Student Placements

We Value Your Involvement

Key to the University’s success in graduate employment is our commitment to providing students with the opportunity for work placement experience. That is why we place a high value on the companies and organisations that are prepared to get involved.

93% of our undergraduate courses have a placement option with a growing number of postgraduate courses offering a placements too.

Placements vary in length from 4 weeks to one year, can be paid or unpaid (depending on Industry/ Sector) and encompass the full range of professions, from Engineering to Accountancy, from Art & Design to Social Work.

More than 700 employers have provided placements for RGU in recent years and the geographical spread of opportunities is world-wide.

What is a placement?

A placement is an integrated component of a student's degree programme that counts towards their final degree award. It is carried out in a real working environment where the student is expected to make a positive contribution to the work of the company or organisation.

Why do employers get involved?

There are many reasons why an employer would choose to participate in the Placement Scheme. Here are some of the benefits they have quoted to us:

A placement is a useful tool in the competition to secure the best graduates by getting to them early
A placement acts as an extended selection interview; an innovative and reliable method that allows you more time to get to know potential future employees
An opportunity to take advantage of the skills, knowledge, fresh ideas, enthusiasm and willingness to learn that a placement student can bring to the workplace
Providing a placement gives you the opportunity to shape and develop future employees and professionals
A regular intake of new blood, even on ashort-term basis, can complement the existing staff profile and keep the skills of the existing workforce fresh
A placement student can provide the impetus (and additional resource) required to get a new project or development off the ground
An opportunity to develop closer links to academic research and development.

What support is available?

The level of support provided to employers will varydepending on the student's degree programme but can include:

Site visits by academic staff 2-way information exchange
Networking opportunities (informal and/or formal) between placement providers
Input from educators into the format of placements
Practice education courses for placement providers
Educator conferences
Accreditation as a placement educator with an appropriate professional body
Ongoing support during the placement for both the placement provider and the student.