Module Specification

Module Summary Information

1 Module Title Professional Placement
2 Module Credits 60
3 Module Level Level 6
4 Module Code PLA6001 – BLSS
PLA6002 – HELS
PLA6003 – ADM
PLA6004 - CEBE

5 Module Overview
This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 20-week
Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree.

The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through
the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at
the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional
Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work
environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills
development within the workplace.

You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will
draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a
suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will also benefit from support
sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School.

Placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore
the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with
Professional Placement’ course. All students who do not find a suitable placement or do not pass the
competitive selection process will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement
version of the course.

You will be able to start your Professional Placement at the end of the standard Master’s course, once
you have successfully completed the competitive recruitment process and passed at least 120 credits
of the 180 credits required for the final award. The length of a standard full-time Master’s course ‘with
Professional Placement’ will, therefore, be extended to 18 months and will consist of 240 credits, 60 of
which will be awarded following completion of the placement.

The module is assessed on a pass / fail basis via a portfolio of work to document and evidence your
experience throughout the placement. The credits awarded following successful completion of the
Professional Placement module will not count towards the classification of the final award. Formative
feedback will be provided on at least two occasions prior to the final submission of the portfolio. The
portfolio submission will include a poster or reflective artefact to enable you to evaluate concisely your
professional journey and the graduate attributes you have gained throughout the placement
experience.

You will be expected to reflect on your current skills, behaviours and attitudes within a professional
environment and demonstrate how the Professional Placement has served to enhance these.

The Professional Placement cannot be repeated. If you receive a fail following submission of your
portfolio, you will have one further opportunity to resubmit. Failure in the resubmission will result in
automatic transfer back to the non-placement version of the standard Master’s course.
BCU Module Specification V1.01 2020/21 12/05/20
 6 Indicative Content
The University will work with the Placement Provider to ensure that they are committed to providing
appropriate, subject-related work opportunities and/or experiences to support you in meeting the
module’s learning outcomes.

Individual assessment briefs will be provided for you at subject level, which will enable you to reflect
on and demonstrate the appropriate skills, behaviours and attitudes relevant to your chosen area of
professional practice.

This module requires a minimum of 20 weeks of work within a professional placement setting. You will
be supported by an academic supervisor and a workplace supervisor. The workplace supervisor will
provide workplace support but will not mark the portfolio to preserve the workplace supervisor
relationship. The academic supervisor will provide formative feedback on the developing portfolio on
at least two occasions prior to submission of the summative portfolio at the end of the 20-week
placement.

7 Module Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

1 Reflect on your current skills, behaviours and attitudes within a professional environment
and how you applied these graduate attributes within your placement setting.
2 Critically evaluate how you further developed your professional skillset during the
placement and evidence how you have applied these new graduate attributes within your
placement setting.
3 Explain corporate social responsibility and sustainable development issues in relation to
your placement organisation.
4 Communicate your placement learning experience to others via a poster submission or
reflective artefact.

8 Module Assessment
Learning
Outcomes
Coursework Exam In-Person
1-4 X

9 Breakdown Learning and Teaching Activities

Learning Activities Hours

Scheduled Learning (SL) None

Directed Learning (DL) 20-week placement has to be completed working to the business
hours of the company (maximum 37 hours per week)
Private Study (PS) Included in work placement time

Total Study Hours: 600 hours minimum excluding sickness and holidays

BCU Module Specification V1.01 2020/21 12/05/20