• Offered for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Ms Sarah Carnegie

• Owning School: Newcastle University Business School
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This module is designed to enable students participating in a mobility opportunity (on a work placement, international study abroad or a combination of both) in the UK or abroad, to gain credits towards their Newcastle University degree. Students will be encouraged to appreciate that a “learning experience” is not restricted to academic situations like a degree programme but can include any situation in which they may be involved during their mobility experience. The module will encourage students to critically reflect on their learning and development in relation to the relevant graduate attributes. In consonance with the overall aims of the degrees offered by NUBS this module aims to:

• build on the skills gained at Stages 1 and 2;

• provide an in-depth knowledge and understanding of studying and/or working in the location of their mobility experience (UK or abroad) and apply their knowledge and understanding of practice relevant to their degree specialism;

• support students in developing the relevant graduate attributes;

• develop the ability to appreciate the complexities and constant change in the external environment;

• encourage critical reflection on personal, professional and academic development and
employability journey to their future career and enterprise goals.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students on a study placement should complete a minimum of 48 credits (24 ECTS) and a maximum of 60 credits (30 ECTS), or equivalent, per semester. They will be required to attend lectures and seminars and attempt all assessed work and exams as timetabled by the host institution.

Students on a work placement will be required to carry out tasks and duties as assigned to them by their line manager/supervisor as per the job description which was agreed as part of the placement’s recruitment and selection process. The university will require confirmation from the placement provider that the student has met the minimum placement duration.

In addition, all students are required to reflect on their experiences during the placement and/or study abroad year. Instead of following a specific syllabus students will record, in a systematic manner, their learning and development through a series of formative reflective portfolio activities and two summative assignments.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The module is designed to encourage students on their placement and/or study abroad year to focus on their learning and personal and professional development. Through independent learning they will become used to reflecting in a systematic and sustained manner on goals, processes and achievements as well as on their progress against the relevant graduate attributes.

Support is provided to students prior to departure in the form of workshops and additional materials to help students to action plan and recognise and develop their skills. During their mobility activity contact is maintained by the Student Experience Team in line with the University Placement Charter via virtual placement visits (1 in semester 1 and 1 in semester 2). Additional guidance and support will be provided by the academic module team reporting to the Module Leader. Self-directed e-learning resources are available to support students across their mobility activity and provide them with a comprehensive framework to support their progress during the year.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The two items of assessment provide students with a structure to initially plan and then guide their reflections of their time spent on placement and/or study abroad. In semester 1 students set SMART objectives and complete a self-assessment against relevant graduate attributes. Throughout the duration of their mobility experience, students will be required to reflect upon their progress against their personal goals as well as the attributes. Students will be encouraged to provide supporting evidence to demonstrate their personal and professional development. The assignment in semester 2 required the students to reflect on the progress made against specific development goals outlined in their first assignment.

Both assignments are pass / fail. If a student fails to submit or achieve a pass mark for either assignment, they will be given one opportunity, to revise and resubmit or submit, their work within a reasonable timeframe unless a PEC has been granted. If the work still does not achieve a pass mark or is not submitted within the time allocated a resit task will be completed in the August resit period and will be a 3,000 essay will be set related to graduate employability.

The resit opportunity will only be available if students have failed either NBS3000 assignment. Students also need to meet the attendance requirements for a work placement/ engagement and ECTS requirements for a period of study abroad.

If a student does not achieve a pass for the module they will be transferred back to the three year version of their degree programme for their final year [subject to achieving a pass at Stage 2].
Provision of a virtual visit by the Student Experience Team during the mobility activity ensures that the student feels supported by the Business School, as does the feedback from the assignments by the academic module team.

In order to pass the module, students must also complete all eligibility checks and associated tasks (e.g. Placement Learning Agreement) in compliance with publicised deadlines.

Alternative Assessment for Study and Work Abroad Students who experience Visa Issues in Semester 1 or 2.

An alternative assessment for NBS3000 for students where their planned mobility activity has been impacted due to visa issues can be considered for an alternative assessment on a case by case basis. Typically this will be students who do not secure their visa in time to travel to their chosen location in semester 1 or where late changes to visas mean they cannot remain overseas for two semesters. Students impacted by such circumstances will be required to complete a 3,000 word assignment, which will be 100% of the module marks, on a pass/fail basis, and the marking criteria for assignment 2 will apply. The assignment title will be, 'Explore a current business issue relating to the country where you have undertaken your mobility experience'. Students eligible for this alternative assessment will be confirmed by the Placement and Study Abroad Team and formal permission will be requested via the Module Leader.

RESIT INFORMATION: If students are eligible to a second attempt resit will be any failed components and the outcome will be a pass/fail.

Reading Lists

• NBS3000's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• NBS3000's Timetable