Placements

You can incorporate a placement year into any one of our undergraduate degree courses

A placement year is a fantastic way to gain valuable work experience and start building industry connections of your own.

It usually takes place after the first two years of study and on completion students will gain a Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS). This is an additional award to the final qualification you will receive once you have successfully completed your course. A placement allows you to gain valuable experience of a role and an industry or sector you’re interested in, develop key skills and competencies sought by graduate recruiters, and build a network of useful contacts. Most placements are salaried and several students are offered permanent employment to return to after graduation.

Placement: Colefax & Fowler

Placement support

Although it is your responsibility to find your own placement, we offer exceptional help and support. Placement students in the School of Design and Creative Arts receive ongoing support from tutors and the Careers Network. Our strong industry links help students to secure a variety of year-long and flexible work placements in the UK and internationally, supported by a dedicated School Placement Officer and Programme Placement Co-ordinator. Some students alternatively choose to opt for the Year in Enterprise option, where they can spend 12 months developing their own business idea with the help and support of the University.

Recent placement companies

Students secure a wide variety of placements dependent on personal interest and career ambitions. Examples of recent employers with whom our students have completed placements include: Walt Disney, New Look, Mondelez, Microsoft, Lego, Unilever, Rolls Royce, Adidas, H&M, Dr Martens, Bosch, Porsche Design, Princess Yachts, House of Hackney, Priestman Goode, Burberry, and many more.

Placement students

Eddie Carrington

Wonder Works

I love designing consumer products, but my real passion lies in creating unforgettable live experiences. I decided I wanted to use my placement year to apply the skills I’ve been learning on my course to a completely new area of design.
emma headshot

Emma Lawrence

Met Office

I've input my fresh ideas to a wide range of projects, such as working on a campaign to promote the new Met Office book ‘Very British Weather’, or working on an infographic to advise scientists on how to present climate information to the public.

Hannah Rayner

IBM

My placement opened my eyes to other areas of design. By final year, I aligned my projects to my interest in transforming not only products, but experiences, systems and processes.

Dominic Leatherland

Avon Protection

I was part of the product development team responsible for product and manufacturing design and testing. Being able to play a key role in the development of a product to save the lives of those suffering with COVID-19 was truly amazing.