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MAN-20179 - Module Specification
Keele Business School
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 17 March 2026

MAN-20179 - Professional Placement or Project (Level 5)
Coordinator: Aikaterini Koskina Room: DW1.08 Tel: +44 1782 7 33428
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733094

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

Level 6 Placement Module

Description for 2026/27

In a competitive job market, practical skills and understanding workplace dynamics are crucial. This module allows you to gain experience, enhancing your employability, and the opportunity to gain valuable professional insights via a 75-hour placement or project. You have primary responsibility to secure a role / project and will undertake various activities to support this. This module offers flexibility on when and how you complete your placement or project, enabling you to balance it around existing demands.


Aims
This module aims to:
• Enhance the career knowledge and employability of students studying within KBS.
• Support students in effectively researching and applying for employment roles.
• Provide students with experience of work, including developing their transferable skills
• Encourage KBS students to apply and reflect on skills for future work.
• Develop students capacity to undertake independent tasks or projects.
• Increase students knowledge of, and familiarity with the Careers and Employability Service

Intended Learning Outcomes

Identify areas for skills development, in relation to a specific career or sector.: 1
Reflect on skill development during the placement or project, and consider how this relates to future career aspirations.: 2
Explain the next steps for future career development: 2

Study hours

Active Learning hours 25: Consisting of 7 x 2hr workshops and 11 hours of placement drop-in opportunities.
75 hours of placement
Independent Study: 50 hours (Applying for placement and Assessment 1 - 20 hours, Assessment 2 - 30 hours)

School Rules

To be eligible to undertake MAN-20179, students are required to attend a briefing session, and submit an expression of interest form

Description of Module Assessment

1: Assignment weighted 30%
Skills Audit and Action Plan
Students will use their knowledge of their employment sector of interest to carry out a skills audit to identify and outline knowledge, skills or professional behaviours needing development or needed to progress in a given field, sector or role. They will then produce an action plan outlining activities to develop key employability goals, with a justification for how the placement can support their personal & professional development. Word count: 1000 words.

2: Report weighted 70%
Reflective Report
Students will produce a 3,000 word (maximum) reflective report on their placement or project. The report should reflect on critical incidents from their placement or project experience and discuss these within the context of experiential learning (linking to appropriate sources, including peer-reviewed sources where appropriate). Students should also reflect on the skills and knowledge gained from the placement or project experience and how these contribute to their employability development moving forward. The report should include an outline of networking plans and explain the next step for future career development.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 17 March 2026