Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

Students must have identified and confirmed a placement provider for a minimum 9 month placement
Students must have attended or accessed content of the induction workshop before their placement commences

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The Professional Placement year aims to provide students with the opportunity:

for personal development within a work environment;
to contribute to the work of the organisation / placement provider;
to extend their knowledge and understanding of the food industry, nutrition research, public health, psychology and related areas;
to extend their knowledge and understanding of the systems/processes for managing people in the workplace;
to enhance their knowledge of career options and help in the making of career choices;
to develop appropriate attitudes in a professional work environment;
to improve their portfolio of skills.

Outline Of Syllabus

There is no specific syllabus as the placements will be provided by various industrial, research and public health organisations and so each student experience will vary. All students will spend a full year working with the placement provider according to in-house guidelines and unique to the specific placement. Students will undertake placements across all spectrums depending on their personal preference.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of the professional placement, students will be able to:

K1 Define the strategic aims of the company and explain how the organisation contributes to the
food, nutrition, public health and psychology sectors;
K2 Identify their role in the organisation and how they contribute to the aims of the placement
provider;
K3 Describe techniques and methods applied during the placement and evaluate their effectiveness;
K4 Identify the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for a successful career;
K5 Evaluate the learning opportunities offered during the placement for personal development and
relate these to career goals.

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completion of the professional placement, students will have acquired some or all of the following skills:

S1 Able to apply knowledge and skills to investigate a food industry, nutrition, public health or
psychology-related industrial or research problem defined by the organisation;
S2 Able to take advantage of any learning opportunities and record these;
S3 If laboratory-based, able to master basic laboratory skills, safe working practices and the
ability to carry out experiments;
S4 If food industry/manufacturing based, able to master basic skills, safe working practices and the
ability to carry out food manufacturing-related tasks;
S5 Able to obtain, record, collate, analyse and interpret data relevant for the different working
environments;
S6 Able to summarise and present such data according to appropriate conventions;
S7 Able to locate, retrieve and critically evaluate information (including primary literature);
S8 Able to work effectively as part of a team;
S9 To have developed skills in managing and the management of people in the workplace.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Skills will be learnt on-site throughout the placement and will be dependent on the nature of each placement. The expectation is that students will arrange a placement for a minimum of 1200 hours (i.e. 30 weeks at 40hrs/week; 32 weeks at 37.5hrs/week; 34 weeks at 35hrs/week). Note that some employers may require the student to work for up to 52 weeks, but this will be specified in the contract between the placement provider and the student. An overview of a food industry, nutrition research, public health or psychology-related organisation with relevant and specific skills sets as is appropriate will be gained whilst on placement. Professionalism, experience of team work and general work-related skills will also be learnt whilst on placement. These skills closely mirror the learning outcomes.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Written Reflective Log
A written reflective log on the experience of the placement year. The industrial partner will approve the log for IP purposes. The reflective log will be collated weekly via NU-reflect.

Poster presentation (given in the first weeks of Stage 3)
A poster presentation to Stage 1 and 2 students will give an overview of the experience.

Supervisor Report
A series of documents logging progress and discussion will be completed throughout the placement.


Both the reflective and poster presentation will give the student the opportunity to reflect on their placement year and provide a record of their experiences. Both will encourage critical thinking about the placement experience.

In order to pass NUT3030 candidates must achieve a mark of at least 40 in each of the three components of assessment (Report, Oral/Video/Blog Presentation and Supervisor Report). If the Report or Oral/Video/Blog Presentation is failed, they will have to be retaken and a pass mark obtained. However, no resit can be offered for the Supervisor Report. Thus, if the Supervisor Report is failed, this will constitute a fail for the entire module.

General Notes

N/A