FAQ'S

When should I transfer to the placement year route?  If you are not enrolled on a degree which already includes a placement year that is no problem and you can easily transfer once you have secured your placement. So long as we know you are looking for a placement (email biosciences-placements@sheffield.ac.uk to do this) you don't transfer to the placement year route until you have a placement offer which is likely to be from February - June

I have a learning support plan at university, can I get similar help whilst on placement? Placement employers will make reasonable adjustments to both the recruitment and selection process and the workplace to encourage and accommodate any student who has additional needs. You are encourage to disclose a disability to employers to allow them to make these adjustments. If you have any concerns about doing this you can email us at  biosciences-placements@sheffield.ac.uk  

What are the chances of securing a placement?  The current positive jobs market means that  now is a good time to be looking for a placement. Like most things the more effort you put in, with  applications and refining your approach, the better your chances of success. Ultimately there is no reason for you not to succeed, so long as you make regular applications and use the advice and support available, it also helps if  you  are flexible about things like location and employer. 

Where can I find advice for students with a disability? You can find advice on researching employers and being open with them about your disability on the Careers Service website. It also gives details of how you can access one-to-one support from the Careers Service. 

What if I start a placement  and don't enjoy it? By the time you get a placement offer you should have a good sense of the employer and whether you'd like to work for them.  You can also speak to past placement students and get advice from the faculty placement team to help you decide if the role would suit you. It's rare that things go badly wrong and if that happens you have the option to leave without it impacting on your degree results.

How many applications are needed to secure a placement ? Some students secure a placement having made just a handful of applications and others  apply to  well over twenty before getting an offer. The average is probably between eight and ten.

Can international students do placements? Yes. As the placement is part of your degree, international students do not need to secure any additional  work visa to do a placement year. If you are not enrolled on a degree which includes a placement year you may need to extend your students visa and you should contact the International Student Support team via this link

What is the fee for doing a placement year and why is this necessary? Home students will pay £1305 when they take their Placement Year / Industrial Placement Year in 2026/27. Overseas students will pay 13.33% of their full-time rate when they are on their  Placement Year / Industrial Placement Year. There are some variations in the fee, which is explained at this link.  The fee is to cover the ongoing support and access to university services you receive whilst on placement and the assessment of your placement year. Home students can get a student loan to cover the fee, and can also apply for a reduced maintenance loan.

What if I don't  get offered a placement? If you don't get an offer for a role you are happy to do  then in most cases students will continue into their final year and should still  have still learned a great deal about the recruitment processes of different employers and the type of career they may like to pursue after university.

Are there any other ways to gain useful work  experience apart from doing a full placement year? Yes, this document summarises some of the alternatives to a placement year