In the current job market, employers are looking for more than a great degree. You also need to demonstrate key skills for the workplace.
Many schools in the faculty run academic modules with placements built in. Additionally, the faculty runs an exclusive placements programme of term-time opportunities for both undergraduates and postgraduates across all years of study:
Exclusive Placements Programme for widening participation students
From mid-June 2021, the Faculty of Social Sciences will be offering a paid placement programme exclusively to undergraduate students from widening participation backgrounds.
Find out more
Develop your potential
- Strengthen your CV and LinkedIn profile with essential work experience
- Build your network and wider understanding of the working environment
- Forge links with employers which could turn into career opportunities when you graduate
- Apply study skills in practical environments and research for your dissertation
Faculty placements programme
We have over 100 placements available each year. These opportunities run one day a week during term-time and easily fit around your academic timetable. All placements completed give students 10 credits towards the Nottingham Advantage Award.
Additional placement activity in schools
Many schools offer accredited placements programmes, including:
Placement year
If you would like to take a year out in industry, you can add an optional placement year onto most of our undergraduate courses. This will be included on your degree certificate and comprehensive support is provided by your school and the Careers and Employability Service. You will be supervised throughout the year and your supervisor will visit you at work.
International internship opportunities
A placement could take you somewhere extraordinary over your vacation, with previous opportunities in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, the USA, Italy, France, Hungary and Germany.
Career Service links
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university's control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.
Placement blog Placement videos
A sample of recent placement and internship partners
Popular career areas
- Banking and finance
- Government departments, including local councils
- Third-sector organisations and NGOs
- Think-tanks, lobbying, pressure and advocacy groups
- Management consultancies
- Legal services such as appeals, courts and probation
- Local and national politics including supporting MPs of all parties
- Overseas organisations
- Local and commercial businesses
- Local and national media
- Further or higher education
- EU and United Nations organisations
- Market and statistical research
Skills and experience you can gain
- Communications, marketing and public relations
- Accountancy and business consultancy
- Legal practice including conveyancing
- Research, research design and market research
- Conducting and organising surveys
- Statistics and quantitative/qualitative data analysis
- Evaluating information and advisory skills
- Languages
- Public and social policy
- Social and global justice
- International relations
- Presentation and editing skills
- Teamwork, time management and self-organisation
- Debating and negotiation
- Networking and liaison
- Parliament and UK politics, plus local government
- NGOs and advocacy groups
- Environmental policy and climate change
- Politics of race and gender
- Political economy
- Critical and evaluative thinking
- Defence industry
- Knowledge of the EU
- Reflective learning and utilising constructive feedback
Recent student placement roles
- Social Impact Researcher
- Business Development Officer
- Political Research Officer
- Marketing and PR Officer
- Events and Campaigns Assistant
- Strategy and Commissioning Assistant
- Partnerships and Networking Assistant
- Global Conflict Resolution Intern
- Statistical Analyst and Researcher
- Defence Against Terrorism Analyst
- Funding Bids Writer