What exactly is a thick or thin sandwich placement?
Posted: January 17 2022
Maheen, Psychology
A sandwich course is a degree programme that includes time spent away from studies on a placement.
Placement/a year in the industry refers to 9-12 months of full-time work experience that you gain as a part of your course, thus making your degree four years long instead of three. A thick sandwich placement includes one year in industry after Level 5 (year 2) and before Level 6 (year 3). Whereas a thin sandwich placement refers to two six-month placements embedded within the second year of your course. The first thin placement is taken before Level 5 (year 2) and the second thin placement takes place immediately after Level 5 (year 2). After a thin/thick sandwich placement, students return to university to undertake their final year of studies. There is a set number of working hours that need to be completed to fulfil the placement requirements. The number of working hours required varies from course to course and is different for paid and unpaid placements.
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Brunel offers a variety of courses with the option of placement at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The eligibility criteria for sandwich courses are usually the same as an equivalent course without placement. Even if you have decided to take a 3-year degree without a placement, you can still switch to the 4-year degree with professional development after you start your course.
Support from the university鈥�
成人直播app has a dedicated careers service called the Professional Development Centre (PDC), where you can find an experienced careers consultant and a placement advisor for each course. A number of placements, summer internships, graduate jobs, part-time jobs, and voluntary work opportunities are advertised on the Brunel Jobs Board. The placement team is really supportive throughout the placement search and helps with CV checks, interview prep, and job applications. The Brunel University Placement Service has been shortlisted for the National Undergraduate Employability (NUE) awards 2020 in recognition of the support provided by the placements team in maximising work opportunities for students. In order to ensure that the potential placement meets work placement and academic standards, it must be approved by the placement advisor in the PDC and the relevant work placement module convenor. Each student is also allocated a placement tutor who is there to support and advise on assessment, research, and in general terms, on the progress and expectations of a placement. Since placement is also a teaching block forming part of a degree programme, it is formally assessed and contributes towards your final degree grade. Assessments vary from course to course and normally include coursework and presentations towards the end of the placement year.
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Although opting for a sandwich course increases your degree duration by a year, it has numerous advantages in terms of boosting your CV and acquiring new skills. It is a great way to get some hands-on experience, gain insights into an industry and decide if you enjoy working in a particular sector. Moreover, as you network and build connections, it exposes you to multiple pathways you can choose to go for with your degree. In many cases, you can also secure a full-time job offer from your placement organisation after graduation. In short, it definitely gives you a competitive edge over other graduates without work experience as you will be better equipped with valuable skills and a wider understanding of the practical world of work.