Placement years

Let us know you're interested in finding out more about placements.

Register your interest

After you've registered, we will add you to our Finding a Placement Canvas page. You can use this to:

• access information. From deciding if a placement is for you, to searching and applying for opportunities
• stay up to date with news and announcements, including placement opportunities

Start researching and applying for placements using the finding placements resources below.

You can attend events or book appointments via MyCareer for more help. We also organise recruitment events where you can speak to employers in-person.

You can choose to do:

• one placement lasting 9-12 months
• two placements which last at least 4.5 months each

If you are considering a part-time placement, please contact us with more information.

Our Preparing to Find a Placement pathway can help. You'll be guided through activities to help make sure you are ready for your placement search.

Once you have accepted a firm offer of employment, please let us know.

Tell us about your placement

The 2024/25 deadline for anyone doing an overseas placement is 31 May 2024. The deadline for all students with a placement in the UK is 31 July 2024.

Before confirming that you’re able to take the Careers Service Placement Year Module, the University will need to:

1. Consider the information you have provided and then contact the employer. This is to confirm the details you submitted and to request health and safety information. The length of time this takes will vary depending on the employer.
2. Confirm your progression to the next academic stage of your programme. If you need to take resits in August, you may not have confirmation about whether you can take the Placement Year Module until September. Contact the placements team as soon as possible about any resits or PEC requests you have in place.

While on placement, you'll have access to:

• a Placements Adviser who can discuss any personal or workplace issues you are facing
• information about the Careers Service Placement Year Module
• a module tutor

If you have any questions about the Careers Service Placement Year email us at cs.placementyear@ncl.ac.uk.

Find the relevant contact details for your school on the Who Manages My Placement Year form.

Let your School contact know you are interested in doing a placement. Ask what is involved, eg what type of placement you can do and any module requirements.

Start looking for placements using our Finding placements resources below.

You can attend events or book appointments via MyCareer for more help. You can speak to employers in-person at our recruitment and employer and sector insight events.

Inform the relevant contact if you receive an offer. If you have any questions about the process, please email your school contact.

Students with Student Route visas are eligible to undertake a placement year.

If you’re extending your degree programme by one year to do a placement, you’ll need to renew your visa. For UK based placements, you can renew your visa from the UK, either before or after your placement.

Apply for the visa before starting the work placement to avoid any potential issues with your employer, or when returning to your studies.

If you plan to do your placement year outside of the UK, see the Visa Support Team guidance on adding a work placement to your programme of study.

You can read more detailed information about Work placements for students with Tier 4 or Student Route visas. If you are unsure about your visa requirements, please contact the Visa Support Team.

EU Settlement Scheme holders, with either pre-settled or settled status, are eligible to undertake a placement year.

If you’re curious to see where other students from your school have been on placement, you can browse our NU Work Experience Directory.

Select ‘placement’ in the ‘Type of experience’ box and then pick your school from the drop-down menu.

The data is from Newcastle University placement students from the last five years. You can use it to see:

• the types of placements our students have had
• the employers they’ve worked for

LinkedIn's Alumni tool allows you to see what Newcastle University graduates are doing now.

You can search for graduates who have a similar degree to you and find out:

• where they’re located,
• which companies they work for,
• what they do,
• what else they studied
• what they’re skilled at.

For more information watch our Getting inspiration from others tutorial [3:13].

Our events are not just for graduate jobs.

Employers at our recruitment events and employer and sector insights also offer placement years. Go along and find out more about their opportunities. You can hear about placement schemes, build your network and ask questions.

Online placement year reviews can give an idea of what to expect from certain roles or employers.

Reviews are written for a range of reasons, with varied opinions around what makes a good placement year. They can be useful for inspiration and sometimes offer insight into the recruitment process.

RateMyPlacement is a good source of placement year reviews written by students.

When looking for inspiration, consider your motivations, both personal and professional:

'I always wanted to do an industrial placement year as part of my course to really help improve my employability upon graduating and differentiate myself from all the other Chemistry graduates out there. I also thought I might like to have a career in cosmetics so really tried to find a company that would give me a taste of that. It's also nice to earn some money and I loved moving and living in a new place!'

– Hannah Gorman (Chemistry)

Don’t be afraid of rejection:

Don't be afraid - this could be fear of not getting in/not being good enough or thinking you are too late or even thinking there isn't an option out there for you. I didn't intend on doing a placement year at the start of my studies so changed my mind last minute and applied to Chester Zoo within the last week before the deadline for applications and it worked out for me. Be speculative, confident and don't be afraid of rejection – it stings a little at first, but it fades quickly, and you get back on top even quicker.

– Haydon Oates (Zoology)

Be open to the unexpected:

Do not only apply for the large companies you recognise. There are a huge number of companies that offer placement schemes. It can be easy to fall into the trap of applying to the big brands and being disheartened if you are unsuccessful. Put in a few applications to companies you may not be as familiar with as once you interact with them and find out more about the scheme you could surprise yourself.

– Louise Donnely (Marketing and Management)

It is best to start looking as early as possible to make sure you don't miss opportunities.

