded study and placement opportunities for periods of three to 12 months.

Want to be your own boss?

Students at NTU have the opportunity to set up and run their own business in The Hive, instead of undertaking a standard work placement. If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student at Nottingham Trent University with a genuine and viable business idea which meets The Hive's criteria, then The Hive could help you develop your business during your placement period or masters project.