Year In Industry / Placement Year

The 'Year in Industry' (also known as Placement Year) is a unique opportunity that allows you to spend the third year of your degree on an industrial placement with an employer in a role relevant to your field of study. If you add a year in industry to your course, your degree will last 4 years and the 'With a Year in Industry' addition will appear on your degree certificate.

A placement is an exciting opportunity to gain experience and develop new skills while working in a field relevant to your degree studies. 

A year spent on a placement has a number of benefits for participating students, who return to university with a new sense of purpose, focus and motivation. The benefits include:

• Adding professional context to your studies
• Develop both industry-specific abilities and transferable skills, such as communication, teamwork, decision making, quick thinking and initiative.
• Understanding better your areas of interest and strength and your employment potential
• Experience gained during the placement will make you stand out as a highly employable candidate, and you are more likely to find a graduate job right after completing your studies

Student who wish to go on placement are responsible for sourcing and obtaining their placement, with support being provided by the School. Most placements will have employment that is usually offered as part of an employer’s formal placement/internship scheme for students. However, any contract of employment may be accepted, subject to the following minimum criteria:

• The duration must be of at least 1,200 hours / 9 months and it must take place between June 2026 (end of second-year study) and September 2027 (start of the third-year study). It can also be taken abroad.
• The role in which you are employed is related to your programme of study. 
• Any placement offer/contract of employment will need to be approved by the School so please contact the Placement & Study Abroad Manager as soon as you have received an employment offer

All first and second year students can add a year in industry programme to their degree course anytime. If you are enrolled in a three-year degree programme, you can swap to the four-year version at any point up until the start of your third year.

Please read the Student Handbook and other resources below,  or contact Nia Hamedi (Placement and Study Abroad Manager), at n.hamedi@qmul.ac.uk to learn more.

If you are a current second year student who would like to be informed about event and news relating to year in industry, please put your details on the Expression of Interest Form. You will be added to the relevant mailing list.