FAQs
As an undergraduate, you will take your Year in Industry between stage 2 and 3.
Some postgraduate programmes offer a Year in Industry. This is dependent on which course you are taking so it is best to ask the team for clarification.
You can secure a Year in Industry or Year in Professional Practice until the last day of summer term, for 2026 this is 19th June.
If by the deadline you are awaiting an interview or to hear back from applications, you must alert us to your interview dates and application deadlines, and we will consider this as exceptional circumstances.
We WILL NOT accept placement confirmations that have been applied for after 19th June 2026.
We prefer you to secure a placement before adding the placement year, so visit the Year in Industry Moodle page or book onto a Year in Industry appointment for help getting started with your search.
If you are in stage 1 you can add the year up until 31st December, after this date you will need to secure a placement to be able to add the year.
For Stage 2 students and PGT you must secure a placement first, only then will you be able to add the year.
You can also come to the Introduction to Year in Industry talk: https://student.kent.ac.uk/careers/events?category=Student%20skills%20and%20employability&count=42
Book appointments here: https://student.kent.ac.uk/careers/uni-kent-careers-hub#book-appointments
To change your course you will need to complete a change of course form.
This can be requested via the programmes admin team.
Please be reminded you may only add the year in industry/year in professional practice option at certain times of your degree (see FAQ above)
No. You can do your placement anywhere in the world, you just need to ensure you have the correct visas, insurances and paperwork in place before you go. We will also ensure that the placement is suitable.
The Year in Industry/Year in Professional Practice must be a minimum of 1000 hours, this is usually 39-44 weeks.
You may come across issues while on your placement, it may not be quite what you expected, you may be having problems with your supervisor or colleague….. for any problems that arise, you need to follow the complaints protocol for the company/organisation you are working for. You will also need to make the Employability and Placements team aware of the situation, we are here to give you support and advice.
If while on placement you face any mitigation you must make the placements team and your school student support team aware.
Mitigation will be looked at by the School’s Mitigation Committee, and it is important to support your mitigation application with necessary evidence.
Failing to complete the placement year without mitigation/reason may have a negative impact; therefore, it is imperative that you keep us informed.
This is extremely rare but you should contact your placements team immediately to discuss and receive advice on the appropriate action to take.
You will have to convert back to the standard 3 year programme. There is a lot of support with finding a placement and lots of opportunities out there. By starting your search early in Stage 1 and being prepared you will give yourself the best chances. Don’t forget that you have until the end of the summer term in stage 2 to secure your placement.
No, you will be unable to select your stage 3 modules via OMR in Stage 2 if you are registered to a placement year already. If you do not secure a placement by the end of the summer term in Stage 2 and you have to convert to the standard 3 years degree you will then be asked to select your module choices.
Ideally your placement should be with one organisation, however we appreciate that sometimes this is not possible. If you do decide to undertake your year in more than one place you should identify the second placement early to avoid the risk of not being able to complete the year with enough hours. It is advisable to speak to an employability and placement adviser if this situation occurs.
The Year in Industry/Year in Professional Practice counts towards your degree classification, it is made up of 2 modules, Industrial Placement Experience 100 credits and Industrial Placement report – 20 credits. The year may be assessed in several ways; these will be specific to your school and can include;
- A written report
- An oral presentation
- A reflective journal/blog
- Evaluations provided by your Placement Supervisor/Line manager
You will be given another opportunity to resubmit the report/assessment on one occasion only. For assessment information please visit the Year in Industry Moodle page and select your school tab.
You are unable to resit or repeat the year, this module cannot be compensated or condoned. If you are unsuccessful in passing the module the year in industry will still appear on your transcript.
- Check-in emails
- Virtual visits from the team and Academic staff every three months
- You will be contacted about final year module and project choices in March
- Contact us at any time by email or phone
Opportunities vary by sector, some are paid and some are unpaid. You should consider if it’s financially viable for you to take an unpaid placement. Student Finance is available via SFE.
Yes, you’ll pay a substantially reduced fee. Fees for the current year (subject to changes) can be found on our tuition fees website.
Kent Students' Union can help with any visa queries.
It should be on a temporary full-time contract; a permanent job/apprenticeship or short course is NOT a placement. The opportunity should be in line with your degree, and it should give you the opportunity to develop, reinforce and apply professional and/or technical expertise in an employment context.
When you receive an offer, email placements@kent.ac.uk you will be asked to provide some documents (i.e. Job Description, Contract). Organisations will be asked to complete a Health and Safety form. The Employability and Placement team will review the documents to approve the placement.
You can access your own student status letter through Kent Vision – the instructions for which are here:
https://student.kent.ac.uk/support/requesting-official-student-documents
You can download a copy directly from KentVision:
- Click My communications and documents
- Click My documents
- Choose status letter
- Use the drop down to choose who the letter should be addressed to - click next
- Click download
If you would like to speak with a placement advisor or have any further questions please book to speak to someone via our careers hub, where we will be more than happy to support you.
Glossary
Year in Industry Placement
An opportunity for a student to do a placement the equivalent of a year’s academic study, this will ordinarily consist of a minimum of 39-44 weeks. The placement can be taken by undergraduate students in their penultimate year of study and postgraduate students between Terms 3 (Summer) and 4 (Late Summer) of their studies. The placement will be reflective and gives the students the opportunity to grow their graduate attributes and necessary skills to access a range of opportunities within the graduate labour market.
Year in Professional Practice
Professional Practice placements are undertaken on courses where qualification leads to a license to practice such as in Health or Education or when the course comes with accreditation. Students can often do multiple practice placements as part of their course of study and employers may be involved in the assessment of students. These placements are disciplinary based, must be related to the course of study, and require assessment of disciplinary knowledge, skills & practice.
Employability and Placement Adviser
Supports you throughout your journey from Stage 1 onwards. Available for one to one appointments and you will see them delivering your placement workshops.
Preparation Journey
Use this as a guide to give you the best possible chance of securing a placement. We have planned when we feel you should be accessing support and what support there will be available.
Bootcamps
A session designed for students to ensure they are application ready by the end of Stage 1. These sessions will ensure you have an updated CV and you have all the hints and tips required to go full steam ahead with your applications.
Useful Contacts
Placements Administration Team
placements@kent.ac.uk
Student support and wellbeing
www.kent.ac.uk./student-support
Student Advice Centre - Visa Enquiries
Advice@kent.ac.uk
Turing Scheme Funding
goabroad@kent.ac.uk