Large organisations:

• offer many structured placement year opportunities
• open applications in September, the year before the placement will take place
• start to close applications between November and February
• some don't wait until the closing date and can close applications as soon as their places are filled

Small or medium sized organisations (SMEs):

• offer placements depending on business need
• may recruit all year round
• don't always advertise their opportunities

If you miss any deadlines, don’t worry. There are other ways to find placements throughout the year, and some employers post their opportunities later on.

A speculative approach is common for finding placements.

You can contact employers at any point in the year to ask about potential placements with them. Use our guide below to understand how to find and approach companies for hidden opportunities.

The application process for placements varies depending on the company. Check what’s involved before you apply.

It can start with submitting a CV and cover letter, filling in an application form or a combination of both. Before inviting you to a final interview, many large employers may also ask you to complete:

• online recruitment tests
• video interviews
• assessment centres

The Careers Service can offer support at any stage of your application.

The Careers Service advertises placements on MyCareer. Search for ‘placement’ under ‘vacancy types’ and sign up for personalised email alerts.

You can also use the following websites to help you find a placement:

• RateMyPlacement – includes student reviews
• Prospects – select ‘work experience’ under ‘type of work’
• targetjobs
• Bright Network - search for industrial placements
• Student Ladder – under ‘internships’ select ‘industrial placements’
• Milkround - includes year-long placement opportunities within the internships section.
• TheJobCrowd – select ‘placement’ under ‘job type’
• graduatejobs.com
• LinkedIn –see our guide to creating a LinkedIn profile. Watch our YouTube tutorials on making the most out of LinkedIn.
• Indeed – you can use 'placement year' as part of your keyword search. Sign in to receive recommended jobs based on your interests.
• STEP – UK wide project based opportunities for students and graduates. Can include year long placements
• EmployAbility – advice and work experience opportunities specifically for disabled students
• E4S – placements in the UK and abroad

To find placements in a particular sector, visit Explore Occupations.

The Year In Industry website and Gradcracker are good starting points if you are looking for STEM placements.

For placements in finance, insurance and patents, try Inside Careers.

Check with your academic school to see if they advertise or promote opportunities. For example:

• The Business School sometimes advertises year-long placement opportunities on their Student Experience Blog.
• Computing Science opportunities are also posted on the computing @ Newcastle: employment and enterprise blog.

Not all placements are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:

• networking and making contacts
• developing their own business ideas

17% of our current placement students told us that they found their placement using a speculative approach.

How to access hidden placements

To find hidden placements, start by identifying companies you would like to work for.

Our guide to finding companies below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:

1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!

For more information read targetjobs' guide to making a speculative application.

How to find companies

• Find organisations on MyCareer. Select ‘search' then 'organisations’.
• Look up organisations in specific sectors on our Explore Occupations pages.
• Use the business directories and databases on our Researching employers page.
• Search for organisations on LinkedIn. The Find Alumni tool shows you where Newcastle graduates are currently working.
• Browse our NU Work Experience Directory. This shows the placements Newcastle University students have had previously.
• Explore our NCL Graduate Employment Outcomes directory. See examples of what our graduates were doing 15 months after their studies.

Rate my Placement have a guide to The Top Undergraduate Employers, ranked by students.

For resources to help you find overseas opportunities, visit our Global Work Experience pages.

Finding and arranging an overseas placement year can be complicated. Whether you can go abroad to a particular country depends on a range of factors, including:

• travel restrictions
• insurance
• visa processes
• health requirements and other risk factors

If you’re considering doing a placement overseas, you will need to begin your research as early as possible.

To help you get started, we recommend that you:

• read through the university’s Global Opportunities pages. They offer detailed information for all students thinking of living, working and studying abroad.
• check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s travel advice for the country you’re interested in as a starting point.
• speak to the team managing your placement about where you want to go, and the type of work you want to do. Check if there are any restrictions. University insurance may not allow travel to countries which appear to be approved by the FCDO. Find out if there are earlier deadlines you need to be aware of.
• research the visa process for the country you’re interested in. This is not always a straightforward process and can take a long time to arrange. Find and contact the relevant UK based embassy. If you’re not a UK citizen, look for the relevant embassy based in your home country. Try to get any information or instructions in writing (via email). This may come in useful during your visa application, or when you arrive in the country. To get started, Global Opportunities have put together Visa information for EU countries
• consider travel, accommodation, insurance and finance for your time overseas. You can use the information provided by Global Opportunities, including their Turing scheme information. Also read GoinGlobal’s country guides.

If you’re an international student planning to do a placement in your home country, speak to the team managing your placement. They will still need to check whether your placement can be approved.

Once you’ve confirmed your placement, the University has resources to help you prepare for working and living overseas. The team managing your placement and Global Opportunities will offer you support throughout your time abroad.

Before committing to a placement year:

• research how much funding you’re entitled to
• plan your finances for the year

You should think about your cost of living and expenses for the year. This can differ greatly depending on whether you do your placement at home, elsewhere in the UK, or overseas.

