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Placements

Medical student

Why just learn it, when you can do it?

Many of our undergraduate degree courses offer a placement year.

Placements give you the chance to gain work experience, make industry contacts and increase your employability. And at ARU, our dedicated Placements Team will support you all the way.

View undergraduate courses with placement years

Why do a placement?

By doing a placement year you can:

  • gain first-hand experience in the industry you want to work in
  • apply what you've learnt in university to a real job
  • develop as a person
  • stand out to employers, with a year's experience on your CV and plenty to talk about in job interviews
  • get a good understanding of the working environment, helping you adjust to professional life more easily once you graduate
  • potentially save money for your final year: our students on paid placements earn an average of £16,000 per annum.
I have loved every second of my placement year and hope to return to the same company once I graduate.
Emma
BSc (Hons) Business and Human Resources

Placements take place between the second and final year of your degree.

They give you experience of seeking and securing a job, and working in an industry relevant to your course. You'll gain invaluable experience, knowledge and contacts, along with skills that you can apply to your final year at university – and in your future career.

Completing a placement improves your chances of securing a graduate role, with employers reporting that they rehired an average of 52% of their interns and 43% of their summer placement students.*

I was able to gain an insane amount of knowledge from good people, and I hope I was able to contribute just as much. I was [also] able to get some material for my Final Year Project.
Attila
BEng (Hons) Computer Science

How do I find a placement?

You apply for a placement in the same way you'd apply for any job, by submitting your CV and attending an interview.

Our Placements Team is here to help you navigate the job market and secure a placement.

We have close links with a range of employers – from smaller local businesses through to global organisations – and work to match their vacancies to our students.

We can also help with:

  • tailoring your CV
  • mock interviews
  • confidence building
  • careers fairs
  • speed networking events.

Last year 92% of ARU students who secured a year-long placement were supported by our Placements Team.

While we can't guarantee a placement, as we rely heavily on market availability and on your own enthusiasm and commitment, we can guarantee that we’ll be here to support you every step of the way.

The help and support from the Placements Team is absolutely incredible. They're always checking how you're getting on and help with preparations for interviews. The team is amazing.
Lauretta
Civil Engineering student

Placements for postgraduate students

A growing number of our Masters degrees offer placements as an integral part of the course:

Placements range from ten weeks up to 34 weeks.

You'll be responsible for sourcing your own placement, but there'll be plenty of support and guidance on offer in your faculty.

How to apply to ARU

You can apply in the following ways.

  • UK and EU students can apply through UCAS. There's an application link on every course page.
  • International students can apply directly to us. There's an application link on every course page: select the option 'with placement year'.
  • Postgraduate students can apply directly to us. There's an application link on every course page: select the option 'with placement'.

Find out more

Contact us to learn more about studying on a placement course, or employing one of our students. Email placements@aru.ac.uk



*ISE Annual Student Recruitment Survey 2018