Industrial Placements - Five Year MSci Degrees

Degree programmes with an integral industrial placement offer students the opportunity to spend the fourth year of their degree in paid employment and graduate after five years with an MSci (an undergraduate Masters Degree) instead of a BSc.

Programmes

The opportunity to take Enhanced Study options as part of your degree and participate in co-curricular activities. See www.abdn.ac.uk/thedifference for more information.

Background

Placements vary considerably, but in general terms students are placed in an industrial, commercial or research environment where they will obtain a breadth of practical experience to complement their degree programme. All degree programmes offered by the School of Medical Sciences, with the exception of Applied Sports Science – Education, offer the opportunity for students to undertake a year’s placement. We currently have links with a number of different companies and have recently placed students in companies such as Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth and NIMR, as well as a number of smaller companies both in the UK and abroad.

Why Undertake a Year's Industrial Placement?

Employers now expect an impressive list of skills, knowledge and experience in their graduate recruits. They welcome ‘transferable skills’ acquired during a work placement, such as communication, numeracy, use of IT, group work and time management. In addition to allowing you to experience workplace culture, completing an industrial placement makes you a more effective employee following graduation. Increasingly, placements or periods of work experience are being used as a tool by employers for pre-selecting the best students for graduate roles. An industrial placement year may therefore become a passport to employment where employers consider a work placement as a central part of their graduate recruitment process.

Finding a Placement

The application process for placements starts at the end of September of the year prior to the placement commencing. Throughout the application process students receive the full support of the Industrial Placement Co-ordinator and the University Careers Service. Students remain registered with the University during their placement year and continue to receive guidance and advice from a University tutor for the duration of the year in industry. At the end of their placement year students return to the University to complete their final year of study – their Honours year.

Further Information

www.abdn.ac.uk/sms/ugradteaching/placements.shtml

Careers

For students wishing to maximise their career opportunities we offer the complete package of Life Science degrees with Industrial Placement and Biobusiness. These five year MSci degrees will prepare the student for either a career in industry or a further postgraduate qualification e.g. PhD or MBA.

Finding your direction

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success.  The Careers Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us – from first to final year – and beyond.

• More information on employability at the University of Aberdeen.
• More information on the Careers Service.

Entrance Requirements

All students who are studying for a degree within the School of Medical Sciences, and who successfully complete their first three years at a level which will allow them entry into Honours year, are eligible to apply to undertake a year’s industrial placement.

Please click on the links below to find out more information on funding in your area.

• Scotland and EU (Excluding England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• Rest of UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• International
• Scholarships

Related Links

• Scholarships
• Entrance Scholarships
• Funding Database
• England Wales and Northern Ireland Finance Guide