In the School, we are very keen for our students to get real work experience, as well as academic qualifications, because this helps them to develop their graduate attributes, skills and knowledge, plan their careers and successfully apply for graduate jobs. All students joining the School will have the opportunity to engage in professional, work experience. This can be in the UK or further afield, as the case studies below, highlight.

Here are some recent examples of student placements, these are just a snap-shot of what our students do:

Paid summer placements working with Fraud Investigators for Barclays Bank	Supporting national clinical studies undertaken by the Mental Health Research Network
Interning for the Forensic Sciences Division of Maryland State Police, United States	Working as a Family Support Worker with Brent Council Family Solutions Unit
Interning as an Honorary Psychologist’s Assistant for South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust	Support Worker roles with Autism West Midlands and Positive Action
Delivering English tutoring to Spanish students of the New Languages Institute, Madrid	Providing research support to Coventry and Warwickshire Trust, Mental Health Services Team
Shadowing and supporting professional Probation Officers within Coventry Probation Service	Working with The Children’s Society, offering support to young people at risk of sexual exploitation
Providing support to the Talent Development Manager for Clinical Professionals, Reading	Working for a private company as a Junior IBIS (Integrated Ballistics Identification System) Technician
Developing resources and delivering support to students of the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind)	Assisting Victim Support as a Service Delivery Volunteer
Working with Substance Misuse Teams in Alcohol and Drugs Intervention and Education	Volunteering as Special Constables with West Midlands Police Force (leading to IL4SC, Policing Certification)

As well as academic subjects we also instil in our students a strong ethos of professional behaviour and the importance of excellent communication. Employers have been very positive about our students, who have been very successful in competing against students from other universities to obtain placements in the Midlands, other parts of the UK and abroad. We have also successfully worked with public sector and third sector organisations, community groups and charities and SMEs to match our placement students’ skills to their business needs.

Sandwich Year-long Placements

Students can take a year-long placement between the second and final year of their degree course. These must be for at least 30 hours per week for 36 weeks and students are usually available to commence these in the summer.

Short Placements

In addition to year-long placements we also encourage students to complete short placements or periods of professional experience. These will be for one or more days per week to fit around their studies.

Extended Masters with Professional Experience

The School of Health and Care, School of Life Sciences and School of Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences have developed a suite of courses which aim to enable you to combine a Master’s degree with relevant professional experience. All students enrolled on these courses undertake 6-8 months of professional experience, either externally or on campus. Placement hosts include local, national and multi-national companies, hospitals and research organisations.