Postgraduate Placements
Some of our postgraduate courses offer a placement option - an opportunity to undertake a 6-12 month industry placement after the taught element of the programme.
This practical experience enhances employability, strengthens transferable skills, and demonstrates professional capability in the competitive jobs market.
Whilst placements are competitive and therefore not guaranteed, our dedicated Placements and Projects Team will support you in finding a suitable opportunity, and will provide guidance throughout the process. We strongly encourage students to actively engage with these services as soon as possible to maximise the chances of securing a placement.
Find out more about Postgraduate Placements in the sections below, including eligibility, how to apply, fees, and support available.
Currently, all postgraduate taught programmes in Keele Business School, Computer Science, and Law offer a Postgraduate Placement, excluding Apprenticeships and online programmes.
Students can apply directly using the dedicated application link on course pages, or can transfer onto the ‘with placement’ route once they have commenced their studies. Transfers must be requested before the end of May for students starting in September, and before the end of October for students starting in January.
International students can apply directly. Transfers are possible, but visa extensions may be required, and should be discussed with your Programme Director and the Immigration Compliance and Advice (ICA) team, to asses if it can be approved in line with UKVI rules.
To be eligible to progress onto placement, students will need to have:
- Passed all of their first Semester modules (i.e., obtained an average mark of ≥ 50%). Where no Semester 1 marks have been awarded, performance on individual assessments in these modules will be considered.
- Completed an online Health and Safety training session and satisfy the Health and Safety regulations of their placement provider.
- Secured a relevant placement via a competitive, employer-led selection process, including successful application and interview.
Progression onto the ‘with Placement’ programme is then conditional on passing all taught modules from the Spring and Autumn semesters, excluding the research project/dissertation.
Students with up to 30-credits of re-assessment at first attempt who meet the progression requirements may progress onto the ‘with Placement’ programme and retrieve that module during their placement. Students who have failed one or more modules will not be eligible to progress onto placement, even if they have assessment attempts remaining.
Please note that there may be additional eligibility requirements based on the placement provider.
Any student not meeting the above criteria will typically revert to the non-placement variant of the degree programme.
The University does not guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Placement’ programme or for those who transfer onto the programme. The Placement and Projects Team will support students in finding placement opportunities, but can not guarantee placements. All students will be provided with a detailed timeline, including deadlines, of the date by which their placement would need to be secured.
Tuition fees for students on the ‘with Placement’ programme will be charged at 20% of the standard Home Undergraduate annual tuition fees for that year of study.
Students will be responsible for meeting the costs of travelling to and from their placement provider, accommodation, food and associated costs such as clothing, DBS checks etc.
Students should budget with the assumption that their placement will be unpaid.
A small stipend may be available to students from the placement provider, but this will need to be explored on a placement-by-placement basis.
Eligibility for student finance will depend on the type of placement and whether it is paid or not. Students are required to confirm eligibility with their student finance provider. As part of the placement approval process, all students will be referred to the Student Financial Support team for advice and guidance regarding scholarships, bursaries and access to additional funding.
International students who require a visa should check with the Immigration Compliance team prior to commencing any type of paid placement to ensure that they are not contravening their visa requirements.
Students will be supported whilst on their placement via the following methods:
During the Postgraduate Placement, students will have access to the same level of support normally available. Each student will be provided with a named University Supervisor from the Placements and Projects Team, who will act as the first point of contact throughout the placement. The placement supervisor will be in regular contact with the student throughout the placement and be on hand to provide advice and guidance.
All students will be provided with a detailed timeline, including deadlines, of when their placement would be required to be secured. Students who are unable to secure a placement by their given deadline will revert back to the standard one-year programme.
The placement will be assessed through the non-credit bearing Postgraduate Placement module which is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will have no credit weighting in the master’s degree. This is designed to ensure that students make the most of the placement as a learning experience.
No, your placement can be in any area, or discipline enabling you to experience the world of work in an area aligned to your academic or career preferences.