The Student Financial Support Team have created a Placement Year Budget guide and spreadsheet. Use this to help you work out your income and expenditure.

For more help and advice around finance and budgeting, you can book an appointment with a Student Finance Adviser.

Placement year tuition fees are the same for UK, EU and International students. The amount you pay depends on your course start date. For full information, visit Tuition Fees and select undergraduate placement year fees.

UK students enrolled on a placement year module should have access to a non-means tested tuition fee loan. UK students should also be able to apply for a reduced rate maintenance loan.

By doing a placement year module, you continue to be registered as a student. You will continue to have access to the same student discounts and benefits, including council tax exemption.

For more information, visit Student Financial Support: Placement Year. You can also contact the Student Financial Support Team via the web enquiry form.

Most of our students get paid by their employers during their placement year. We recommend searching for paid placements first, using the finding placements resources above.

The Careers Service does not advertise unpaid placements, or promote resources where unpaid work is commonly advertised.

However, we know that some occupational areas can be difficult to break into without first gaining experience on an unpaid basis. For example: media, journalism, non-profit, environment and psychology

Unpaid placement years are not illegal if you are completing the work as part of your course. See the Gov.uk Employment rights and pay for interns page for more information.

It is always important to be aware of your rights. Unpaid work may be illegal if:

• it lasts more than a year
• you’re not getting academic credit for it

If you’re on a specific type of unpaid placement, you might be able to apply for an income-assessed maintenance loan. Types of placements include certain roles relating to:

• healthcare
• prison or probation
• care of young people in a local authority
• research

For more information look under the Work placement in the UK section on the Student Financial Support: Placement Year page.

If you’re unable to find a suitable paid placement in your sector, you can apply for financial support. You could receive up to £5000 for an unpaid placement, especially if you would otherwise find it difficult to support yourself.

This application is open to UK students who have secured an unpaid year-long placement. You can apply whether your placement is managed by the Careers Service or your academic school. There are some exceptions, see below for eligibility criteria.

Eligibility criteria

• You must have secured a 9-12 month placement (or secured two placements which last at least 4.5 months each)
• Your placement must take place in the UK. See below for information about funding for overseas placements.
• Priority will be given to those from Widening Participation backgrounds and/or those who have been identified as part of the University’s Access and Participation Plan.
• We will consider your answers to the application form questions around why you want to do this unpaid placement and how it might benefit your long-term career goals.
• We will also consider the cost of living in certain locations and the sector your placement is in.
• Unpaid placements taking place at Newcastle University, or those directly arranged by Newcastle University with external providers (such as Professional Psychology placements), are not eligible for this funding.

Funding conditions

• Making an application does not guarantee that you will be granted funding.
• Funding will be given up to a maximum of £5,000.
• A panel will meet to decide on the awarding of funding. Their decision is final.
• No funding will be provided until we have received confirmation that you have passed this stage of your degree. This may mean awaiting the results of resits before any money is released.

How to apply

If you have secured an unpaid placement and would like to apply for funding, please fill out our placement funding form.

The deadline to apply for this funding is 30 June 2024.

Log into MyCareer, and select one of the following options depending on the type of support you need:

Information Appointment

If you know what type of placement you’re looking for, information advisers can help you to search for opportunities and employers.

You can also book information appointments for support with preparing for:

• interviews
• recruitment tests
• assessment centres

Guidance Appointment

Careers consultants can offer guidance to support you with making choices. Book a guidance appointment if you’re unsure:

• of the type of placement you’re looking for
• whether a placement is right for you

You can also book a guidance appointment for feedback on your application forms.

Placements Appointment

If you want more information about how the placements process works, placements advisers can help.

You can also book a placement appointment for help with understanding the NCL3000 module.

CV Appointment

Our CV advisers can offer feedback on your:

• CV
• covering letter
• LinkedIn profile

Before booking this type of appointment, first:

• complete the CV and Covering letter Pathway on MyCareer,
• save your document as a PDF, upload it to CareerSet (our automatic online checker) and make any suggested changes

Please bring a printed copy of your CV or covering letter with you for an in-person appointment. Have a copy ready on your device for an online appointment.

For written advice, please submit a query on MyCareer and an adviser will get back to you within 5 working days.

Go to the Queries/CV icon and then click on 'Submit new query/CV'.

Check out our careers and employer events for students. These include sessions on finding placements and making applications.

Recruitment fairs are not just for graduate jobs. Several employers at our events also offer placement years, so go along and find out more about their opportunities.

At our employer and sector insights you can hear about their placement schemes, build your network and ask questions.

Preparing to Find a Placement

Our Preparing to Find a Placement pathway will help you prepare before you begin searching and applying for placement years. You'll be guided through activities to help get you ready.

Start using this pathway from the spring / summer before you are applying for placements. This gives you time to work through the activities before employers start their recruitment.

Preparing to Find a Placement Pathway

Searching and Applying for Placements

Our Searching and Applying for Placements pathway can help you start your placements search. If you’re unsure if a placement is right for you, or if you’re not sure what sectors or roles you’re interested in, the Reflect and Research sections can help.

Searching and Applying Pathway