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PHA-30065 - Module Specification
School of Allied Health Professions and Pharmacy
Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

PHA-30065 - Work Placement for Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Science Programmes
Coordinator: Neil Grazier Room: HORN 2.24 Tel: +44 1782 7 33793
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 0
Study Hours: 900
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

The Work Placement Module enhances your employability by providing valuable industry exposure. Available to those who have completed their second year, this module integrates academic learning with practical experience through a work placement. During your second year of study, you will actively secure your own placement, taking ownership of your career path. You will improve your job-hunting skills by finding placements, developing your curriculum vitae (CV), and tailoring applications to each employer's specific needs. While the Programme Director or nominee provides support throughout the recruitment process, your individual effort and engagement are crucial. This emphasis on personal responsibility and proactivity prepares you for the professional world of work. The placement should last 9–12 months, with a minimum commitment of 21 hours per week over a period of 24 weeks. Successful completion leads to a degree qualification in 'Pharmaceutical Science with Placement Experience' or 'Cosmetic Science with Placement Experience.' The placement year is not credit-bearing; you will return to complete your third-year curriculum and project.

Aims
The aim of the placement year for undergraduate students is to provide them with graduate-level work experience lasting approximately 9-12 months. During this time, students will develop skills relevant to their programmes of study and gain sector knowledge while cultivating the professional attitude needed in the work environment.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate the application of academic knowledge from Pharmaceutical Science or Cosmetic Science to real-world scenarios in research, industrial, or professional environments through practical projects and activities.: 2,3
Apply their knowledge and practical skills in Pharmaceutical Science or Cosmetic Science to evidence competence in a workplace setting, with a focus on accurately recording and documenting their work and training.: 3
Provide evidence of accurate and compliant documentation practices within their workplace environment, adhering to the requirements of their employer’s quality systems.: 3,4
Demonstrate the ability to listen attentively and respond appropriately, present information effectively to groups, and give and receive constructive feedback within a professional setting.: 1,2,4
Appreciate the importance of working effectively, reliably, honestly, diplomatically as an individual or as part of a team.: 4
Comprehend the concepts of occupational health, safety requirements and procedures and employee welfare.: 1,3,4
Produce clear and structured written content within a professional setting.: 1,3

Study hours

F3. Active Learning Hours: indicative hours 2 pre-placement sessions (8 hours) = 16
F4. Independent Study Hours: indicative hours 380 = sum of:
Four study skills sessions during placement (4 hours) = 16 hours
2 placement visits (3 hours) = 6 hours
Creating and maintaining skills, learning and training portfolio made up of 2 hours per week, across 24 weeks = 48 hours
reading and studying for daily work tasks 8 hours per week for 24 weeks = 192 hours
preparation and delivery of assessments = 118 hours
F5. Placement Learning hours: indicative hours 504 = (24 weeks of 21 hours) to meet minimum requirements for a placement year.

School Rules

The placement offer is available only to students who meet the following criteria:
1. Completion of all 240 credits of core, optional, and elective modules at Levels 4 and 5 with an average mark of 50% or higher in core modules.
2. Demonstrated attendance of 80% or better during their academic Programme.
3. Students employed on a work placement must fulfil their contract with the placement provider.

Description of Module Assessment

1: Professional Development weighted 25%
CV writing
Students are required to submit a two-page professional CV tailored to their academic studies and work placement experience. The CV should highlight the skills they developed during the placement year.

2: Presentation weighted 25%
Presentation
Presentations are a means to develop essential skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, and the ability to communicate scientific information effectively, which are crucial for students’ post-graduation careers. After the placement, students will deliver a 10-minute presentation (followed by 5 minutes of questions) covering their work experience, the placement employer, and any scientific work or results achieved. The presentation will be delivered via Teams using PowerPoint to a panel of at least two academics from the Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science programmes. The presentation will be assessed based on the content, knowledge, structure, organisation, overall impact, the quality of the scientific work, and the effectiveness of responses during the Q&A session.

3: Report weighted 25%
Report
Prepare a well-structured 3000-word written report about the work experience during the placement year. Describing the host environment, duties, and tasks completed. The report will be tailored to individual placements, with rubrics adjusted by the module leader based on each student’s specific experience. This should include documented training records.

4: Review weighted 25%
Placement Provider Performance Review
A performance review form assessing attendance, engagement and skills during placement will need to be submitted by the placement provider via email to the placement module leader. It will be responsibility of the placement student to ensure that the form is received by the end of the placement experience.

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: 04 December 2025