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Sandwich placements

Sandwich placements are a popular option at DMU. Before the pandemic, on average over 400 students each year went on a twelve-month placement working for a wide range of employers in Leicestershire, the UK and abroad. In 2020, all 370 students on a year-long placement were able to successfully continue and complete their placement module, with many switching to working virtually for their employer. Placements take place between the second and third year of undergraduate study. They provide a huge boost to students’ career prospects and often lead to the offer of a graduate job or fast-tracked recruitment from the placement employer.

Every faculty has a specialist placement team to manage our employer partnerships and help students access placements with a wide range of industries and organisations. Our placement employers range from large multinational corporations to specialist local firms. 

In the past two years we have placed students with Rolls-Royce, Pfizer, NHS, Leicestershire Police, EA Games, MMT Digital, the Government Economic Service, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, PwC, Hewlett Packard, Next, The Walt Disney Company, Tommy Hilfiger, Airbus, IBM and Netready, among many others. 

Students can also sign up for an Enterprise placement year and develop their own business idea over twelve months, while earning credit towards their degree. 

Placements can have a big impact on employability: In 2017, 95.1% of our graduates who had been on a year-long placement were working in high-skilled graduate jobs six months after graduation, compared to 84.6% of other students.

  1. Placement credits for your degree

    In addition to a great experience, most students will also be enrolled on an academic module for the year, earning credits towards their degree. The module gives students the chance to analyse an aspect of their placement industry, employer or experience, and boosts students’ commercial awareness and readiness for graduate work.

  2. Postgraduate placements

    Students from selected courses in the Computing, Engineering and Media faculty and the faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities are also eligible to undertake a sandwich placement year.

  3. Support available to you

    Every faculty has a specialist placement team to support your placement, from beginning preparations in your first year to returning to DMU after the placement is complete. Every student on placement is assigned a Placement Tutor who will normally visit you on your placement, help you get the most out of the experience and help resolve any problems. Your Placement Tutor will offer pastoral support and ensure that you are on track with the academic requirements to pass the year.

  4. Key financial information

    The placement year cost is £1,300. Fees may be subject to change. For UK-based placements you can expect most employers to pay at least the National Minimum Wage. Salary conditions for international placements will vary and it’s important students double check these details and assess the full costs before embarking on the placement. The Careers Team partners with DMU Global to fully support students on placements abroad. You may be eligible for a Turing Scheme grant if working abroad.

  5. Other funding support

    • The interview travel bursary that can help you pay the costs of travel when applying for placements or graduate roles
    • Retaining your student status during the placement year means you are eligible for student concession rates and benefits
    • If eligible, you can also apply for student finance during the placement year; although you may be entitled to less than you receive in a standard study year

Current student? Sign up for placements in MyGateway.

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Are you a business interested in hosting a DMU student on placement? Placements offer a cost-effective, fixed-term resource for your business and can bring fresh ideas and skills to energise your product.

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