Completing a work placement provides first-hand experience in a professional role with real responsibilities, typically lasting 45 weeks across one or more organisations.
Working in industry gives you a considerable advantage in graduate employment, allowing you to apply your knowledge to real problems, gain practical experience, develop career insights, expand your network, attend training, impress employers and in some cases secure a graduate job. It also allows you to “test-drive” a career and determine if a particular professional area is right for you.
Additional award
By undertaking a year on professional placement or working in industry, you will gain an additional award alongside your final qualification. If you undertake a professional placement year you will gain a Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) or if you complete a year in industry you will gain a Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS).
Featured placement year companies
Our students have been able to secure employability enhancing placements with a wide variety of organisations.
At Loughborough, we maintain strong, long-standing links with the chemical, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. Our chemistry students have worked with major companies such as AstraZeneca, BioFocus, GlaxoSmithKline, 3M Healthcare, Lubrizol, RB (Reckitt-Benckiser), Nemaura Pharma, Pirelli Tyres, GE Healthcare and the Home Office.